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So recently my i thought my pathfinder had an oil leak. I had a mechanic check it out and tell me it was my rack and pinion. The boot on the passenger was exposed. I was told I needed a new rack so Iooked around and found one at the dismantler for $70. After purchasing i was told the LE and SE have diffrent steerjng racks. Is this true. If so how do I know if I have the right rack. I'll post pictures of the rack in the morning. 

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According to Rock auto there are indeed two different racks with different part numbers. Theres an SE model and a LE XE model. What the difference is I'm not sure but by looking at them but it looks like maybe where the steering shaft attaches is different is the only thing. The taller one is the LE, XE rack. and the other is the SE

LEXERack.jpg

SE Rack.jpg

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The only difference between the steering racks on the early model R50s (XE/LE vs SE) is the turning radius. XE and LE originally came with 235/70R15 tires and SE came with 265/70R15. The XE/LE racks allowed for more steering angle at full lock left or right. To avoid rubbing with larger tires, the SE rack has a slightly reduced steering angle. So, if you have an XE or LE, you can install a rack from any model and if you happen to get an SE rack, you’ll just have a slightly increased turning radius.  If you have an SE and you install an XE/LE rack, you might get some increased rubbing, especially on the fuel line cover at the rear of the right front wheel well. I have a 97 LE, and with 32x11.50R15 tires, 15x8 wheels and 2” of lift, I had persistent rubbing at full right steering, so I would just back off a bit to reduce the rubbing. I now have 6” of lift, and with 285/75R16 tires on 16x8 wheels, I don’t have rubbing at full right steering lock.

Edited by XPLORx4
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