The rack and pinion assembly on my 2004 Silverado started leaking and
needed to be replaced at 6800 miles. While I wasn't particularly pleased
to discover this problem, the dealer couldn't have been more helpful:

   Thursday Sept. 9, the dealer confirmed the problem and ordered the
   part.

   Friday Sept. 10, the part arrived from Reno.

   Monday, Sept. 13, the dealer put me into a free rental truck while
   my truck had the new part installed and the wheels aligned.
   By 4:00 PM my truck was ready to take home.

At first, I was annoyed that the rack and pinion had failed so soon and
caused me so much inconvenience. However, it turned out that I got a
very nice upgrade out of the deal. The number of the original rack was
#26091958 which has been discontinued and replaced with part
#88963415. The parts manager told me that I was only the third person to
require a replacement of the first part number and the first one to
receive the new replacement part.

When I pulled out of the dealership and made the right turn onto the
street, I noticed that the truck handled completely differently. The
steering response was much quicker and the steering wheel did not
require as much effort or as much rotation to make turns as before.

At first, I thought that the dealership had screwed up the wheel
alignment, but I got the same effect when making left turns. At high
speeds on the freeway, the truck now held the road better and the
steering was much quicker, more responsive and more precise than before.
On a winding road, the difference was immediately obvious; the truck
felt more like a sports car and less like a truck. The turning was
quicker and flatter than before. It was only after I got home and
compared the repair orders that I noticed the difference in the part
numbers.

So, have I just been upgraded to the new and improved steering that will
be offered in the 2005 models? It's comforting to know that when the
rack and pinion assembly starts leaking on your new, still under
warranty truck that you will get a free upgrade to the new and improved
rack.