Off topic Rack and pinion rebuild

[94turboidi]

Okay I really couldn't find where to post this and I know there are neon forums and such but figure theres plenty of mechanically inclined folks among us here. We have a 98 neon and I believe the rack and pinion is leaking. I can get a reman for 150 but the rack feels tight and there is a rebuild kit for about 20 and it looks like it comes w/ all the seals etc. to keep it from leaking. It doesn't come w/ the bellows at the end but thats not a big deal if mine are good I might not even replace them. Their about 10 a piece I think. Anyways its probably a pita to get out but I need to do a wheel bearing and might do tie rods at the same time. Has anyone here done this and how difficult is it? I have rebuilt some hyd. cylinders before and once I did one it was pretty easy.

 

[94f450sd]

just replace it for 150 bux.id rather have a reman with warranty than try to rebuild it and hope it dont leak.there is a reason its leaking and unless the problem is corrected youd be wasting time

 

[itsacrazyasian]

If its a cardone reman, you'll be doing it again in a year i can almost guarantee. I own a repair shop, i will not use cardone racks ever again. Almost every single one that goes in has to come back out. If you pm me the details about the neon, SOHC, DOHC, auto, manual i'll get the service procedures for you but i can tell you the front wheel bearings are harder to do than the rack. The rack is just time consuming. The hardest thing i remember doing with them is getting them lined back up with the input shaft. As for rebuilding the rack, if its tight, get a seal kit, bellows, and rack bushings and replace them. The seals are fairly easy to do. If not find a independent rebuilder. I use a guy that lives in the neighborhood behind me that does cv axles and racks. I throw him 100 bucks and he gives me a nice shiny rebuilt rack. He adjusts all preload and centers the rack for me. He just did a nice one for a old Dodge Charger Shelby GLHS. All in all its not terrible to reseal them.

 

[94turboidi]

The reason its leaking is the seals are shot in the rack. Also a warranty on something like this doesn't mean much when theres a fair amount of labor to take it back out and if it goes bad its always right after their warranty expires. Now alot of stuff I don't mind buying rebuilt but this just seems like I can save some money on and mostly just out my labor. I could have paid for the parts already in what were paying in ps fluid. About a quart a week.

 

[94f450sd]

get the lifetime warranty on it.i wouldnt bother trying to rebuild it myself.its enough work to R&R it nevermind rebuild yourself and have to do it again if it still leaks.i had my own repair shop as well and i wouldnt bother rebuilding certain things myself and a steering rack is one of them.

 

[itsacrazyasian]

i normally dont either, but literally just about every rack i installed that were cardones have leaked just outside of my 1 yr warrenty on labor. Yea its got a lifetime warrenty, but i hate having to do it again. Maval builds a good rack, i'm just not impressed with cardone's racks. I installed one in a Toyota Avalon, it came back twice. the day after the avalon left i had a caddy that needed one. installed cardone since the owner needed car back asap. Told myself i wasn;t going to install a cardone rack after that. the caddy came back. Had to get a rack for a Dodge Charger Shelby GLHS. Cardone was the only one that had it, 4 different racks, all of them incorrect. Send stock one out to get rebuilt since it was sloppy.

Now i have a cardone p/s pump, vacuum pump, hydroboost in the F350. No problems using them.

 

[94turboidi]

Yeah I have a cardone ps pump I just bought for mt hydroboost also. I really don't think I will have a problem resealing it. If I do then lesson learned only out a few dollars. If it works I might do my parents caravan.

 

[LCAM-01XA]

If its a cardone reman, you'll be doing it again in a year i can almost guarantee. I own a repair shop, i will not use cardone racks ever again. Almost every single one that goes in has to come back out.

Yup, eff cardone racks. Also their brake boosters, and their master cylinders while I'm at it, lol. Dunno about their pumps, should be okay cause tis kinda hard to screw one of those up... But I use exclusively Fenco, they are rebuilt in Canada, and sold by AutoZone.

In any case, if the rack is tight then there is probably insignificant amount of internal wear - for 20 bucks I'd go with the seal kit as well, if all else fails you will know how to take the rack out and put a new one in the easiest way.

 

[94turboidi]

Yeah the 20 kit is on rockauto, same kit on oreillys is 80 I think I will do tie rods at the same time and get an alignment.