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Leaking Steering Rack? Two spots under front end

15K views 35 replies 9 participants last post by  andyg 
#1 ·
Okay so I was thinking it was the tranny solenoid, but there are oil puddles under both front wheels. Does this mean I need a new rack? What does a rack exactly mean? :help_wsig The temps here have dipped around 32*, so i think it made it worse.

I looked in my Haynes manual and they say nothing about a "rack":jpshakehe. Is it an incorporation of different parts? Anyone have pics of it?

I have 69,000 miles on the van, thanks.
 
#2 ·
Leaking which fluid?

Hi There. Sorry to hear of your puddles. You should check all the fluid levels on your vehicle. The transmission, the brake fluid reservoir and the powersteering reservoir. If one of these is substantially down or drained, that would give us a better idea of your problem. Can you get under the van and have a look for drips.
The "Rack' as it's said is your steering gear mechanism and incorporates your power steering.
 
#3 ·
Its definitely the power steering. The resevoir was low and I filled it up to the top a few weeks ago. I needed to add some more last night. The fluid is oily. I have not been able to get underneath yet. When I do, what should I look at?
 
#4 ·
When you get under the van, find the tie rods and follow them into the middle. Then you will find the rack. There will be rubber boots at the end of the rack where the tie rods connect into. You will most likely see the fluid comeing out of the boots. The rack is not fun to replace or it is cheap for a shop to replace. Good luck.
 
#5 ·
You have most likely a failed hose. It will run over the top of the cross member and drip where it will. I would flush off the gear, go to a cheap car cleaner place and shoot off the rack area. Get under there and see where the leak is. Otherwise, you could replace the rack and it not be that. You can buy replacement boots and bands if need be if you want to know for sure, you may need to cut carefully the band on one boot with diagonal cutters and peal it back. if fluid pours out, it is in the rack. If nothing comes out, it is elsewhere. You have to trace the leak. Racks usually don't fail catastrophically, all of a sudden, like a hose will. They drip a little and get worse over time. You can get the whole rack with tie rod arms and boots for about 180 on line, right now Advance has a 30 off and free shipping deal if you can figure it out that quick. If you decide it is the rack, let us know and we can give you more specific info. on how to.
 
#8 ·
If you look at the rack from the bottom, you will see 2 lines going into it. They follow the same path until they bend up towards the engine. I hope someone knows about the TSB I think I'm thinking about. It may help you if it does exist.
 
#9 ·
the only TSB I'm aware of dealt with steering shudder.. (not leaking fluid..)
that and the infamous moan (reservoir)

In the mean time (before the leak is found & fixed), I'd keep a very close eye on the PS fluid level.. (no point in killing the pump as well)
 
#11 ·
The easiest way to tighten the hose is from below with a crowfoot wrench and a nice extension in it, I think it is 15 mm, but it has to be a rather slim profile to fit. You can go to the Autozone website and register and look under repair info and it will give you pictures and everything. Someone here can give you the size of the crowfoot, best if a flare for the fitting, but a regular one will do in a pinch. Be very careful starting the new hose, if removed, so you don't strip it, and don't use teflon tape on it, can cause overtightening. It has an o ring to seal it.
 
#13 ·
The steering racks on 2005's seem to have a problem with leaking at the ends of the rack. Even at low mileage. Something was changed for 2005 and later. My rack leaks out the ends duiring cold weather as well, im hoping that a recall or extended warranty will be done to it.
Hank
 
#14 ·
well i took a quick look under the van this morning before the wife took it, and oil is slowly dripping from the end of each boot, both driver's and passenger side. I couldn't get under the van completely to check the hoses, yet but i will later.

So what can I do to fix this? Replace the bands on the boot?
 
#15 ·
okay I checked again with the van jacked and supported. The steering gear's (Haynes refers to this as a steering gear, is this the rack?) Anyway, boots on both ends of it are leaking. How do I fix this?
 
#16 ·
Yes that is the rack. When they leak, the whole rack needs to be replaced.

The boots aren't supposed to have any oil in them. They are only there to keep road dirt and stuff off the polished piston coming out of the rack. When they start to get oil, it means that seals internal in the rack are bad,
 
#17 · (Edited)
awesome :jpshakehe

I don't have the money or time to get this fixed, could I try a Lucas product to slow the leak down?

Also, is this a dealer part? Or can I get a better aftermaket part since this is obviously a piece of crap design, which should not have crapped out on me at 69,000 miles :mad::mad:
 
#19 ·
I would give the lucas power steering fix a shot. If it helps for awhile then you can spend that time saving up knowing the repair will need to be made sooner or later.
 
#22 ·
Don't know your level of ability or tools, but this is a do it yourself job, I have done several and I am not a great physical specimen. You can look on line at AutoZone, register and pull up the repair instructions for your model and see if you are comfortable with it. You should be able to get it done for about 200-250 labor and the cost of the rack, from about 200 to 250. If you want to start working on your car, start collecting some tools, starting now and you will pay for them with one job.
On the other hand, if your leak is not a lot, just annoying, you may be able to use a stop leak product to postpone the inevitable until spring. You know the cost of tranny fluid, what does it cost to just add fluid per week. You can put a piece of cardboard with kitty litter on it or sawdust to absorb the leak until you can fix it.
 
#23 ·
Wow 200-250 is pretty cheap for labor. I was getting quotes a lot higher than that. With mine, if you filled the resovour up with fluid, within an hour or two it would be empty again.
 
#24 ·
I did this once. I had to modify a wrench to get the lines off and that was the hardest part. Once the lines were off the rest was a breeze. took maybe 3 hours. Although if it is cold by you, you may want to try the stop leak additive and wait for the spring if it helps.
 
#25 ·
fellas thanks for the responses. Tranny fluid fills are occurring once every 3-4 weeks just to top it off, because the steering begins to groan due to the leaks. I will definitely put some cardboard and kitty litter under there.

I have done some pretty challenging repairs so I know I can do this with some studying and planning. I changed out some lash adjusters (lifters) in my now deceased 2001 f150 last summer, but unfortunately it was a spun bearing and not the lifters. In any case, I completed the job. Up until that point the only other DIY was a a brake job and some tuneups.
 
#27 ·
Get some jackstands and a hydraulic jack, a 2 ton will do, I don't know if yours has the rack on the crossmember or under it. If it is on top, you can take the rack off without removing the crossmember, most likely. You have to loosen the front two bolts (of the cm) and take off the back ones and just gently lower the back of the crossmember enough to get the lines off and the rack out. After you get the van up on jackstands you put the jack under the back of the crossmember coming in from the front, you will be working underneath from the back. Can someone tell us which wrenches you need? I think it was a 15mm on my 90 to get the lines off, but you had to grind it thin across the face to get it in there. It may be a 16. If you can't find the right size, you can file out a normal wrench to the size you need.
 
#28 ·
your instructions sound much simpler than Haynes's!! In their version they include removal of much more:

Heres the run down:

1) lock steering wheel w/ ignition in LOCK, use the seatbelt to secure it

2) park with wheels point forward.

3) remove as much fluid from PS reservoir as possible

4) Remove intermediate shaft coupler/dash seal fasteners, slid cover up.

5) mark relationship between intermediate shaft coupler and steering gear, then disconnect by removing the roll pin. note: compress the intermediate shaft coupler from the steering gear and then set aside.

6) loosen wheel lugs, raise vehicle, secure on jackstands, remove wheels.

7) remove the emissions vapor canister

8) disconnect one hose from the power steering cooler to drain the fluid from the systemand then remove the cooler.

9) remove the tie rod ends from steering knuckles

10) remove the sub-frame cradle reinforcement plate

11) detach the power steering fluid pressure and retun lines from the power steering gear using a flare nut wrench Cap openings of hoses to prevent contamination. Mark lines.

12)remove steering gear
 
#29 ·
I don't recall it being that much work on my 3rd gen.

Here is what I did:
lock the steering wheel
remove the pin in the coupler in the steering shaft by the brake pedal
remove the tie rods from the rack as it makes it much easier to manuever
undo the lines. It was either a 15 or 18mm wrench. I had to cut the closed end off the wrench to I could fit it in there. This was the hardest part and it must have taken me over an hour to undo the lines.
after that the rack will drop out.
 
#32 ·
Warning from Chrysler re the 2004/2005:
Do not use fluids or supplements that contain Teflon as they will cause a restriction at the filter in the power steering fluid reservoir, causing severe damage to the steering system.
A couple sources of information for removal/replacement of the steering rack:
Library Information - General:
Your local Library subscribes to various data bases of information, some of those may be related to automobiles. Typically, using your Library card # and a Library password, you can access this information at home. It may be worthwhile checking with your local Library to see what they have available and how to access it from your home computer. For example, a local library nearest to me has access to the Chilton Library with data for maintenance, repair, and bulletins/recalls. I accessd it recently for info related to topics on this Forum. I recommend Chilton for its format, video clips and numerous pictures.

Library Information - ARRC:
Public access to this has been changed. If your library has access to EBSCOhost Databases, then go to the Auto Repair Reference Center (ARRC), and submit your vehicle model year and take it from there. Try this site. If they ask for a number use 23456789 and if they provide a drop down list of libraries, use the one with Hamilton in it. Should work, but maybe not on weekends.
Note: If info isn't there for your year / model, try another year or similar model.
I was just looking at the ARRC site and the procedure is there and includes a couple of diagrams.
 
#33 ·
Warning from Chrysler re the 2004/2005:


A couple sources of information for removal/replacement of the steering rack:


I was just looking at the ARRC site and the procedure is there and includes a couple of diagrams.
your the bomb thanks so much!!!
 
#34 ·
It could be that they are 16 and 18mm. A crowfoot is recommended in some pictures on this. Now that i know you have an 05, I believe it is beneath the crossmember but you have to remove the plate you list. But that part actually seems simpler than having to drop the CM. I was just referring to how to lower the CM, your instructions are the same as mine in the Haynes manual. You might like to buy a white paint marking pen in the craft section of WAlmart to mark which bolts are which on that sheet metal pan, like in the illus.
 
#35 ·
Just got back from my dealer for my oil change, (free lifetime) and they have discovered that my rack is leaking. I did notice a couple of drops from time to time on the driveway but in the winter with all of the slop it's not so noticeable. In any case, it is under warranty with the $100 deductible. I have to leave it for the day likely next week. I was wondering if it might be good insurance to have them change the reservoir at the same time. Comments? I now have 144,000kms or about 90,000m
 
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