When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I managed to damage the pinion bearing at the bottom of the steering rack control tower while removing it. When it came out it made removing the seal that sits below the control valve (or steering gear depending on who's instructions you are following) really easy.
Is this bearing available as a separate part? The PET has the rack as a sub-assembly and I have not found anything on-line that shows the rack internal parts.
I may be able to repair the bearing if I can't find a replacement, but surely rebuilders have access to internal parts.
Help!
I damaged mine when I rebuilt my rack - I knocked it out the back from the cam tower side, but blew out the 'end-cap' piece.
I spent a LOT of time trying to source a replacement bearing. It's really not available. The dimensions appeared to be imperial based. The 'cup' style made it impossible to find a match.
There was one INA type bearing that appeared to match all dimensions. I am trying to find it right now - I thought I had it book marked.
Frustrated and short on time, I JB-welded the end-cap back onto the bearing shell and into the rack. It really just needs to keep the grease in there.
My fix has lasted two years and I've had no issues.
I damaged mine when I rebuilt my rack - I knocked it out the back from the cam tower side, but blew out the 'end-cap' piece...
Yes.
Exactly what I did
... and I was already thinking about soldering or JB welding it back together as Plan B if I couldn't find the part.
I will check the dimensions and maybe order the bearing you found, I am close enough to the border that I can have it sent to the US side and run down to pick it up. Saves on shipping and custom brokers. For $10 its worth a try.
So, this may not be helpful for an international buyer, but I picked up a complete salvage power rack from EASY (European Auto Salvage Yard, Emeryville, CA) for $35 US. I don't know if they ship, but they're professionals who've been in business for a very long time. You can find them on the web and they have a phone number. Last time I was there they had a pile (literally, a pile) of salvaged racks.
Even if they charged a fair amount for shipping, you might be better off just buying one of their racks and either steeling the bearings out of it or just re-building it. Maybe there's a place on the east coast that does the same thing? EASY specializes in salvaged Porsche parts, it's all they do.
Clearly, absent shipping, $35 is hard to beat? I feel sort of stupid promoting these guys since I consider them my own secret stash of 944 parts.
As always, should you choose to take this mission, the secretary will disavow all knowledge of your existence.
So, this may not be helpful for an international buyer, but I picked up a complete salvage power rack from EASY (European Auto Salvage Yard, Emeryville, CA) for $35 US...
Hey Scott,
You mentioned them in another thread I had when I was looking for a rack, I contacted them but the price with shipping was about the same as other sources. I ended up getting a free rack from Tiger03447.
By pure hazard I will be in Emeryville CA for a few days next June on vacation! Perhaps I will take the time to visit EASY with a list parts that I will need at that time.
Hey Scott,
You mentioned them in another thread I had when I was looking for a rack, I contacted them but the price with shipping was about the same as other sources. I ended up getting a free rack from Tiger03447.
It could be their price varies with quantity on hand, I was there about two years ago picking up a torque tube and just happened to notice the pile of racks they had in the doorway. I wasn't really looking for one but I was there and I knew my rack leaked. It was sort of an impulse buy.
Good luck, sorry that source didn't work out but there has to be someone like EASY out on the east coast too.
I never ended up ordering it because nobody would ship to Canada, or if they did, it was stupidly cost prohibitive.
You might want to double-check the specs first though.
I checked the dimensions and the shaft on mine, dimension "Fw", is 0.435". Considerably larger than 3/8 " (0.375")
My research has found nothing that would work, so it's back to Plan B, using the original bearing stuck back together. I may add a little bolt on bracket to prevent the bottom of the bearing falling out of the hole if the JB Weld fails.
I reinstalled the bearing barrel and rollers then JB welded in place the broken off bottom of the bearing.
As is my norm I over engineered it by adding a bracket to hold the bearing in place if the JB weld fails. I had visions of the JB Weld and the bottom of the bearing falling out, followed by the rollers which would lead to a lack of precision in the steering... to say the least.
I ended up fabricating a composite piece of three layers of aluminum JB welded together (the original material cracked when I bent it so I added two thin layers to form a sandwich).
I already have a bolt installed to replace the rubber plug that goes in the hole that gives access to the centering dimple on the steering shaft.
I hate to revive such an old thread, but I'm rebuilding my rack and have a few questions. Does anyone know what type of grease to use here? There was a lot of old gritty stuff that I cleaned out and want to replace, but I've heard you should only use non-petroleum grease (which the local auto parts store does not have).
I'm also a little confused about some of the O-rings. This one was in the side of the main housing, but there is no replacement in the reseal kit:
And this one came in the kit, but was not on my rack when I took it a apart. Does it replace the seal from the last picture?
Any tips or help is appreciated! The rack is from a 1984. Thanks.
I hate to revive such an old thread, but I'm rebuilding my rack and have a few questions. Does anyone know what type of grease to use here? There was a lot of old gritty stuff that I cleaned out and want to replace, but I've heard you should only use non-petroleum grease (which the local auto parts store does not have).
I'm also a little confused about some of the O-rings. This one was in the side of the main housing, but there is no replacement in the reseal kit:
And this one came in the kit, but was not on my rack when I took it a apart. Does it replace the seal from the last picture?
Any tips or help is appreciated! The rack is from a 1984. Thanks.
This isn't the best thread to discuss this on. For a complete discussion and exposure to folks who've done it before, see:
10-19-2017, 05:36 PM
Oops! Steering rack rebuild, I created a problem.
