Reconditioning Your Steering Rack

I have been aware for some time that my steering rack was on the way out. The trip to the Cape last year put pay to the little life it had left. Time to recondition it.

Rather than pull the Mighty Brumby off the road for a few days while the rack was being repaired, get hold of another rack, reco it then change it over, I thought. Good theory but not quite that simple. After getting a rack and (the best we have) from a local wrecking yard, I took it to both Driveline and Fulcrum only to be told it was unable to be reconditioned.

After a number of attempts by myself and the wrecker to find a suitable rack, success was finally achieved but let me say it was a long - and frustrating search. It turns out that to recondition a rack effectively, it needs to have minimal wear on the teeth and shaft and the needs to be in fairly good order. The best way of testing is firstly to pull the boots back and look for signs of rust or scoring. Then move the rack from lock to lock feeling for bad 'knotchiness". It should feel firmer through centre position than near locking position.

Water is the racks worst enemy so if you are doing lots of creek crossing, pull the boots aside and check and drain if required. It may just save yours and save you the drama of trying to find another.

I am very happy with my new reliable steering system and have learnt a bit about both repairing and maintaining racks but I'm also pleased that I went with a hunch I had and didn't just pull my existing rack out with the thought of reconditioning it. My car would have been off the road for some three or four weeks, which would have been, even more frustrating than it was.

If you have a good steering rack, look after it and if you don't, start looking, as good ones are fairly rare. Dale from Driveline Services did inform me that they were looking into manufacturing replacement shafts etc, which would be a definite bonus.

Graeme Laws SC430

Disclaimer: Technical information given or disclosed in this website is given with the best intent and is advisory only. No responsibility is taken by the the Subaru 4WDrive Club of Queensland or its members for any damage or injury caused by any vehicle modifications made, or by the use of any products or the adoption of any procedures mentioned in this website.