Steering rack rebuild
Discussion
So, I'll answer my own question. Someone might find the following info useful in the future.
As background, I use my '05 Gallardo coupe as my daily driver. Ten years old, two with me, it passed 65,000 miles today. Recently, whilst a clonking from the front of the car was being investigated, it was pointed out to me that my steering rack was leaking from a pressed-in metal cap in the body of the rack, opposite from where the steering column enters. The track rod ends were also looking rather second-hand.
Lamborghini won't supply spares, only complete racks. Cost for my car? £3688.67 plus vat. Track rod ends are extra. Them? £167.53 plus vat! EACH!!!
I thought I'd look into a rebuild....
The first specialist that I phoned, after a quick Google search, was Western Power Steering of Bristol (westernpowersteering.co.uk). I spoke to Gary, who immediatly replied that he'd done a few before for the track day-hire outfits, that the rack is made by TRW (the European big guns in the field) and is easily re-buildable. So I looked no further.
Rather than have my car immobile, I took a gamble and bought a fire-damaged rack on eBay. The salvage company were asking £200, but accepted my offer of £160 including carriage. They dispatched it over the Easter weekend and WPS received it on the Tuesday after the bank holiday. Gary stripped it immediately and called me that afternoon to let me know that my gamble had paid off; the internals were good. The rack was rebuilt with new seals and gaiters etc. and dispatched to my dealer on Friday, arriving on Monday. Cost of the rebuild, including carriage: £240. Total cost for the rebuilt rack therefore is £400 and I still have my old one to flog on eBay.
Gary tried his best to identify the track rod ends, but couldn't do so conclusively. However, he pointed me towards a chap on eBay in the US. Joe Fusco runs AW Imported Auto Parts of Eatontown, NJ (awitalian.com). I ordered a pair of OEM track rod ends from him on Friday and they were delivered to me in the UK the next Wednesday (today, if you're not reading this in the dim and distant future!). Total cost including shipping: £112.
So, the parts from Lambo would have been: rack £4,426.40 , rod ends £402.07. Total: £4828.47
Cost of rebuilt rack and rod ends from the U.S. £512 plus my old rack to potentially sell.
As background, I use my '05 Gallardo coupe as my daily driver. Ten years old, two with me, it passed 65,000 miles today. Recently, whilst a clonking from the front of the car was being investigated, it was pointed out to me that my steering rack was leaking from a pressed-in metal cap in the body of the rack, opposite from where the steering column enters. The track rod ends were also looking rather second-hand.
Lamborghini won't supply spares, only complete racks. Cost for my car? £3688.67 plus vat. Track rod ends are extra. Them? £167.53 plus vat! EACH!!!
I thought I'd look into a rebuild....
The first specialist that I phoned, after a quick Google search, was Western Power Steering of Bristol (westernpowersteering.co.uk). I spoke to Gary, who immediatly replied that he'd done a few before for the track day-hire outfits, that the rack is made by TRW (the European big guns in the field) and is easily re-buildable. So I looked no further.
Rather than have my car immobile, I took a gamble and bought a fire-damaged rack on eBay. The salvage company were asking £200, but accepted my offer of £160 including carriage. They dispatched it over the Easter weekend and WPS received it on the Tuesday after the bank holiday. Gary stripped it immediately and called me that afternoon to let me know that my gamble had paid off; the internals were good. The rack was rebuilt with new seals and gaiters etc. and dispatched to my dealer on Friday, arriving on Monday. Cost of the rebuild, including carriage: £240. Total cost for the rebuilt rack therefore is £400 and I still have my old one to flog on eBay.
Gary tried his best to identify the track rod ends, but couldn't do so conclusively. However, he pointed me towards a chap on eBay in the US. Joe Fusco runs AW Imported Auto Parts of Eatontown, NJ (awitalian.com). I ordered a pair of OEM track rod ends from him on Friday and they were delivered to me in the UK the next Wednesday (today, if you're not reading this in the dim and distant future!). Total cost including shipping: £112.
So, the parts from Lambo would have been: rack £4,426.40 , rod ends £402.07. Total: £4828.47
Cost of rebuilt rack and rod ends from the U.S. £512 plus my old rack to potentially sell.
GT Two said:
Well done!
Apparently there is a company in the UK to rebuild/re bush lower control arms also.
Please, do tell. The clunking from the front end still hasn't been pinned down. Next thing to try is to disconnect the anti-roll bar (and we'll swap the steering racks at the same time). But if it's not that, then it's those bushes and the arms are something like £1300 plus vat, each.Apparently there is a company in the UK to rebuild/re bush lower control arms also.
4321go said:
GT Two said:
Well done!
Apparently there is a company in the UK to rebuild/re bush lower control arms also.
Please, do tell. The clunking from the front end still hasn't been pinned down. Next thing to try is to disconnect the anti-roll bar (and we'll swap the steering racks at the same time). But if it's not that, then it's those bushes and the arms are something like £1300 plus vat, each.Apparently there is a company in the UK to rebuild/re bush lower control arms also.
There is a business in scotland that you can ship yours to. Mine will need doing at some point.
http://www.lamborghini-talk.com/vbforum/f47/gallar...
I keep meaning to collate a list of Audi swappable parts and rebuild info like you have detailed above. It all helps right!
A lot of low volume cars use minor and major components from quite mundane cars. Even some of the big names. The Ferrari F40 has the steering rack from a base model Fiat Tipo for instance. I wonder how much Ferrari would charge for a replacement rack? If you can find out what bits come from where, then recon/rebuild/remanufacture can be miles cheaper and to the same standard.
Cheers Simon. That's actually the standard, factory exhaust.
The rack and rod ends were fitted on Thursday and I've covered about 300 miles since. All feels good. The front's still going clonkity-clonk, but we've traced it to the anti-roll bar bushes. So they're on order, together with new drop links. £600 pounds-odd. I'm sure that I've bought entire cars for less!
The rack and rod ends were fitted on Thursday and I've covered about 300 miles since. All feels good. The front's still going clonkity-clonk, but we've traced it to the anti-roll bar bushes. So they're on order, together with new drop links. £600 pounds-odd. I'm sure that I've bought entire cars for less!
Resurrecting this one as I have some rack issues with my 04
Good to see that there is a trusted rebuild guy in http://westernpowersteering.co.uk
IF the rack is made by TRW it is very likely to be something standard but perhaps modified a bit by Lamborghini hence the pricing. E.g the handbrake lever is VAG (I have one in my hand) but also has a painted weld on it and a Lambo stamp so looks to be modified in house to suit the car.
The track rod ends are also TRW but they don't make them anymore and Lambo didn't have any in stock as of summer this year.
The lower front arms are not routinely serviceable as you know but you've probably seen the guy in the US (Scott) who re-bushes them. It's not a difficult job for a small machine shop and I'm currently doing one as a test using the same method. I'm also looking at complete balljoint units that I can hold in the arm (with the old one removed). e.g. Merc ML has a sel contained balljoint with a big nut on the end to hold it in place in the arm - this kind or arrangement would be perfect although I've not verified that the Merc one is the right dimensions for minimal modifications to the arm and hub carrier - it's on my list of things to do.
Lee
Good to see that there is a trusted rebuild guy in http://westernpowersteering.co.uk
IF the rack is made by TRW it is very likely to be something standard but perhaps modified a bit by Lamborghini hence the pricing. E.g the handbrake lever is VAG (I have one in my hand) but also has a painted weld on it and a Lambo stamp so looks to be modified in house to suit the car.
The track rod ends are also TRW but they don't make them anymore and Lambo didn't have any in stock as of summer this year.
The lower front arms are not routinely serviceable as you know but you've probably seen the guy in the US (Scott) who re-bushes them. It's not a difficult job for a small machine shop and I'm currently doing one as a test using the same method. I'm also looking at complete balljoint units that I can hold in the arm (with the old one removed). e.g. Merc ML has a sel contained balljoint with a big nut on the end to hold it in place in the arm - this kind or arrangement would be perfect although I've not verified that the Merc one is the right dimensions for minimal modifications to the arm and hub carrier - it's on my list of things to do.
Lee
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