rack question.

[yutz]

anybody know what a steering rack cost for a 1988 festiva straight drive ? plus how long do these racks last ? i have 103000 miles and its shot.

[Pu241]

Use the on line Mcparts sites and be prepared to be shocked!
How exactly do you know your rack and pinion is "shot"?
Boots fail very quickly, but I have 230K on mine no issue, others have many more miles and no problem.
Rarely do I recall anyone having to replace the R&P from wear.
Most replacements are result of accident, etc.

[V8Festiva]

I have several cars with 170,000 plus and the racks are still working fine. The rubber is in great shape.

I suppose if you have one with missing rubber it could go bad with such low miles or the car was drove hard.

I am installing the rack from the Madness parts car into a BP swapped car due to the fact it is in great shape.

The Madness parts car had just a little over 100,000 and all the front end was still good and tight.

Hope you can come down out of them hills to a meet sometime

Dean
Raleigh, NC

[qroger]

Just out of curiousity are the steering rack boots intact? I think if the boots go unfixed, you're done.
1988 FORD FESTIVA L 1.3L 1295cc L4 2BBL (K) : Steering : Rack and Pinion Complete UnitPriceCoreTotal
RockAuto

GEAR,STRG (REMAN-RACK & PINION-MANUAL)* Non-stock item--shipping delayed up to 5 business days$226.79$82.50$309.29

[yutz]

rack.

the boot is fine. when i drive the car i hear this knock .we thought it was the tie rods. so we checked the passenger side which was bad. the driver side was fine. while we took off the pass,tie rod we noticed the rack had some play. that play sounded like the knocking i was getting .my mechanic even said that this is very unusal for this to happen on a 103000 mile car. we noticed a wire wrapped around the boot and tied tightly as if to hold the boot in place. this is how i got the car five years ago which only had at the time 17500 miles.so now im replacing both rods and rack plus alignment for the cost of nearly $475.00 i have no choice . i love this car. thanks.

[batstiva]

FWIW, that wire is supposed to be there to hold the boot on. That's how they are held on with factory boots. I'm curious, you're saying when you removed the tie rod (end??) you have play? You're supposed to. Unless you are talking about the whole rack assembly moving around. Do me a favor, before you replace the whole thing, could you double check your CVs, and make sure all bolts that hold the rack in place are tightened to spec? Also, check your LCAs, if they are worn, especially where they attach to the pinch bolt, they will clunk.

[eurotiva]

i had one go bad.....and it was cheaper to buy a parts car than a new rack.....that's how i got red bumpers....

[4dtuff]

i have almost 200,000 on my 93 and the rack is bad on mine to, are the hard to change out?

[eurotiva]

^^yup they are a pitb

[m715]

In all the cars I have had or been around, it has always turned out to be a worn part elsewhere. I have Festivas with 200,000 to 300,000 that have had bad boots for extended periods of time that at the MOST needed innner tie rod ends. Never have needed the rack assembly for any car except a power steering rack that developed a bind condition at certain points, and that was a fluid flow problem on a rack that was inexpensive to replace (GM). Festivas? Not much to go wrong there.

HTH
Michael

[4dtuff]

i know its my rack, checked both inner tie rods, and noticed a lot of play in the drivers side, like the bushing is shot

[m715]

Figures..... Too bad you couldn't have swapped it for a used one, although having someone else do that job, and set the toe..... probably about right on the money part.
Glad it didn't do something ugly to you on the road.

[Justin]

Sorry to jack thread but will 323 racks work on a festiva? if so I think they may be cheaper than the price listed above

[angrygocart]

I have a good used rack with good boots sitting in my garage. I'll sell it if anyone is interested.

[Pu241]

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