Steering rack questions....

[ldzpstnr]

Hey


Alright so my car now has 230K on it. Sounds like the power steering pump is starting to get tired, it whines a lot. Got plenty of fluid and new ATF fuild too. But hey this car has a lot of miles on it. From what I am reading the steering racks start leaking around this mileage too.

Can I just put an M3 rack into the car instead of the factory one? I see they are not cheap, for stock or the M3 one. Arent rack and pinions simular between cars? Can I use one off another german made car, maybe a cheaper rack? I know thats a long shot but hey.

If the rack starts leaking could I just remove the power steering pump and seal the lines? Maybe doing this might stop the rack from leaking? I have also seen rack and pinion seal kits you can buy for these cars.... is it possible to repair them yourself?

I havent ever messed with a rack and pinion. Do I really have any options regarding the rack?

Aaron

 

[epj3]

So wait, steering pump whines so you want to replace the rack? I think you might need a new pump. If the rack isn't leaking, it is probably still okay. Racks can start leaking from 2 miles to a million miles. Just depends on quality of seals. Mine was leaking when I bought the e30 with 165k miles, replaced it around 170k miles because it was getting bad.

You always need fluid in the steering rack... the ATF fluid isn't just compressed by the pump - it lubricates everything. I got my rebuilt rack pretty cheap, worked perfect. Not sure about swapping from another car though. Not worth repairing - it's a pain in the ass.