The reason power steering coolers are required is because engineers have determined that under normal operating conditions the power steering fluid on a vehicle exceeds the nominal operating temperature and must be cooled in order to prevent damage to the power steering system. The engineers determine how much of a temperature drop they need in order to reach that perfect operating temperature, and that is the reason there are so many different power steering coolers. It would be much easier to just produce one cooler overall and use it on all vehicles, but different pressures, fluid volumes, temperature differences, and space allowances require the engineering and designing of multiple different types and sizes of coolers.

You can see why it is important to designed power steering coolers to match and perform just like the OEM. Look for coolers that are identical in material, shape, style, size, and performance to the OEM parts. This is done in order to verify that the products perform at the level the original manufacturer had in mind.   

We like to consider ourselves the experts when it comes to power steering coolers.  If you have any power steering cooler questions, please connect with our technicians in our Ask the Experts forum.