What a day - Power Steering Advice

[rslimbers]

So Ive got a 2,000 mile journey ahead of me next week for an elk hunt and me and my buddy decided we’d take my trusty Hundy.

Long story I’ll to make sure short, I thought the responsible thing to do for my MT’s would be to get an alignment as it’s been a couple years, didn’t trust the last shops job, and we got a lot of highway miles ahead. Take it into 4WP and they do the inspection and deny me the alignment. They state that my upper ball joints are shot (SPC with only 7000 miles - yay) (movement up and down and side to side) and that my steering rack is leaking and due to these issues they can’t confidently take my money as they won’t be able to get an actual alignment.

Ball joints are still covered under spc as I understand they’ve been god awful and have a new design iteration as of this May, but steering rack I was pretty worried about as it sounds like its end of life state at 211k miles.

Got home and did my own inspection and it sure does look like it’s leaking albeit not from the boots. After closer review, my leak, or whatever it is, seems to be really close to the spider joint looking link that connects the steering column. On top of this, I see a bolt without a nut on the other side of the link. That can’t be normal is it?

EDIT - or maybe it is in fact normal as I guess the rack on my second pic has bolts threaded through without nuts? Anyways thanks for coming firming either way

Pictures were tough to get and to focus on but despite the contrast in the photos there is darker/fresher looking liquid on top of this rack assembly as opposed to near the boot seal. It really looks like the leak is coming from this top link down towards the rack/chasis.

First pic has that bolt with no nut and second is the boot end for reference.

Praise be to MUD

 

[SteveH]

@rslimbers - The bolt without the nut is the pinch bolt on the input shaft - it's designed that way.

My rack leaked at the input seal (for a year) like yours until I replaced the rack. My reply is #759 in this long thread: How To: Replace your own steering rack - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/how-to-replace-your-own-steering-rack.560104/page-38

Unless it's gushing fluid, I think you can safely go elk hunting without worries. I added some AT-205 and it stopped the leak for 6 mo, and then it leaked again.

 

[excessive]

My 2004 is leaking, and I just bought the replacement rack during the big sale.
But I probably won't get to it for like a year because of too many other projects.
So a leak is a can you can kick down the road for while

 

[rslimbers]

@rslimbers - The bolt without the nut is the pinch bolt on the input shaft - it's designed that way.

My rack leaked at the input seal (for a year) like yours until I replaced the rack. My reply is #759 in this long thread: How To: Replace your own steering rack - https://forum.ih8mud.com/threads/how-to-replace-your-own-steering-rack.560104/page-38

Unless it's gushing fluid, I think you can safely go elk hunting without worries. I added some AT-205 and it stopped the leak for 6 mo, and then it leaked again.

Thanks so much I definitely have that on my list to do. As far as diagnosis though - is there any explanation for fresh fluid to be up that high? Like how is that even possible. If I were to replace the whole rack (which I plan to) I’m not sure how fluid could leak ‘up’ like that unless I’m totally missing something in this assembly? As far as I know the PS high pressure lines are down towards the body of the rack and not close to that spider joint so where’s that fluid coming from?

 

[rslimbers]

My 2004 is leaking, and I just bought the replacement rack during the big sale.
But I probably won't get to it for like a year because of too many other projects.
So a leak is a can you can kick down the road for while

What big sale!?

 

[2001LC]

The OEM ball joints have no up down movement, ones that do are bad. Some aftermarket BJ, do however, have up down movement. Those are mostly the ones that require lubing, which they have a grease zerk for lubing.

Input shaft seal, of pinion leaks (where intermediate shaft connect with spider, held with one bolt only (no nut) into capture nut of union). Can be reduce, sometimes even stopped. By additing 1.33OZ of AT-205, to ATF fluid in power steering reservoir. Too often, someone adds, power steering fluid to PS reservoir. They fail to read the reservoir cap which clearly states use ATF. Old fluid not (flushed regularly), mixing of fluid or wrong fluid is whey we gets premature leaks at input shaft and output shafts (fills to boot(s)).

 

[augustwest]

What big sale!?

Promotion Terms

20% off parts and free shipping. Ends tonight @ 11:59pm PST.

 

[SteveH]

@rslimbers - your photos look upside down to me, but it appears your rack is leaking at the input shaft (an atypical place except for 100 series ). See red circle below. Most racks leak at the boots down low. A leak is a leak - replace the rack.

 

[jsloden]

If you want a good product to help or slow or even completely stop your leaking rack lucas makes a really good power steering fluid additive. It's not a permanent fix obviously but it will last a good while. I've used it on more than one of my vehicles.

 

[vipergrhd]

The OEM ball joints have no up down movement, ones that do are bad. Some aftermarket BJ, do however, have up down movement. Those are mostly the ones that require lubing, which they have a grease zerk for lubing.

Input shaft seal, of pinion leaks (where intermediate shaft connect with spider, held with one bolt only (no nut) into capture nut of union). Can be reduce, sometimes even stopped. By additing 1.33OZ of AT-205, to ATF fluid in power steering reservoir. Too often, someone adds, power steering fluid to PS reservoir. They fail to read the reservoir cap which clearly states use ATF. Old fluid not (flushed regularly), mixing of fluid or wrong fluid is whey we gets premature leaks at input shaft and output shafts (fills to boot(s)).

Would like to add what @2001LC said about the BJ, I would find out from SPC what is the allowed tolerance for their BJ and some factory BJ do have movement even new what the shop didn't tell you is how much play did the BJ have. Toyota BJ will only seep grease when they are starting to wear or boot will tear and it won't take long for that BJ to pop out. I have seen OEM BJ pop out and not having any noise you just see the grease stains from leaking. The rack is not that bad unless you are adding every week or it's leaving a puddle.

 

[MechE30]

Also on the stop-leak train. I added it and it stopped my input seal weeping.

 

[2001LC]

Avoid stop leaks, if you can.

Stop leaks will move throughout the system, creating hard as rock desopsits. When a stop leak used, replace the R&P, will often require additional parts be replace that may not have been needed otherwise. Same holds true most any system stop-leak. We avoid them, if we can!.

AT-205 like some others, are a seal conditioner. They add back the plasticizer, time leaked/dried out. I've found it helpful as a temporary measure, with mild pinion input shaft seal weeps. It's not very effective (may slow mold leak), with output shafts seal of rack.

 

[nissanh]

Make sure you have a branded A/T (power steering) fluid. I once use not so branded P/S fluid and it leaked at the steering box in our hilux pickup. Then went with Mobil-1 and leak disappeared completely.