Power steering rack and pinion?

Tiny
JGATTO22
  • MEMBER
  • 2003 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER
  • 4.2L
  • 6 CYL
  • 4WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 145,471 MILES
Can I change out a line on my rack and pinion? Or do I need to replace the whole unit because they are permanent lines?
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Wednesday, January 22nd, 2020 AT 5:52 PM

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Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,699 POSTS
Power steering hoses are replaced separately.

Here's a link to a video that might be helpful:

https://youtu.be/BGBUv5r9fk0

Be careful with the soft metal line nut on the end. It's always a good idea to start it, then run it in a good two or three turns by hand before using a wrench on it. That will insure it isn't cross-threaded. If it gets forced in while it's cross-threaded, the threads it goes into will be damaged, then that part will also have to be replaced.
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Wednesday, January 22nd, 2020 AT 5:59 PM
Tiny
JGATTO22
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It is not those lines these are the lines on the rack itself.
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Wednesday, January 22nd, 2020 AT 6:31 PM
Tiny
CARADIODOC
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Oh! Do you mean the metal tubes that run from side to side? Those are not normally replaced separately, but we don't want to replace the entire steering gear for that. The typical solution is to find them on a similar vehicle in a salvage yard. You might try ordering them at the dealership too, but that isn't something we normally do. While a lot of parts are available for rack and pinion assemblies, we never repair them due to way too many liability concerns and too many things that can go wrong that cause us to spend more time with additional repairs.

I just checked on Rock Auto, and they still list a seal kit for the steering gear, but no hoses or pipes. As a steering, suspension, and alignment specialist since the mid '80s, I've never run into anyone installing seals in a rack assembly. The pipes are a different story. I wouldn't have a problem replacing one with a good used part from a salvage yard.

The aluminum pipe between the accordion boots just slides in. It just lets air transfer back and forth. The pressure line is steel and uses soft line nuts. As I mentioned earlier, be careful to not cross-thread those. That's the kind of "additional problems" I was referring to.
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Wednesday, January 22nd, 2020 AT 7:09 PM
Tiny
JGATTO22
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Yes that is exactly the lines! It’s on the passenger side right at the bend coming from the rack! Thank you very much for your help!
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Wednesday, January 22nd, 2020 AT 7:17 PM
Tiny
CARADIODOC
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Please come back and let me know how you made out.
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Wednesday, January 22nd, 2020 AT 7:24 PM
Tiny
JGATTO22
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Will do! I may just end up changing rack and also tie rod ends and ball joints while I have it out. It’s got a decent amount of miles so I might as well while I’m dedicated.
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Wednesday, January 22nd, 2020 AT 7:27 PM
Tiny
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These trucks are well-known for eating upper ball joints about every two years due to the wild angles they sit at.
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Wednesday, January 22nd, 2020 AT 7:32 PM
Tiny
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So I went ahead and removed the steel line and braised it for now and works like a charm and also bled and flushed the system.
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Thursday, January 23rd, 2020 AT 6:46 PM
Tiny
JGATTO22
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Bad tie rod end caused a lot of vibration which caused that steel line to crack.
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Thursday, January 23rd, 2020 AT 6:47 PM
Tiny
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I'm not good at brazing, partly because I never bother to get the metal clean enough. Be aware, if this is the steel fluid transfer line, there can be over 1100 pounds of fluid pressure in it at times. I'd be more comfortable with a piece of pipe slid over the break, then brazed at both ends. If it had been the aluminum air transfer tube, you can get by with a piece of rubber hose and two hose clamps. There's no pressure in that one. It just has to keep dirt and water out.
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Friday, January 24th, 2020 AT 3:59 PM

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