how can you tell if your steering rack is failing? im gettin a slight creeking only sometimes when i turn the wheel, so im not sure if its the suspension or the rack creeking. at first in cold morning the steering is stiff, but afterwards it is fine with no problems. i have no loss of ps fluid, however there looks like there is some kind of grease seeping out of the rack boots. from what i understand tho, there isnt suppsoed to be any grease in those boots, they are just dust covers. thoughts?

 

there is grease in those boots. thats why dust doesnt belong there. does it creak wen youre driving or wen youre stopped as well?

 

ive only noticed it at low speeds, like turning in a parking lot. other than that i dont hear it, its very very slight. i also removed the p/s system and looped it with a breather using padawan's kit. so, for no p/s with a possible problem, it turns very smooth

 

stiff steering in the cold mornings is normal, its cold fluid thats thicker and harder to move around.

creeking.. i had this problem in my 00GS. Turned out to be a bad sway bar endlink. any time i turned the wheel or compressed the suspension on the driver's side @ slow speeds i would hear this.

it's caused by a failed (dried out) bushing.

 

i noticed my end links look a little worn, as well as a couple bushings in that area. but there is supposed to be grease in those boots? is it like cv boot grease or like a wheel bearing grease? i bought new replacement boots, i may as well replace the bushings and end links while im in there

 

my friend looked at his shop manual, there is supposed to be grease in those boots, the book specifies silicon grease to be coated over the joint.

 

The creeking noise can be fixed very easily. Take the cover off the steering column you will find it when you take that plastic cover off, like where the coin trey is. right by your knees on the driver side. Then there will just be clips holding a cover over the steering column.


Just before the firewall will be a a joint


Take a screwdiver and stuff grease in the joint. This should hopefully solve the problem. As for the problem with bad steering when its cold, its called moring sickness. Most likely your rack is junk. The teflon seals in the steering rack have worn threw the aluminum housing. That is why when it warms up you have power steering again, but when its cold the fluid is leaking past that seal. So the fix is most likely getting a new rack.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by fast_96gsr &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"> That is why when it warms up you have power steering again, but when its cold the fluid is leaking past that seal. So the fix is most likely getting a new rack. </TD></TR></TABLE>

i dont have power steering to begin with, and im not leaking any fluid

 

you said you dont have any loss of ps fluid? wouldnt that mean you have power steering. And you would not see the fluid leaking. Becuase the seal that i am talking about is internal in the rack.

 

i have no p/s and i still have the fluid. i looped the rack with padawan's kit.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by danteisme &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i i also removed the p/s system and looped it with a breather using padawan's kit. </TD></TR></TABLE>

 

it doesnt matter it is a PS rack still. The teflon seal in the rack has worn through the housing. If you want to fix it, put in a new rack.