Offroad Trailblazers and Envoys

steering rack

Something not working right?

by RimoniManu » Mon Sep 03, 2012 1:31 am

Yesterday I was driving on some rough dirt roads and on my way home I lost my power steering. Today I got under my TB and my steering rack was leaking from one of the tubes that run parallel with the rack. I was unable to get the tube to seal completely. Turns out the tube had a small crack. Does anyone know what the tubes and rack housing are made of?
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by The Roadie » Mon Sep 03, 2012 5:42 am

I'd be shocked if the tubes were anything but aluminum. Never touched the rack but I'd guess steel.
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by galacticfuzz » Mon Sep 03, 2012 10:10 am

I had a similar problem back at the beginning of summer, except the lines were fine. An internal seal let go causing a blockage and blew out the outer seals.
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by RimoniManu » Tue Sep 04, 2012 7:13 pm

With regards to the horizontal tubes on the rack, does anyone know why one end of the tubes are screwed in placed while the other is pressed in? I ask cause I want to thread the small ports and then use fittings to screw the tubes on.
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by Trail X » Wed Sep 12, 2012 9:39 am

I'm sure it's mainly a manufacturing thing. You might be able to replace the pressed in tubes with thread-in bungs. You will have to disassemble the entire rack though, because drilling out that hole will get chips inside the housing that will need to be flushed.
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by HARDTRAILZ » Wed Sep 12, 2012 9:41 am

Mine leaks a bit since the gear swap but cant remember how fitting work.
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by fishsticks » Tue Sep 18, 2012 12:17 pm

HARDTRAILZ wrote:Mine leaks a bit since the gear swap but cant remember how fitting work.



Are you sure that's not your pinion seal? My pinion seal started leaking and covered my steering rack. I thought it was the rack leaking until I smelled it.
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