bad luck today!power steering problems!!!

[2000XPLORERSPORT]

i started off to work friday morning and everything was fine.cold as h*ll but the truck was good.i got to work early,so after about 20 minutes there i went to mcdonalds.i noticed my steering was a little hard to turn plus i could hear the power steering unit kinda making a noise.well i alway keep up with the fluids so i knew it wasn't low.i thought it was just because it was 16 below 0,ther steering was frozen a little.well at lunch time i went to burger king.when i pulled out of my lot i couldn't hardly turn the wheel.i mean it took all i had to turn.plus i was hearing the power steering unit a lot louder.so i got back from burger king popped the hood and checked the power steering fluid.completly empty! i thought ohhh great.i couldn't imagine how this could be.so my dad brought my power steering fluid from home up to my work and i put it in.after about a mile the steering was back to normal and the noise was gone.but after the 17 mile ride home,the noise started coming back and the fluid was really low.so i jacked up the front and as soon as the front tires came off the groung,i heard a loud snap and a big metal round stud with a nut fell off from the passenger front wheel.then all this what looked like oil pouring out.well the stabilizer end link that goes to the bottom of your control arm broke.and the oil/fluid was coming from the rack and pinion where that big black boot is.i thought to myself i didn't know there was oil/fluid in those boots.well to find out the seals are shot on the rack and pinion and my power steering fluid is making its way into the passenger side rack and pinion boot.the stabilizer end link was only $12.99 at auto zone.and only took 15 minutes to take the old one out and put the new one in.but the guys at auto zone said some fords use atf transmission fluid in the power steering.and maybe by using power steering fluid it ate the seals up over time.causing the power steering fluid to leak into the boot on the rack and pinion.so they said i have to replace the rack and pinion on that side which cost $139.99.so im going to ask some guys at whitman ford what they think.i started the truck and had my dad turn the wheel side to side and i can't see know leaks on the power steering unit.but i saw where the fluid came out the end of that boot on the rack and pinion.so my explorer is down at this time