Are these folks using the same product? http://www.yfiles.com/GM-Steering-Problem.htm http://www.yfiles.com/NHTSA-1997-GM-...compliants.htm
What is the Steeroids warranty like?
:confused:

 

I only saw 1 Grand Am in the list, Do the other cars use the same Rack??

Looks like it's a different Rack...




[Modified by 427V8, 12:20 PM 11/24/2003]

 

The problem is with the later model ETO racks.... the wifes 97 sunfire had her rack fixed under warranty earlier this year.

The steeroids unit uses a CTO rack from the earlier(upto 92 grand am's and etc)

I have not heard anything bad about these racks but I have also not looked too hard.

 

Well, I have to assume there must have been some warning that people don't pay attention to...second off, the rack pictured by 427 looks awful much like the rack I changed twice in my '87 vette.....dunno for sure, but the mounts and ETO seems identical along with that extreme angle on the pinion imput shaft......

the DTO rack SO FAR seems fine....

all I do know is in the 80's the GM racks all stunk for using aluminum as the glide/guide/bearing....supposedly against the steel ram/rack I hear the later ones use a iron/steel insert for that linear bearing function so the aluminum doesn't gall.....

GENE

 

That is not the rack & pinion unit that we use. Additionally, ours are carefully remanufactured and inspected before shipment.

Besides the number of occurrences that are cited on that web site are extremely low when compared to the number of vehicles produced by GM every year. That can easily fall into the statistical error from a variety of manufacturing mistakes or unusual material failures.

 

:eek:
Careful, you just admited to using rebuilt racks....

 

I don't think Speed Direct ever stated that they used "new racks" I've understood that they were "remanufactured" from the very first post about them over two years ago.

 

:iagree:

 

It just seems to me that for $1200 I'd be expecting a new rack.

Of course, they may not even be available....

 

The smart ones are paying a lot less than $1200 for a new rack :yesnod: So a remanufactured unit is OK fine by me!
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/zerothread?id=684803

 

The problem cited at the websight was for end-take-off rack and pinion steering gears built in the last several years. I don´t believe that the older center-take-off gears are affected. However, there was a problem that plagued the earlier Saginaw R&P gears.

The original Saginaw R&P gears (1980 through 1988 gears both ETO and CTOs) had a one piece, all aluminum valve housing and cylinder tube. The teflon rings in the valve housing would wear a slight groove in the aluminum and over time, the customer experienced "morning sickness" (i.e. lack of assist when the system oil was cold). Around 1988 Saginaw changed all of their R&P gears to a two piece design. The important thing is that the valve housing was changed to cast iron.

So take a magnet and place it on the valve housing, it should attract the magnet. Be a little careful though, there is a steel valve inside the housing so don´t be fooled by the metal inside. One other thing, some remanufacturers press a steel sleeve into the original aluminum housing. The sleeve effectively prevents morning sickness complaints.

So if you are obtaining a salvage yard R&P be sure that it has a magnetic valve housing. If it is a remanufactured gear, chances are that the guy who remanned it, was aware of the morning sickness problems and should have sleeved the valve.

Jim


[Modified by Jim Shea, 1:47 PM 11/25/2003]