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.
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!
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