Porsche Enthusiasts Club Forum

Hi All,

Has anyone had their steering rack changed?

Just after any prices quoted, hours taken, hints or tips on .... while your there change this and that if you know what I mean.

Cheapest I can find a recon rack so far for is £230 .... new $1200 and not Porsche part. I can't actually work out what the part number is to be honest. I have tried the number from PET but it brings nothing up on the Porsche price list.

Regards
Paul

Not really a problem if you avoid the usual parts sources & take your rack to any engineering company that recondition ZF racks. Don't mention the P word. You may have somthing local. Most garages will have a company that they use regularly so ask around. I was quoted £95 to rebuild my 944 one. Bet yours is a ZF one too though different?

Good call JJ ... I think I might try that. Would rather my own went back in anyway.

Would be well happy with hundred quid to rebuild!

Has anyone taken their rack off? Is it an easy job on a drive way in the cold?

My old S4 had a bill in 2000 from OPC in Swindon (Dick Lovett at time) for £1327 for a new rack! Paperwork went with car so not even sure if that included labour or not! Lots of owners have had good results getting a reconditioned rack for around £250 or less.

Removing the rack is not that difficult but not pleasant on cold driveway. You have to undo the anti-roll bar drop links and the clamps holding bar to sills so that it swings down. I'm pretty sure oil filter is in way so have to drain oil and remove filter. When dropping rack to change engine mounts you can leave steering lines connected as long as they are not stressed, but obviously you are taking rack off so you'll have to drain the yucky power steering fluid too. Obviously belly pans have to come off (I'm always tinkering so can't remember when mine were last on! Not good practice as they are important protection for alternator and ac compressor).

4 small nuts hold rack reinforcement plate to cross member. There are 4 17mm nuts holding rack itself to cross member. I've not had to undo these but understand the bolts have to be counterheld at top by jamming something in (allen key works) to wedge bolt heads against cross member.

Get front of car as high as you safely can. Emphasis on safely. Try to always have back-ups in place (eg leaving jack in place as well as stands, and /or sliding tyres under sills in case stands collapse).

Hmmmm ... thanks for that. Sounds like a lot of work that is beyond my mechanical skills perhaps.

I do have a local garage who can do it and have quoted a good price, but I was going to try and get mine reconditioned rather than buy a recon unit.
Problem with that is I cant take it to the garage who are fitting it, get them to take mine off and wait a week plus for mine to be reconditioned and returned. (They are busy and wont have the space)
I think I will just have to get a recon unit.

Also - I am not sure what other bits I need to buy before I get the job done. I believe you can get new power steering rack mounts? But the whole track rod ends and other bits confuse me. Time to study PET again I think!

I think the bill you had might have been for the rack on its own. I think I have seen £1700 for a new rack.

Thanks for the help!
Regards
Paul