Seeking power steering rack recommendations

[EJohnson]

Looking for recommendations on a replacement power steering rack for 2003 Pontiac SE (non-Magnasteer).

The original factory rack was replaced in 2009 at 52,000 miles with a Cardone due to noise issues and sluggish steering, which typically occurred after 20 minutes of driving, even though the fluid was always up and there were no leaks.

Today, 24,000 miles later the Cardone rack is leaking out of the passenger side boot.

Searching the forum, most advise staying away from Cardone and replacing with an ACDelco unit. Based on my own experience, I will stay away from Cardone.

I don’t think ATSCO is much better.

There are two ACDelco units available at Rock Auto and both are re-manufactured. ACDelco 369059 is $295 ("GM Original Equipment") and ACDelco 36R0386 ("Professionally Remanufactured") is $152 .

Based on the descriptions, the $295 unit has gone through a more thorough remanufacturing process and including Teflon seals and re-bushed mounts and is probably as close as I can get to a new, non-remanufactured, original factory part.

Should I go for the $295 unit or will the $152 unit suffice? This is a relatively low mileage car and I plan on driving it many more years. I don't want to replace the rack every 25,000 miles.

ALSO – NAPA sells a rack PS 361239 which I believe to be the same as the $152 ACDelco 36R0386. For a few dollars more, I can purchase the NAPA rack and simply return the core to the store and avoid shipping a core back to Rock Auto.

Does anyone recommend going with the NAPA rack?

Who knows who is actually rebuilding these racks??? The ACDelco and NAPA racks may be simply Cardone or ATSCO units.

Thank you for your input.

 

[FordMan77]

Don't know if the NAPA rack is better or not. What I do know is that when I needed a magnasteer rack I found a rack on Amazon for a great price and it was a genuine GM rack, and not for $295. And there was no core.

To me a rack is something that I will spend the money on to get a better one. Just ask yourself how many times you want to go under there are replace it and see if the cheaper one is worth it.

 

[Dancing Bear]

Have you considered using a stop-leak type additive to try and repair the leak? It may or may not work depending on the severity of the leak, but I've had success with smaller leaks using AT-205 on the rack and power steering pump. For the $10 you'll spend on the bottle, it couldn't hurt to try!

 

[Scottydoggs]

i got a napa reman rack for like 153 iirc, it was on sale. still kicking strong a couple of years later now.

 

[EJohnson]

Thanks for the replies.

I did some more online research and the NAPA racks seem to get very favorable reviews. I'm also convinced that the NAPA rack comes from the same re-manufacturer as the ACDelco 36R0386, the lesser priced of the two ACDelco racks.

Ultimately, I decided to go with the ACDelco "Original Equipment" 369059 which, based on ACDelco's description, is a completely and totally rebuilt and top-shelf unit, instead of the NAPA, lower priced ACDelco or the "replace parts only as needed" Cardone and ATSCO racks. I was able to buy one from a liquidator for half the price of what Rock Auto charges and I didn't have to pay for shipping or a core charge.

It arrived this morning in its original, unopened box - see attached photos. It originally came out of defunct dealership in Stevens Point, WI; who knows how long it has been sitting on the shelf?

My power steering system has been slowly losing fluid for the past two months but I could not find any leaks in the system so I couldn't determine if it was the pump, a line, a connection or the rack until it recently started leaking fluid out of the rack boot. The boot is also distorted so it took a while to completely fill up before it actually started leaking.

I considered trying a stop leak power steering fluid but after researching the web decided against it because I think it just postpones the inevitable need to replace the rack. Based on what I've read, I think stop leak probably works best on the pump seals and if the leak is addressed early but not so well on the piston seals in the rack. Also, I'm in Minneapolis where it does get below zero in the winter and there are a lot of complaints that stop leak type fluid can create problems in frigid temperatures, especially the very thick as jelly Lucas brand. However, Blue Devil seems to be the most effective and highest rated if you believe online reviews.

The bottom line is that, regardless of brand, all of the racks are remanufactured and they all started life as a brand new, un-used ACDelco unit installed in a brand new Grand Prix on the assembly line. It seems that the original racks will eventually fail and are either scrapped or rebuilt. Likewise, the rebuilt racks will eventually fail.

Years ago in the automobile parts business a "remanufactured" part used to mean totally rebuilt and as good as new and, in many cases, included improvements to address flaws in the original design making the remanufactured part superior to the factory original. That doesn't seem to be the case with the cheaper remanufactured racks. Some of these racks being sold have probably been rebuilt more than once. As far as ACDelco is concerned, they are a company and brand but not the manufacturer. They contract with a company that does the actual remanufacturing and who knows who that is?

 

[EJohnson]

Update for anyone who is interested.

The ACDelco remanufactured rack 369059 was installed today, including system bleed/flush and alignment.

After it was removed, I looked at the A-1 Cardone remanufactured rack that was installed six years and 24,000 miles ago (mainly city driving) and had been leaking at the following places:

- Passenger side shaft - the boot was full of fluid with major leaking at the inner tie rod indicating the shaft seals had been leaking for quite some time. (I had to add fluid twice over the past eight weeks but I could not detect any leaks until two weeks ago when it started leaking out of the boot and onto the frame rail and the garage floor.)

- Driver side shaft - small amount of leaking from the driver side boot indicating the shaft seals have been leaking, although not as severe as the passenger side above (boot was not full like above).

- Stub shaft/steering gear - leaking around stub shaft, steering gear housing covered in fluid.

In other words, anywhere the Cardone rack and pinion could possibly leak, IT LEAKED! JUNK!!!