Rack and Pinion leak
 

I have an 04 s60 2.4; while changing the oil I noticed drips and wetness on the drivers control arm, I traced the fluid back to the steering column seal on the top of the steering rack. The fluid just seeps out slowly, and leaves a dime size spec on my driveway after several days of sitting. The car has 145256kms on it and it's clearly the factory ZF rack. Is there any other way to replace this seal with out removing/replacing the rack. I see that the peice seperates from the rack. I recently had the Inner/outer tie rods and both boots replaced so I'd rather not replace the rack after all that.

Is there a company(rebuilder) you can make a call to and find out if they supply the seal? Or phone your local Volvo dealer and see if they can get you a seal. I will phone the rebuilder we deal with at work and see if they have it in stock.

You may check this site for a HD rack seal kit. As a side note, the dust boot on the inner tie rod was it secured with a metallic brace or a plastic tie wrap? The tie wraps let water inside and the rack will get rust (and bust the seals)

http://www.bestpartsonline.com/servlet/StoreFront

Thanks for checking! Are these seals easy to change? Or do they need pressed in?

I never did it myself, but I would guess the rack must come out, so it's a hassle