PS Fluid at Inner Tie Rod End? What.

[badger.]

So I thought my return PS hose was leaking (since that's the once that blows on everyone). Now that I've got access, there doesn't seem to be an issue with that hose... the fluid is coming from ABOVE it.. as in the inner tie rod end boot is soaked.

What is leaking? AFAIK the inner tie rod end doesn't seal in PS fluid.... where is this leak coming from? help

I'll grab a pic shortly...

[chain_slappins4]

If the inner tie rod is soaked, it can only come from one place..the rack..

Sent from the S4 with a Tap!!!

[badger.]

Yeah, just got off the phone with Rich @ Rack Doctor (who called me back quite fast after I emailed him, on a Saturday - great service!!)

Got one coming first thing next week... this weekend DIY just got a little longer

[chain_slappins4]

You might want to see about putting in a different rack... from I'm told, these racks fail quite often..

Sent from the S4 with a Tap!!!

[BCsniper]

Apparently rack doctor is the go-to source. I've got the same problem with losing PS fluid near the end of the tie rod on my A4. Look in the A4 section and you see quite a few steering rack failures, but I don't hear about them too often with the S4. Maybe that's why A4 people replace theirs with a rack from the S4

[badger.]

I got the entire rack out last night. Used this thread as a main guide. Some pics from last night:

Here is a shot with the dust cover removed (easy to do, just two plastic push clips and one nut)



Success!



Here is what the first pic looks like once the rack is out:

[badger.]

Apparently rack doctor is the go-to source. I've got the same problem with losing PS fluid near the end of the tie rod on my A4. Look in the A4 section and you see quite a few steering rack failures, but I don't hear about them too often with the S4. Maybe that's why A4 people replace theirs with a rack from the S4

Yeah I saw the name on another post when I was troubleshooting and looked them up... $340 for a reman rack (everywhere else I looked was wayyyy more, and a new one is $900-$1300. So far I am impressed with the rack doctor, he called me from what he said was his garden or something, like 10 minutes after I had emailed him yesterday, and walked me through what I needed, helped verify the VIN split, etc. The website doesn't offer any shipping options other than free standard ground, so he told me how to request and quoted overnight or two day shipping when I asked about it.


An interesting note, he did say a lot of places sell an A4 rack in place of an S4 rack; but that they were indeed different, I guess the S4 has a tighter turn radius than A4.

If anyone cares, the PN stamped on my rack from my 2005 S4 Sedan (build date 11/2004, last 6 of VIN is 107640) is:
8E1422105B

[badger.]

Updating this thread for posterity so people don't get screwed like I did: clickme