Steering rack leaking fluid

[Lee22]

tried searching but didn't come up with much info. which route do most go when they have a steering rack leak? looks like OEM racks retail for $940+. My BMW employee discount is good for $600 for the ZF brand. Any have luck with the cheaper aftermarket brands in the long run?

[jntar]

I'll probably be chastised for this but I've been running an advanced auto parts e36 rack for over a year. It's the correct lock to lock as the '96+ rack and was only $158.

[roguetoaster]

Well, you can skip power steering ($0 to delete, or more to do it "right"), replace it with a used rack E30 or E36 (<$100) or rebuild it with a rackdoctor or similar kit ($?).

All are good options, but it all comes down to budget and what you use the car for.

[bmwman91]

Dump the awful E30 rack. They blow end seals like crazy and are slow as hell.

The Z3 1.9L rack is a fairly easy swap, has a 2.7 turn ratio (vs 4 stock) and I was able to find a good condition used one for $200. 70k miles later it is still good. You need to stack some washers to get it snug between the subframe tabs, bend the metal parts of the PS hoses a tiny bit and file the column's hole in the firewall a little, but it is an afternoon job.

[Lee22]

my car has 250,000 miles on it, is mostly stock and is driven in the city and some freeway. this is not a car that I use for much hard driving, and occasional Canyon run but that's it

[Lee22]

Its really odd, since i topped off the power steering fluid (it was half empty from leaking) the leak has virtually stopped.

[roguetoaster]

Where was it leaking from, the rack or one of the lines?

[Lee22]

Where was it leaking from, the rack or one of the lines?

the line going to the reservoir shows some moisture, but it was definitely leaking from the lower part of the rack, i believe from the area where the seals are