Power Steering Rack Mounts

[DarthBulk]

Ok, I am putting a new power steering rack in my 91 Eagle Talon TSi FWD. But I am having trouble finding new rubber mounts for the blasted thing. I first went to the auto parts store, and they looked it up and told me there is only ONE mount for the power steering rack. I told him I need both of them, because I clearly took TWO clamps off that were holding the power steering rack in there. Each clamp bolts down on a rubber bushing that wraps around the power steering rack, to hold the whole assembly in place. I asked if that ONE mount he had in his book was really a set of two, or if I just needed two of them (one for each side) but he said it specifies that only ONE is needed per car, and it is just one piece. So that confused me. I next went to the Mitsubishi dealer, thinking I would have better luck. But they told me the exact same story! At the dealer he said that there is only ONE rubber mount listed in the parts database, and that only ONE is required per car. So what the heck? I took TWO clamps off my power steering rack, and each one has a rubber mount under it! And they are different! So where do I get the second one, if the Mitsubishi dealer can't find it in his parts database?

Has anyone else run into this problem? Any help would be appreciated!

Dan

 

[jer28]

I went through this same problem. After 12 years of the northeast winters the p.s lines has rotted out and I couldn't keep any power steering fluid. My "bushings" looked like hell too but I gave up and just used the old ones. You are absoulutly correct though- there are 2 and they are different. Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

 

[Talon007]

CAPS shows two brakets, but only one has a rubber peice PN: MB315228

 

[DarthBulk]

I went through this same problem. After 12 years of the northeast winters the p.s lines has rotted out and I couldn't keep any power steering fluid. My "bushings" looked like hell too but I gave up and just used the old ones. You are absoulutly correct though- there are 2 and they are different. Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

Thanks for the confirmation anyway, at least I know I'm not the only one who has two bushings on my power steering rack

 

[DarthBulk]

CAPS shows two brakets, but only one has a rubber peice PN: MB315228

That's what my local parts store told me too, and the Mitsubishi dealer. They also said that only ONE of those is required per car. The other rubber piece is unique, so it must have a unique part number too. Maybe it is part of some other assembly?

 

[giester2]

You are asking for the right part and there are two on your rack. The problem is that not many mounting bushings are sold in the aftermarket. I sell rebuilt racks, and we try to supply mounting bushings for every rack if they are available in the aftermarket. Unfortunately Mitsubishi and Nissan are the two hardest manufacturers to get bushings for in the aftermarket. I will check tomorrow to see if I have them but I doubt if I do. You are probably looking at a "dealer item only."

 

[DarthBulk]

Thank you very much, any help or additional information you can provide me would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Defiant]

I've never heard it mentioned in the DSM world, but an old trick in the land of Z was to put -this is no shit- a few large cotter pins in under the clamps on the steering rack. The Zs had a bit of a floaty front end from that glorious hood doing a lift job, dealt with later by Peter Morton's invention of the "Spook" front spoiler. The pins would firm up the rubber mounts and largely do away with the wander.

 

[DarthBulk]

Thanks for the tip, if I can't find the second rubber mount I will try something like this with my old one, and see if I can firm it up enough to make it work.

 

[giester2]

No luck... I do not have any bushings for the passenger side. I called around a little and none of my suppliers are offering it at this time. You can try Defiants idea and see if it works (I have never heard of it but you gotta do what you gotta do). Your other option is to look in junk yards for a good used bushing, one that is not dry rotted or covered in oil (that may be difficult to find). I am sorry I could not be of more help, but now that I know that it is not available anywhere I will keep my eye out for a supplier.

 

[DarthBulk]

No luck... I do not have any bushings for the passenger side. I called around a little and none of my suppliers are offering it at this time. You can try Defiants idea and see if it works (I have never heard of it but you gotta do what you gotta do). Your other option is to look in junk yards for a good used bushing, one that is not dry rotted or covered in oil (that may be difficult to find). I am sorry I could not be of more help, but now that I know that it is not available anywhere I will keep my eye out for a supplier.

Thanks, I really appreciate you looking for one for me I guess I'll try Defiant's idea. I was reading about how some people use that 3M Window Weld to firm up their motor mounts, and thought maybe I can do something similar with my exisiting power steering rack mount. I'll just see what works best...

 

[DarthBulk]

Ok, I talked with a Mitsubishi guru at the dealer this week and finally solved the power steering rack mount problem. He showed my in the Mitsubishi manual where the diagram shows the TWO clamps holding the power steering rack on, but there is only ONE rubber mount shown in the diagram. That is why most people I talked to at the dealer said there is only only one mount. The guru looked in a text list of parts, however, and found the other part number. So now I have BOTH unique rubber mounts in hand. I just thought I would post the Mitsubishi part numbers here in case anyone else ever needs them.

MB315228 Cushion Ste. - This is the rubber mount with the 3 flat sides. This is the common one that everyone seems to think is the only one available.
MB501119 Rubber, Gear - This is the rubber mount with the extra hole in it for the hard hydraulic line. This is the one that no seems to know how to find.

So I can finally firm up my new power steering rack