Steering Rack Leak from Boot? Here’s What It Really Means

Where a Steering Rack Leak Comes From and Why It Happens

As a professional technician, I’ve diagnosed hundreds of steering complaints, and one of the most common issues I see is a steering rack leak. It’s a problem that can sneak up on you — you might just notice the fluid level dropping, or see oily residue on the pavement — but left unchecked, a steering rack leak can lead to total power steering failure and expensive repairs.

You may think the leaking boot is due to a bad boot or a failed end seal, but that’s not the root cause

In most cases, a steering rack leak occurs because one or more high-pressure internal seals have failed. These seals keep the high-pressure hydraulic fluid contained inside the rack housing. When they wear out, fluid escapes past the piston and collects inside the end boots (the accordion-style rubber covers at the ends of the rack).

If you see a steering rack leak from the boot, that’s just a symptom of the seal failure, not the cause. The fluid pooling inside the boot is power steering fluid that has leaked past the inner seals. As pressure builds, that fluid seeps through the boot and drips onto the ground. In other words, the boot itself doesn’t seal any fluid in the rack; it’s just a dust cover; it’s not meant to hold hydraulic fluid.

Here’s where the leak is coming from

1) The high-pressure end seals have worn out due to age, heat, or contaminated power steering fluid
2) Excessive pressure has damaged the seals (holding the steering wheel too long at full lock position, which generates in excess of 2,000 psi.
3) The metal hydraulic piston has worn, creating excessive clearance between the piston and the seals.
4) You’ve had a pump failure and replaced the pump, but failed to flush the system and install an in-line filter. The metallic particles have now damaged the high-pressure end seals in the rack.
5) You’ve let the pump run low on fluid, and the metallic particles from the worn pump have damaged the seals.
6) Someone accidentally added brake fluid or some other fluid to the system and that fluid has damaged the seals

What can you do to prevent rack leaks?

• Use the recommended power steering fluid
• If your vehicle is equipped with a power steering cooler, clean the fins to allow proper cooling
• Avoid turning and holding the steering wheel in its full lock position. This creates up to 2,000 psi and can cause worn seals to fail

How can you tell if your power steering rack is leaking?

You can confirm a steering rack leak by checking these three signs:

• Low fluid level. You’re constantly topping off the power steering reservoir.

• Fluid under the car. Look for red or amber oil spots directly below the steering rack area.
• Wet inner tie rod boots. If the boots are swollen or dripping with fluid, it’s definitely a steering rack leak from boot, not just a loose clamp.
• If your steering feels heavy, inconsistent, or noisy, those are also key symptoms of a steering rack leak that’s affecting internal pressure.

Can You Fix a Steering Rack Leak?

I often hear DIYers say they plan to “just replace the end seals” to fix a steering rack leak. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. A proper repair requires removing the rack, disassembling it completely, and replacing every internal high-pressure seal, as well as checking for rack wear.

Here are your real options:

Rebuild the rack yourself. Many OEM shop manuals include rebuild instructions. You’ll need a good seal kit, a bench vise, and specialty tools to remove the inner components.

1) Buy a rebuild kit— Complete seal kits are available from suppliers like PowerSteeringSeals.com for around $50.
2) Replace with a remanufactured rack— This is the most common solution. Quality rebuilt racks from RockAuto or major suppliers cost between $375–$500 depending on the vehicle.

Can you rebuild a power steering rack yourself?

Yes. Many factory shop manuals have complete instructions on how to rebuild a hydraulic power steering rack. You’ll need to remove the rack from the vehicle and have some special tools to take it apart and replace the internal seals.

You can buy complete seal kits from powersteeringseals.com

How much do you save by rebuilding a power steering rack yourself?

A lot. Let’s look at the cost of rebuilding a power steering rack for a 2007-2013 Chevrolet Avalanche

•A new seal kit from powersteeringseals.com for this vehicle is $49.95 plus shipping.
•A rebuilt rack for the same vehicle from rockauto.com is $372 to $501. And that’s with you doing the removal and reinstall

Power steering rack replacement cost

If you have a shop do the work and replace your leaking power steering rack with a rebuilt unit, here’s a rough idea of the rack replacement cost

Shop price for a rebuilt power steering rack $850
Shop price for new tie rod ends: ~ $90 each = $180
Labor to remove and replace rack: 1.5 hours, plus 1-hr alignment @$140/hour = $350
Total $1,380

©, 2023 Rick Muscoplat