squeel when steering

[ctabacchi]

I have a 99 windstar, 3.8ltr.

A few weeks ago the wife noticed a squeel when she was turning. yesterday and today I spent trying to fine the squeel. It even squeeled when I bounced the front end.

eventually I tracked it to the drivers side tie rod, and further to the steering mechanism near the middle of the car. I don't know the name of it. There is a boot that covers the connection between the tie and the steering mechanism. I pulled off the hose type clamp and and moved the boot and saw a steel rod with teeth on it with a little grease on it. I took a chance, turned the wheel to expose as much of the steel rod as possible and put some grease on it. turned the wheel back and forth and the squeel went away. I applied a ton more grease on the entire area and put the boot back on.

Thiis has solved the the squeeling problem but do i have a bigger problem that I don't know about? What lubricated this before and why is it not being lubricated now? Will the squeeling come back if it is not being lubircated properly? Is the power steering/tranny fluid supposed to lubricate it and why is it not? I don't know how this system and it lubricates and uses the fluid for the steering gear/system.

Any clarification on this would be helpful so I know whether to start saving up for the steering system/gear box on some other cars, needs to be replaced.

Thank you.

[wiswind]

There are inner tie rod ends.......maybe that is what you were looking at?
I just had mine replaced this past spring......inner and outer done at the same time.

[ctabacchi]

Does the protective boot cover the connection between the steering rack and the inner tie rod? I have done front end work on rear wheel drive vehicles,and the inners & outer are easy to identify, I've replaced pitman arm, center links, tie rods, tie rod connetors, etc. But I'm unfamiliar with this steering rack if that is what it is called.

The steel I greased was not exposed to the elements at all, it is shiny and smooth with some type of lubricant on it already.

I've yet to see pictures of what I worked on yet.

thanks though.

[wiswind]

The inner tie rod end is inside the boot on the power steering unit.
I am sorry that I do not know more than that......as I have never looked in there........I had a shop do the job.
I have a "Safety" inspection done on my vehicle once a year....and specify to really check out the front end.
At around 200K miles on my '96, I figure that they were about due.....so no suprise when they told me that they factory originals needed replacement.

[Lbert]

Although the ball end of the inner tie rod is inside the boot, the rest of the gears you see it the steering rod. The whole unit is known as your steering rack. The exposed gears are not lubricated by the power steering fluid. Inside the rack is a gear, you are not able to see. This gear mess against the steering rod gear that you do see. The inside wheel gear is sealed and turned by the pressure of the steering fluid. There is a valve inside that pressurize either left chamber or right chamber. More pressure on chamber turns the gear in one direction. The pressurized steering fluid makes it easy for you to turn the car.