Manual steering rack oil

[geoz3]

Do manual racks require oil, and are the rubber boots for holding the oil in the rack, or just to keep crap out of the rack?

[MV8]

No oil, just a good synthetic wheel bearing grease. The boots are for keeping dirt out of the rack.

[geoz3]

Good to hear, on my project car while installing a trim piece around the boot.  i  nicked the boot and oil started to drip out, I loosened the boot and oil poured out. I think it was a power rack cut down for the car, but they must have filled it up with oil, and the boot was holding it.

[IamScotticus]

A grease can break down and liquify with heat and time.  My  grease gun with a tube in it did just that,  leaked out and made a mess of the bucket it was in.

Edited May 12, 2023 by IamScotticus

[jbcollier]

Grease dries out and all that remains is the base, wax material (soap in the old days).  British racks from the 60s were lubed with gear oil.  I now use semi-fluid grease, also known as steering box lube.  It’s basically a very runny grease.