Steering rack seems leaking: do you think I can fix without removing it?

It looks in the 3rd pic like your rubber gaiter boots are cracked. Not sure if it's all the way or partly, but there's no use in doing a partial refresh and leaving another problem lurking. Pull the rack, and service everything.

 

Mate, pull the rack and renew. By the time you fiddled and farted around under there to do a half-arsed repair, you could have the whole job done properly - AND, with the rack out, you can properly degrease and clean up the mess

 

+1

 

I understand the SOURCE of your problem is not the boots, but my POINT was, your boots are going to go any minute. And you'll need to pull the rack when they do. Why go to the effort of making a repair, just to not fix something that's going to imminently break?

 

It's actually very simple to remove. I agree that it would be much easier to just pull the rack out and do it properly.

 

I think you'll find most of the steering racks need a rebuild. It's not the wear as much as the time deteriorates the rubber bushings. Just send it to the master, John Haller who's a member here. [email protected] He really is an expert on the 308 steering racks and the history of all the different models. I would call him before you take it out too, he can save you a lot of headache.

 

+1, here is a before and after pic of the rebuild that John did for me.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

After
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

NO, he does NOT. As he explained to me, the bronze is tougher than the shaft material, which can wear the extremely expensive and difficult-to-replace rack itself. Better to wear out a bushing than a rack. He uses a custom delrin version.