Steering rack Leak

I have heard decent reviews about that outfit and getting decent replacement racks. If i were in the market for a replacement id prolly get one through them.

 

I'll post some pix when it gets here, should be here any day.

 

I bought a brand new AAE 3273N steering rack when I replaced mine last year for $250 shipped with no core charge. It''s only been 6 months and perfect so far.

I researched at the time and found this thread over in my old T4R stomping grounds that swayed me. 3rd gen 4x4 4runners are the same.Almost positive the AAE is the upgraded one Safari LTD sells too.

 

Eventually you get to the point in which you will hate dealing with this steering rack crap so much that you will want to do a SAS

Well, the racks can go long ways in mostly street driven trucks that see mild off road use.

But if you start wheeling a lot you will go through them.

 

my rack is leaking. I had to replace PS fluid every week. Besides the environmental cost, it was messing up my driveway and annoying as fuck. The Lucas PowerSteering Stop Leak actually worked. It's been a month and a half since I put anything in the reservoir. Driveway is dry. I realize I will need to replace this unit eventually, but I am going OEM and thats $500 I want to put off as long as possible. Just a suggestion, YMMV

 

+2 on the Lucas PS Stop Leak. swapped in a res worth, drove it week, swapped in another res worth & did that 1 more time. Mine was just starting to seep on one side. Have had no further seepage on the one side and no other seepages...........for a coupla years. When it cries I will give it a tissue but so far so good. On the 05 AC dealership charged me $350, while they were doing other free drivetrain warranty things, to rebuild mine since they couldn't seem to find one on the planet at the time to charge me $1100 for. (not that that woulda happened) I would have gone elsewhere for rebuilt.

 

How much did you put in? I have a slight leak (a drop on the pass side boot) and don't feel like dropping a chunk of change on an OEM one at the moment

 

The bottle says put the whole thing in, and be ready to add another. Because I had some fluid already in the reservoir, and did not suck it out or drain it, I was only able to put half a bottle in. And that was 1.5 months ago and the level looks unchanged.

 

I'd imagine you just wanna be sensitive to the fact that the required fluid is ATF and very thin. Too much of any type of thickener to stop leaks CAN, not necessarily will, overwork the pump and if pump can't keep up the rack is SOL and then possibly the pump as well. Not saying not too, I'd just try and turn the wheel only while tires are actually moving etc., as to alleviate as much additional stress from the thick fluid as possible.

 

Okay. Yeah I'd rather not overdo it. Half a bottle sounds okay

 

Thats a very good point, and something I did consider. Thanks for making that point. I felt comfortable having mostly ATF fluid with approximately half a bottle of Lucas in there.

 

Cool, sounds like you're on it just fine.

 

I have a Cajun injector big syringe thing I saved for evacuating brake or ps resevoirs. I emptied my reservoir (no, not all the way to cause air in lines) then added lucas, then drove a few days then did the same thing 2 more times. At that point I had only used 1/2 to 2/3 of the bottle so the system never even got a whole bottle, much less all at once.

 

Nice, sounds like a good plan, use as little at a time as possible, until you get the desired result. Definitely best way to do something like that.

 

I'm on rack #4. This is getting old.

 

Wow, I hope they aren't O$E$M racks??

 

Nope. Got it through eBay. Lifetime warrantee, which I have used 3 times

 

Thanks all. You guys informed me I got the wrong rack in order and I was able to cancel. Going to reorder tonight. Saving up for sas. Hopefully at the end of summer.

 

Suuuuuuuck.

 

These prices are way lower than a price I was quoted at Napa. Not sure what brand it was but it was close to $500!!! I did not get that one.