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Is it my poor googling skills, or does nobody sell individual parts for rack and pinion steering units?

The pinion has a chipped tooth but the rack looks tip top, so I see no reason to spend $250 replacing the whole system.

Is there some trick to searching for rack/pinion assembly parts?

Harper - Reinstate Monica
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  • How bad is the chipped tooth? – Moab Aug 25 '19 at 19:49
  • @Moab doesn't even look chipped or look worn, but there's a clear point of slop when it comes around, just from manipulating it off the car. The slop location is at dead center where the wheel is when going straight. I flipped it 180 degrees and the point of slop moves with it, i.e. When the wheel is upside down. The car has 250k miles. – Harper - Reinstate Monica Aug 29 '19 at 00:51
  • Yep sounds like the rack gear is worn in the straight ahead position, replace the rack. – Moab Aug 29 '19 at 15:16

2 Answers2

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They used to be, but given the popularity of reconditioned units which are offered with a guarantee and the time needed to strip and rebuild a unit it is quicker to fit a complete unit.

If you wish to rebuild yours then finding a second hand unit with a good pinion may be a possibility...

Solar Mike
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The increase in the availability of commercially rebuilt units at a reasonable price is the likely cause of difficulty finding parts. As independent garages fight to maintain profitability getting the job finished and paid for quickly is a priority. The time to remove, disassemble, inspect, order parts, wait for delivery, etc. would tie up the customers' car and a lift for a longer than acceptable time. The labor rate a mass rebuilder pays is likely far less than that of an experienced tech. The fewer places sourcing parts means they are harder to locate.

mikes
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  • The rebuilders have to have a source for their parts, but it doesn't seem like they're available at retail. – Huesmann Sep 04 '19 at 19:02