Steering rack probs

[boofdtl]

Just wanting to know what probs the D3 and D4 have with the steering racks as having probs and fixs........

[Sadie]

I'm having a few steering related bits replaced this week, under warranty. I'll post up the specifics once I've got the written report...

[Ashes]

Boof,
I will probably be replacing my steering rack in the next couple of months. Steering feels a bit strange at full lock and there is a bit of creaking noise in the steering.

[Graeme]

If the creaking noise is only at full lock then the cause may be that the stops need to be greased so that they don't grind when used.

[Ashes]

Unfortunately it isn't just at full lock. The dealers had a look and a replacement was recommended. Not critical but just one of those things that should be done in the future.

[101RRS]

Before buying my RRS I received lots of information relating to early failure of suspension bushes, tie rod ends and steering racks. Certainly when I first took my car offroad the steering seemed a bit loose but is not noticeable on road.

I did ask the question whether there was actually an issue with the steering rack itself or was it having issues as a result of tie rods and bushes going first causing increased shock loads on the rack - most respondents believed they had tie rod/bush issues first.

So - check the tie rods and bushes regularly.

[Dirty3]

My steering rak would give a clunky feel going over speed humps at low speed when i first had car - around 17000km's. LR replaced it under warranty. Then at 50k's had front stearing bushes replaced under warrnty. HAs been good so far but wonder if at 100km's the bushes will need to be replaced again?

[Sadie]

Got my car back yesterday from the dealer. Apart from the hand brake module, which had to be replaced, they also replaced both tie rod ends and the left hand lower ball joint. All under warranty, thankfully..

[Mike_S]

From the steering wheel to the front cv joints, the only original part left on my car is the rack itself. LR replaced everything else under warranty. Upper & lower steering column, track rod ends, bushes, you name it it's been replaced. Usually because something started rattling or clunking.

Friend in the UK has had everything between the hubs and his hands replaced on his D4, to cure a vibration. It's a known issue, involves replacing the brake discs, steering rack, column & steering wheel. It's out of warranty in 2 months so he's about to order a new one.

[BobD]

We just returned from a two week 10000 km trip across Australia from Perth to Brisbane and back, returning a week and a bit ago. I noticed lots of oil leaking onto the ground since we have been home but didn't take much notice because I wasn't driving it (my wife was) and it is getting serviced today. We have previously had an engine oil leak that hasn't been fixed yet so I checked the engine oil level and all was OK


After she left today to service the car I noticed that it wasn't engine oil on the drive but a thin greenish coloured oil which I thought must be power steering fluid. A few minutes later my wife rings crying and says the steering is funny and the "wheels" were getting stuck. At least I knew what to tell her and she made it to Rovertech OK to get everything fixed! Funny how women describe problems though!!


Not sure what happened but there were no other problems with the steering and no rattles or looseness. No fluid loss when I checked under the bonnet each day across Australia on the rough roads we were travelling on but I haven't checked the fluid level in the week since returning home. It is obviously a pretty catastrophic failure of a seal or a hose somewhere in the steering. I will find out more later today.

[BobD]

The problem was a split O ring on the pressure pipe where it screws into the steering rack. The pipes were loose so rough roads caused the O ring to fail and lose most of the fluid over about 1 week. Very lucky that it didn't fail on our cross country trip, which included the Birdsville Track and the Great Central Road on the return trip and the Nullarbor on the way to Brisbane.