jimq

I need to replace one of my steering rack boots before i get an alignment. Has anybody done this and is there any pitfalls i should be carefull about while doing it? Also will it help to mark with something where the connections are on the threaded parts to get it back to close to where i started. I am going to need to replace the rack later this year but its not leaking bad and dont want to spend the money just yet. At least with the new boot it wont drip for awhile

viperbob

Replacing the boot is not too difficult. The biggest issue is getting the tie rod out of the steering arm on the strut. In most cases, you will need a special tool to separate the two. You can try using a hammer with the nut still on at the top of the tie rod threaded shaft, but you generally will damage the nut and the tie rod end. You can try to tap on the side of the steering arm with a hammer. This will sometimes break the bond and the tie rod will just fall out. Good luck...

jimq

Thanks Bob. Is this tool something that i may be able to borrow from Autozone or is it Porsche specific? I have a lift in my garage so it doesnt look like it is to hard to get to.
Are you going to be at the Porsche Coral at the Rolex 24 the end of the month? I have read your threads on the 993 board with the left coast guys when you were out there and am impressed with your knowledge with these cars.

greenjt

Hey Jim... not to hijack but i have a rack boot question and since you are working on them right now thought you probably would know.

My steering rack boots look fine but aren't fixed in place on the end closest to the wheel. I assumed they should be but don't know for sure. i can actually push them back to see the part of the rack they normally cover and when i let go they go back in place but are not anchored on the end. Any comments? If it's not too much trouble, i would really appreciate a picture of one of your boots to see if/how it attaches. Thanks.

jimq

I dont have the car on the lift right now and am at "work" so probably wont be working on it until this weekend. Sorry. I am sure someone else will know. Mine is ripped in half so hard to tell how it goes on.

viperbob

James, they should be tight at the outer ends so no dirt gets in. You should be able to see if they are loose that they can be pulled over what they are probably resting against on the rack end.

Jim - Thanks. I try to do what I can. I do plan on being at the 24 hrs. I am trying to get on a race team since I have some time on my hands to hang out in the pits and help during the race. We'll see what happens

ThomasC2

Split the tie-rod instead of breaking the joint. Much easier, just remember to mark the position of the bolts on the threads, AND that one bolt is turned clock-wise ant the other is turned counter-clockwise. The fitting could be a little hard due to the new and stiff rubber. Fit the small end of the boot first and then pull the boot over the inner edge. I used two plastic tools used for taking of/on bicycle tires that I rounde of a bit. You'll notice that there's not much space so you need som kind of tool. the easisest way to attach the outer/small end of the boot is actually to undo the whole inner fork and work with the boot on a bench. Put some grease on the edges, it helps!

Dunasso

If you are only replacing the boots and not the tierod ends or assemblies, then there is no need to unscrew the outer ends off. However, you will need to remove the nut that holds the tierod end onto the nuckle arm. DO NOT USE A TIEROD SPLITTING TOOL TO SEPARTE THE END FROM THE NUCKLEARM. Doing this will tear the rubber grease boot and allow water and dirt to contaminate the joint. If you are planning on replacing the end joint, then the separater is fine and in some cases easiest to use.
To remove the end joint from the knuckle-arm, remove the nut and apply a small amount of upward pressure to the tie-rod assembly closest to the outer joint. With a medium sized ballpeen hammer wrap on the tail end of the knuckle arm and the end joint will pop out of it's seat.

Duncan

jimq

Got a picture of where you are talking about Duncan? This is getting to sound like i should just wait untill i do the rack or just buy the rack and do it now.

ThomasC2

Just to clarify, when I ment "split" i didnt mean to split the joint. What I meant was to just unscrew the pipe from the forks where you adjust the toe-in/out.

JasonAndreas

Have you looked into rebuilding your current rack?

jimq

I didnt think you could. It is leaking on the drivers side. Havent pulled the boot back on the other side to check. Is it possible to get the seals and would it require really special tools? Somebody must have the parts as the sell rebuilt ones.

JasonAndreas

Rebuild seal kits for the 964 are available from ZF for ~$55USD. The kit number will probably be 7832-633-010 but get the ZF part number from your existing rack before contacting them just to be 100%.

kris

Thomas from sweden said some time ago that it was possible to obtain a ZF seal kit for 55 usd, kit n° 7832 633 010 , when ordering you should also give your zf part number to be sure.

Dunasso

Sorry, but no photos for that yet. However, I will post some when I replace my P/S rack with the manual rack in a couple months.

It would probably be in your best interest to replace the rack, rather than attempt a rebuild it at home.
A new or rebuilt rack will come with a warranty, so if there are any problems you can exchange it for another.

My rack and pump were both leaking; I opted to remove the whole system. Removing the pump and housing; and making a block off cover was the first step.

Duncan