The power steering rack on my 1997 Accord has developed a leak and I’m intending to replace it. Parts selection is pretty limited for an almost 30 year old car, so I don’t have a ton of options, but I have a few. For a reman, I can get a Cardone from Advance Auto locally. RockAuto has 2 reman options, and 2 new options. The only brand I’ve heard of on RockAuto is Terrepower, which used to BBB industries. I’ve never used their parts, but I’ve at least heard of them. I’ve used Cardone stuff in the past, generally with no problems although I know some people have had problems. I’m leaning towards the Cardone, and I would get it for a slightly better price than list as I have a commercial account. Anyone have opinions or suggestions?
Steering Rack Replacement Options- Honda
- Thread starter JoeDirt41
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Cardone is the WORST option - my shop refuses them now because it is not uncommon to go thru 2 or 3 racks to get a good one. Same with their other parts.
BUT - the main reason now to skip Cardone is that they are owned by First Brands and with that - you won't have a warranty when they complete the closure of Cardone which is already happening. (They are in bankruptcy in case you didn't know)
BUT - the main reason now to skip Cardone is that they are owned by First Brands and with that - you won't have a warranty when they complete the closure of Cardone which is already happening. (They are in bankruptcy in case you didn't know)
Also UltraPower is basically Dorman for RA. They don't actually make anything AFAIK.
I'm surprised to see an UltraPower rack priced higher than AAE, and I definitely wouldn't pay more for UltraPower over AAE. Based upon part numbers, I almost wonder if the UltraPower isn't a rebadged AAE (but I have zero evidence of this)
I'm surprised to see an UltraPower rack priced higher than AAE, and I definitely wouldn't pay more for UltraPower over AAE. Based upon part numbers, I almost wonder if the UltraPower isn't a rebadged AAE (but I have zero evidence of this)
Too bad Lares is out of stock. I'd probably go Maval reman or the AAE new rack. Maval has a good reputation, but you should still check with people who have used Maval recently to make sure they're still good.
Otherwise, just get a new rack.
Ultra-Power is a liquidator in Sugar Land, TX that Rock Auto kind of uses as a house brand. U-P's site site is surplusparts.com
Otherwise, just get a new rack.
Ultra-Power is a liquidator in Sugar Land, TX that Rock Auto kind of uses as a house brand. U-P's site site is surplusparts.com
I also thought Maval was decent but these days I'm afraid to trust any reman. The employees probably want to work from home since everybody expects this after 2020 
Excuse me as I rebuild this rack on my coffee table whilst watching the Kardashians.....
If Maval can still be trusted I too would love to know. Packaging the old rack and fronting the $125 core is another consideration also
Excuse me as I rebuild this rack on my coffee table whilst watching the Kardashians.....
If Maval can still be trusted I too would love to know. Packaging the old rack and fronting the $125 core is another consideration also
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I have been turning wrenchs for a loooong time. Many years ago there were quite a few companies that actually gave a **** about the quality of their products. To be honest, there were always a few that did not care. Now however, good luck finding one that does care. They are as scarce as hens teeth. My suggestion is, if you have a secondary vehicle, take your original rack apart, and see how bad it is. The only problem may be the internal seals. One of the issues with supposedly "remanufactured" items (aside from the fact that the remanufacturers only care about their bottom line) is that quite a lot of these items have been "remanufactured" multiple times, by again, people who do not care. Indeed, they are not trained nor paid to care, and your oem rack has never been "molested" (butchered) by these fine, upstanding companies. (cynical, me?) I would sooner purchase a new chinese copy. If I (personally) had a rig with a failed, NLA steering rack, and I was bound and determined to keep the rig, I would do my best to retrofit a new, performance rack and pinion that are available to those that build "Hot Rods"/Kit Cars, but that is just me. 
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Appreciate all the replies. Guess I will steer clear of the Cardone. I’ve run Cardone stuff in the past with no issues, but never used one of their steering racks, and it sounds like they have an issue with rebuilding them. And yeah, I’m aware Cardone is involved in the First Brands debacle.
Leaning towards the AAE or the Maval now. Sometimes I prefer rebuilt original stuff as at least some of the components are quality, OEM pieces vs. new where everything is Chinesium.
I’m still not sure how fast I’m losing fluid, but I’m monitoring it, and if it’s a slow leak, I’m probably not gonna rush into this job, but I may go ahead and order the parts just to have them when the time comes.
Leaning towards the AAE or the Maval now. Sometimes I prefer rebuilt original stuff as at least some of the components are quality, OEM pieces vs. new where everything is Chinesium.
I’m still not sure how fast I’m losing fluid, but I’m monitoring it, and if it’s a slow leak, I’m probably not gonna rush into this job, but I may go ahead and order the parts just to have them when the time comes.
I think this is your only car to get to work/college from what I remember. And of course I think you're looking at repairing it quick to keep it on the road. Is it possible to take the old rack out and repair it or would that take too long? Or are you thinking of swapping this new rack in, keeping the old one to fix it when you can and keep it as a spare in case the new one doesn't last that long?
I usually agree with @D60 he's seen a lot and has an allergy to crappy products!
The AAE is what my eyes immediately went to in that product list too.Did that no-leak ATP stuff cause the rest of the o-rings to go bye-bye in the rack? Because I don't recall it leaking that bad. Or.. Did the new power steering pump just have that much more pressure that caused old seals to fail? I know, lots of questions but just thinking out loud..
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Quite a few years ago I assisted a friend installing a "RE-manufactured" power steering gearbox. When I started the truck the steering wheel began to violently turn back and forth. If I had not had the habit of getting in a rig to start it and just stood outside and reached through the spokes on the steering wheel to start the rig the dang would have hurt me bad. Scared the BEJEESUS out of me. Evidently the "re-manufacturer" had screwed up the valve assembly on the steering box. I have seen crap like this so many times that I now equate "Re-manufactured" with "Absolute Junk". I will, however, say that there are times when you may have absolutely zero options (a emergency and no wrecking yard within miles), and in that case, I have resorted to a re-manufactured part, but I will never, ever use one that has the capability of killing my a$$ or someone else on the highway if it fails.
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Honda sells reseal kits for their power steering racks. Maybe give rebuilding it a try?
I didn't see that it was still available from Honda for a 1997 model but there are ones around from the aftermarket. I did this on my 1996 Accord but it was a long time ago when the Honda kit was still available.
Looked around and found the reseal kit from Honda for a 94-98 Accord (2.2L 4 Cylinder) part 06531-SV4-000, but it says it's discontinued from Honda. Found some on Ebay, not sure if they're genuine, looked like it, but who knows lately.. around $60
EDIT: Found two aftermarket steering rack re-seal kits, SUNSONG 8401311 and EDELMANN 8874
Lots of fake stuff on eBay, complete with great looking Honda labels. Either one of the other two would work.
I think this is your only car to get to work/college from what I remember. And of course I think you're looking at repairing it quick to keep it on the road. Is it possible to take the old rack out and repair it or would that take too long? Or are you thinking of swapping this new rack in, keeping the old one to fix it when you can and keep it as a spare in case the new one doesn't last that long?
I usually agree with @D60 he's seen a lot and has an allergy to crappy products!
Did that no-leak ATP stuff cause the rest of the o-rings to go bye-bye in the rack? Because I don't recall it leaking that bad. Or.. Did the new power steering pump just have that much more pressure that caused old seals to fail? I know, lots of questions but just thinking out loud..
I do have another vehicle to get around in, I have my 2015 F-150. I try to avoid driving the truck in the winter but I don’t mind dailying it when there’s no salt on the roads. Still, I’d prefer to just buy a new/reman rack and swap it in. It’s less work, and so far my experience with resealing stuff on this car has been nothing short of frustrating. If OEM Honda seals were available, I’d be more inclined to consider it, but with aftermarket seals, I really don’t want to bother.
I have no idea if the ATP caused the leaks or not. It would be hard to say either way. Correlation isn’t necessarily causation. I have since flushed the system and put new Idemitsu fluid in.
Hey no problem, I posted above your comment here with what I found about the re-seal kits. Was wanting to see what was out there in case you did want to re-seal it yourself. I can see your point of less work, just slap the new rack in and go on with life.
I'd pick a new option from Rockauto even if you haven't heard of the company vs any of the rebuilts whether it's the parts store house brand or Cardone brand.
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