Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting RACK & PINION

I need a new one and am getting the part for $180. I guy i know is doing it for me and its all gonna run me about $500-600, hes also replacing a extra hose. my cars got also 60,000 on it and ive owned it for 10,000 of those miles. So far its been a piece of **** car for me, i already have blown around 700 on repairs, not to mention the paint is coming off it, im getting what you call chicken feet, or lacker lust. has anyone else had these types of problems????? Im just thinking of geting rid of it, its just been a POS so far.

I have a 98 SVT and 2 months after i got it i tore the tranny out. 2months ler i threw a rod in the engine. I have had it for 6 month now and i am still waiting to get my engine block. Well maybe i do drive it hard but it still happened

BTW, I was just wondering this morning, what the HECK does "Rack-and-pinion steering" mean?????

It's part of owning a car. I spent about $6-7K in repair/upgrade and the upgrade part is about $1-1.5K. I add them up because I replaced some of the broken parts with better performance parts.

Rack: Straight gear
Pinion: Round gear

Our cars use a round gear engaged to a flat gear to steer the car.

Older cars used worm and sector or recirculating ball.

Rack and pinion has a more direct feel to it and is generally preferred.

Worm and sector and recirc. ball have more leverage and make it easier to steer with vehicles that are particularily heavy. However, they have less feel.

what is wrong with your rack and pinion so that you are having to replace it. before you spend any money on one, try a bottle of lucas power steering conditioner. it will fix most anything except a totally blown seal or a hole in the hoses. this is great stuff. get it at most any parts house.