grappamon

I woke up this morning to a small puddle under the front of my '98 C4S (aproxmately 1oz). It was located just to left of the center of the front wheels. I called my mechanic and was told that a replacement rack would set me back $550 in labor and $1200 for a rebuilt rack or $2100 for a new one.

I have been searching the forums and found that this quote seems exceedingly high.

I am very mechanically inclined and understand the work involed and am not put off by the $550 qoute for labor but the price of the rack seems excessive.

What to you guys think?

FD Motorsports

The rack price is a little bit high but not abnormally so... assuming that price is for a ZF rebuilt rack (rebuilt by ZF).

There are rebuilt racks available for less $ that some have had good luck with (so far!).

Some shops may be reluctant to install a cheaper rack. Why? Well, because if it leaks, you are going to come back to them... and they eat the labor to replace it.
We will install what the client wants but won't warranty the labor unless it is a ZF rack.

Again, many have had good luck with less pricey racks.

MarkD

grappamon

Thanks for the input. The rebult rack would be a ZF but refurbished by an independent company here in SoCal not by ZF. They offer a 3yr waranty on the rack. I can't remember thier name.

Any thoughts on putting this off for a few months and keeping an eye on the fluid level? I only drive the car about once a week.

I have to pay $14k tomorrow for some pool remodel work we had done and that cleaned me out. It's always something.

JM993

As Mark can confirm, I too was put off by the price of a reman ZF rack. Instead I took a chance and installed a good used rack. So far so good. The install was pretty easy for someone mechanically inclined. This option, or buying a less pricey rack is probably only a good idea if you're doing the work and are willing to eat the labor costs if it fails prematurely. I completely understand why a reputable shop would not warranty the labor unless a ZF rack was used.

If you are local to FD Motorsports and don't want to do the work, I'd encourage you to go with them. They are good guys and are reasonable.

FWIW - I drove my car with a leaky rack for 2 years. Your mileage may vary of course Just be sure to keep an eye on the fluid level.

Cheers,
Joe

Cheers,
Joe

evoderby

You could try using a product like wynns power steering supplement to squeeze a bit more miles out of your current rack. Over here in Europe we see reconditioned racks for around $600/900 - 400/700 Euro from reputable sources.

http://www.porscheshop.co.uk/acatalo..._steering.html (the most economic option I know )

Fitting the rack isn´t too big of a deal as well, 2½ hours tops for an experienced mechanic. Afterwards front toe needs to be aligned so factor another $60 for that as well and $15 PAS fluid. At an hourly rate of $100 you should be able to keep things well south of $1250 for the complete job.

Rgds,

Harald

JM993

You can avoid realigning the car by disconnecting the tie rods at the rack and letting them hang.

Cheers,
Joe

FD Motorsports

Well, then that price is pretty high for the rack.

Racks rebuilt by known suppliers can be found for half of that, even less depending on where you go.

CP

Comparing apples and oranges, but a Cayman steering rack replacement costs roughly $1.9k.

Just did mine last week. Lucky it was under warranty.

CP

fullbooker

I replaced my lealing rack with one from Power Steering Pros. I think it was about $350. So far, so good, but it does seem "tighter" than the old one.
Phil

1pcarnut

I think somewhere I saw a re-seal kit for around $80, maybe Pelican? Here is a diy for a 944, that would be similiar- http://clarks-garage.com/shop-manual/steer-03.htm

or, buy a rebuilt one from these guys: http://www.allzim.com/cgi/sh000001.p...e347_2e011_2eX

there might be others.

grappamon

False Alarm! First of all thanks to everyones input I really appreciate it. When I got home I started looking around and cleaning in hopes of finding the source of the leak. What I found was spilled brake fluid. I had the brakes flushed about 2 months ago and it eventually found it's way to the floor. Obviously I don't drive it much but I feel much better now and I check it again after the next drive. Thanks again -Wes

evoderby

Happy swimming! ;-)

MarkD

awesome, congrats.
That is a MUCH cheaper fix

Dirve safe!