It's blowing fluid fast and furious from the left boot area so...

Replacements are from $300 to $500, while a seal kit is around $85 (sheesh --those must be some nice seals).

Usually I just replace steering racks, on other cars because of the low price difference between rebuild vs. replace, but the $300 is bit steep for me at this time.

I feel like I could replace the seals, because I have rebuilt transmissions before, and the steering rack appears at least not as complex as that.

Has anyone ever put new seals in a rack before, and if so, was the extra trouble worth the savings?

Thank you,
Lee Shelton
95 XJ6 Memphis

 

I have done a few, earlier models, not mine, but the "hard chrome" on the rack is the usual culprit, and that ends that.

If you are lucky and it is a failure from stale fluid that has burnt the seals you might be lucky, BUT down here the suppliers will not take back a rack as a core if it is dissmantled.

 

What do you mean by "hard chrome" ? Is that like a hydraulic cylinder lining?

Thanks for the heads up.

 

OK, Aussie talk now, all I know, mmmm.

Hardchroming is the finish to the cylinder piston, which is the bit that slides from side to side, and the seals are encased in the tube part. It gets damaged and/or "rubbed through" usually in the straight ahead position, which is where the rack spends most of its life, think about it??.

It is called hardchrome, but is easily damaged by grit, hard seals, and also scuffs very easily from the effects of stale fluid, which usually has a fairly high content of H2O as part of the contamination.

Damaged rack boots allow all sorts of rubbish to get into the rack assembly, and that will destroy one very quickly.