rotten steering rack boot, turbo tie rod type no good????? Options

[dmenche914]

Hello All:

On the project 914 (long term, three plus years apart). we installed a brnad new turbo tie rod kit. Included were a set of new steering rack boots. These were put ont he car, maybe two years ago, and since then the car has been on stands.

went to check the underside out, as i want to get the suspension sorted out, looked at teh new steering rack boots,a dn surprise!!! the 'new" boots are all cracked, and there are splits in the corregations. Pretty bad service life considerign the car has not moved in two years!

Anyone have experience with poor quality steering rack boots? i got these at teh time I bought the turbo tie rods, Don't recall if itwas part of a kit, or sold seperatly. At any rate they are JUNK! the old probably 30 year old boots that came off the car were better than these "new" boots.

I will have to see if i saved the old ones, but I think that the old ones have a different sized end on them (ie boot for turbo tierods is different than boot for standard tierods) anyone recalll if they are different.

1. are the boots different style for turbo verses standard tie rods?
2. anyone else run into bad boots that crack and split after just two short years with no driving?


i recall on my first 914 i installed turbo tie rod, with new boots, and they lasted.

Bad batch of rubber? bad manufacturer? any known good ones?


HELP!!!! want to get this 914 on the road again!