Power Steering Assist Failure

[85_Ranger4x4]

Pretty sure I've relayed this info here before but just in case I haven't..

Ford engineers their vehicles with the goal of 95% of them lasting 150k miles before something serious happens that would have most people decide to just go buy a new vehicle.

And major mechanical failure is not the cause of death for most vehicles.

It is an insurance total. Tree falls on it, gets in an accident, gets flooded, storm damage etc.

 

[sgtsandman]

Is there any kind of a seal on the thing that dumped water out?

Waterproofing that may be a worthwhile endeavor for those that like to play submarine commander...

My guess, looking at how the rack is put together, the water intrusion is where the motor mounts on the rack. They do seal there but the quality of they RTV they used doesn't seem all that great. The only other possible points of entry are at the boots on the ends of the rack where the inner tie rod ends thread into the rack. Unless, of course, a water seal for one of the electrical connections fail. That would seem to cause an electrical failure rather than one that makes the rack freeze solid until it warms up.

I can't speak Robert's issue since his is different than mine.

Once I get my steering rack out, I'll take a look at where the damage is. When turning the steering, you can hear a rough sound like sand or something is in the rack. Probably caused by corrosion.

 

[Robert Mangrum]

Yes it has some sealant but no gasket or anything. We have some marine hull strength sealant here at work. Im planning on putting a bead round it when we open a new tube. I will apply it with a brush. Its up under so looks aren't important. Ive also been through water crossings as deep as the hood numerous times haha. So what water came out was surprisingly small. If your not supposed to go deeper than hubs I would have to stop riding most my routes haha. Ive always heard you've got to pay to play. This was a small expense compared to all the fun I've had and will have with my truck. I keep the old tie rod ends and threw them in my spare parts with a custom driver's rear brake line haha. Might should throw the inners in there too. They seem like the weak link.