Resolved: Power steering fluid leaking into bellows

Edit: resolved by replacing steering rack with a new one, not their rebuilt version, from Detroit Axle. It was 265 with shipping and taxes. The new one has a 10 year warranty. The rebuilt one had a lifetime warranty. Perfect option, you need to flush the power steering fluid and to replace the bushings with polyurethane bushings

After all the suspension work, I did last year it now drives like new. I could not be more pleased. I didn't realize how my string had gotten. Probably the best $265 I've spent on this truck


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Orig Post:

Replacing my bellows this afternoon and power steering fluid came out of the bellow. More than a drop or two - maybe an ounce or so. I had already noticed there seem to be some issues with the steering box / rack



is this something that should be Toyota OEM or are there other good brand replacements?

 

Unless you want to do it again, I would go OEM. I think you can buy reman Toyota racks. I found one for my 5th Gen 4Runner anyway. Might be able to save a few bucks that way.

 

Good question. I just drain mine, clean it out and zip tie it back. At some point it'll be too much of a nuisance and a new rack will be necessary.

 

Yeah, I think I can get by for right now but that'll be a project for the next month or two. Several of the seals seem to be getting weepy

 

I went ahead and ordered mine for the 4R, because the remans go out of stock quickly. If you find one, I would suggest ordering it. It's also here for when the rack totally shits the bed. But, I'm definitely not in any hurry. It's a real PITA to change on the 4R. Not so bad on the Tundra.

 

There’s an episode of All Girls Garage where they rebuild a tundra rack using only routine mechanics tools. Might want to try that.

 

yeah, this is the best price I've seen from a Toyota dealership for OEM. I'm still looking for remanufactured. But this price will certainly make you think about it.

 

I’d be interested in that. First time I looked into it years back, Toyota only made a passenger side seal for the rack to replace and not the driver’s side.

 

Before replacing the rack try flushing the fluid replacing some of the power steering fluid with a product called AT 205 which is a liquid polymer that rejuvenates seals. Approximately 1.5oz per quart

 

Thanks. I just decided to get a remanufactured rack. At 18 years of age and 308,000 miles the bushings were looking suspect too. since I am restoring the truck I just thought I would get it back in tiptop shape. New inner tie rod ends, etc.

I'm on a journey to replace all seals and bushings anyway. Just recently replaced outer TRE's and LBJ's, sway bar links etc

thanks for the info on that product. That might come in handy in the future

 

The bushings that come included with the aftermarket racks can be a bit dubious. I’d swap in an Energy Suspension poly bushing kit. They aren’t very expensive whatsoever.

 

Wish I would've read this earlier. I just ordered ones from total chaos. They are also poly but about $10 more than the energy suspension ones

 

The only thing AT 205 can’t be used for is brakes and you can use a spray bottle and apply to the outside

 

After receiving my"remanufactured toyota" steering rack with a China sticker on it, i've about decided to order the brand new OEM complete rack I posted above.

Am I letting my OCD and perfectionistic tendencies get the best of me?

I believe you can get the seals and rebuild it. But since the new OEM rack includes the inner TRE's and bellows and the steering gear is brand new I thought it would be worth it.

my concerns with rebuilding are the tendency for the casing to weaken and rust-out under the bushing due to the air conditioning condensation discharge dripping directly on the steering rack.

Does the internal gear wear overtime? It's not like it's a wheel bearing in that it doesn't have constant gear on gear movement.

18 years old 309,000 Miles. I'm trying to do a bumper-to-bumper refresh/rebuild over time and would like for it to be in tiptop shape, proactively refreshing, rebuilding, replacing before a failure

i've already done the lower ball joints, coils, shocks, outer tre's, sway bar links and power steering pump.

I believe I've still got to do the control arm bushings, upper ball joints, and swaybar bushings but I am otherwise getting reasonably close on the front steering and suspension

 

Yes, probably.

Possibly? Someone had one for sale recently in the marketplace here, I strongly considered snatching that one up.

All gears wear over time ...

 

OK, that fed the beast. Perfectionistic tendencies are probably going to win

 

I also ordered a steering shaft seal since I will have to take off the steering shaft coupler to replace the steering rack


Is there anything else while I'm in there related to the steering shaft?

 

I've had this for 2 years now. Works fine and took a lot of abuse in AZ twice.

 

Didn't I read somewhere that you had a lot of trouble replacing it? If so, any advice?

 

It's just kind of a pain getting the sway bar off. The top nut in the center of the rack doesn't help. Plus, mine was leaking for years. It was a mess under there. I'd recommend a second set of hands for sure.








Oh, plus we were kinda drunk.

 

I'm wondering if mine is different since yours is an O2 4WD and mine is an 06 2WD because in the video I watched, they did not have to remove the swaybar. If so, I'll count myself very lucky

I looked at this site before, but didn't know about their reputation

when I just looked again, they have two options. One appears to be a rebuilt unit because you get a lifetime warranty when you return your core. The other is a brand new unit with a 10 year warranty.

Did they have those options for you and if so, which one did you pick?

Did you flush your power steering fluid while you were at it? Seems like that would be pretty easy while replacing the rack




And I guess I need to search the forum for a way to reroute that AC drain

 

Could be a bit different for yours for the sway bar. They have 3 options for my year. I believe the top one is reman.



I would absolutely, 100% feel confident going with this rack again if I had to.

 

They had that third option for mine as well. Actually, they had a fourth option with wheel Bearings outer TRE's and swaybar links, etc. But I've got Already replaced all of that

Thanks for the input. I'm leaning very heavily this way now.

Did you flush your power steering fluid while you were at it? I definitely need to do this.

 

Didn't have too. It had been leaking so long I had to refill the res every few months. It was beautiful red fluid in there still.

 

@bmf4069
Are there O-rings where the hard lines connect to the rack coming from the pump and back to the reservoir?

Mine did not come with any and when contacted a local Toyota dealership they said they didn't believe it had any because they could not find them in the diagrams. They appeared to be similar to brake lines, where both connections are beveled, and O-rings are not used

However, when I took it to get the alignment the shop replaced one of them because they said it was leaking. I just got back from a trip and I still see leaking coming from that area. I still got to get up there and check the source but it connected to the steering Rack

The only O-rings we could find anywhere on the diagrams were where the pressure lines connect to the steering rack. Those come with the rack already assembled

 

I had o rings

 

Thanks! That's what I suspected.

and that's the source of the leak and that's why it is still leaking. Meaning the shop bought and charged me for a $200 fluid line that did not need to be replaced.

 

The o rings are somewhere in some diagram, that’s how I ordered them

 

I'll keep looking. It is not on the diagram for the actual steering rack. That one only includes the parts including O-rings for the pressure lines. It does not show the power steering fluid lines to and from the steering rack. We looked at the one for that part at the dealership the other day, but did not see any on it as well, but I'll keep looking

 

These guys?