Imo000

If a steering rack needs to be reground (damaged at the sealing surface), are there oversized seals avaible? Has anyone do this for a rack rebuild or only changed the seals and O rings?

Adamant1971

Can't answer your question, but I have an almost complete set of seals if you need them. Only missing the two at the cover near the steering knuckle.

GlenL

The seals come in a lot of sizes so getting one, or two, wouldn't be a problems. Or getting them and having the rod ground to the size. You'd need the bushings that support the rack, too.

At this point, I'd get a different rack.

Imo000

I'm not the one that will be dong the rebuild part. Just trying to get options in case the rebuilding shop can regrind the shaft (if not then it's garbage). This rack was rebuilt not too long ago (not a lot of miles) and has derlin bushings already. Someone before me, left in the centering bolt and turned the wheel a few times before realizing this. The centering divot got some nice sharp edges that shredded the seals. Real shame.

Also, are internal parts interchangeable between S4s? Have a core (blown seals) from an '89 that should have good innards to perhaps transfer into this one. Just trying to put together for some options when the owner comes tomorrow to take the rack.

GlenL

You might look into rebuilding the other rack. The crossmember accepts all models. I've used the "wrong" rack a couple of times. They need the right stops. Some racks are longer, side-to-side, but it's not beyond the adjustability of the tie rods.

Imo000

Are the '91 racks unique to that year only? If they are, can components from other years used?

GlenL

Someone else will know better but I _believe_ that '91 started using a higher-pressure pump for speed-sensitive assist.

What years are the car and the rack you're trying to fix?

Lizard928

Imre,

The area that the centering bolt touches cannot touch or affect any of the seals at all.
A picture would be great to see what you're looking at.

Lizard928

The 91-95 racks have different spool cartridges in them to decrease steering effort.

Imo000

The damaged rack is from a '91 car and the core is I believe from an '89. The interesting part is that the casting on the '91 rack has an '84 date code. Just noticed it when reviewing the pictures I took. So now I have no idea what exactly was in the '91, other that it was rebuilt not that many miles ago.

Imo000

What about the groove left by the bolt on the rack, can that extened to the seals if the rack was extended all the way to left?

Have pictures but can't post them on RL anymore. I'll have a close look at the rack tonight, before it is send to the rebuilder and see what is happening in there. Both sides of the rack are badly leaking. To a point that the owner cut the belt to save the pump.

Lizard928

There is no way for that groove to ever go far enough to effect the seals at all.

If this is Danny's car, I had to replace the spool housing with a good used one as his lower bearing disintegrated.
I also had to replace the springs in the spool cartridge as they snapped shortly after.
I rebuilt it the first time due to the failed bearing, the second time due to a failed spring in the spool valve.

Though I've never had a tool for centering the rack so I'd be curious when that happened.
I don't recall there being any scoring there, but it could've been there before as had I determined it not be an issue.
Obviously when I rebuilt it the first time I flushed everything out and blew out all the hoses.

Hopefully this is another car though.

Imo000

Unfortunately this is his car. Now it make sense why the spool hosing has an '84 date code. Thanks for the clarification as I was getting confused even though I won't be the one rebuilding it. He'll take the rack to a shop that routinely rebuilds these.

Lizard928

Please replace the power steering pump as well.
I flushed it out but couldn't get any of the seals for rebuilding it at that time and while I flushed the system numerous times obviously either something remained, or something else is letting go.
He also drove the car for 20k km at least before this happened so it's more likely that there is other contamination that is causing it.

dzaprev

imo000 who are you sending rack out to get it rebuilt to and how much do they charge?