i went to today to get a straight pipe done to get rid of my cat and the guy said my sway bar bushings are shot to hell and i need to replace my rack and pinion cause its leaking oil and he said my boots are shot to hell also so i might as well replace the whole rack instead of just changing the boots.

should i pay to get this done or should i do myself, is this something i should let a mechanic do?

the sway bar bushings look pretty simple, just un bolt and remove the old ones and pop in the one. ( do they need to be greased? )

autozone has a new rack for $195 and when i bring the core i get back $47
so its price will end up $148 for a brand new one
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/par...ier=10906_0_0_
is this a good price?


correct my list if im missing anything i need to buy.
1.rack and pinion
2.rack and pinion seal kit ( not sure if i need it )
3.boots (not sure if the replacement rack will bring it)
4.rack and pinion bushing
5.sway bar bushing


thanks in advance

 

What you need is the rack and pinion but once you get the new rack it already comes with the boots so you will also need the bushings and the sway bar end link bushings. The sway bar bushings are cake but if you dont feel brave enough with the rack then let a skilled mechanic do it. But to replace the rack its fairly simple. Undo oil lines, undo both rear crossmember bolts, undo tie rods at steering knuckles, undo rack bushings (a bit tricky since y-pipe is in the way) lock steering wheel in place but with wheels pointing straight and then undo the securing bolt at steering gear. Then slide rack out through the driver side. Make sure when new one is ready to install that it is perfectly centered at steering gear if not once installed your steeing wheel will be seriously off center.

 

I would put it on jack stands to see these problems yourself to see what is going on.

The rack isn't overly hard. The worst part is getting it adjusted. You may need to take it to a shop to get a alignment. Get it close by counting the rotations as you unsrew the ends. That will get you close. The next step is the old way of measuring a common point on the tire front, and back. I have aligned cars this way with no problem. Doesn't mean I recommend it... Anyway, the rest is simply a matter of the steering connection, bolts holding it, and lines. Not hard.

You can grease the bushings. Can't hurt.

 

so i guess the sway bar bushings ill do myself, do i need to grease em?
kool so i can cross out the boots from my list. is that link i posted a good price for a rack and do i need to buy the seal kit?
the rack sounds like a pain inda azz to do , damn.
tomorrow the shop is gonna call me with a quote. how much does this job usually cost?

thanks

 

well, put it this way; I had the rack swapped in about four hours, my first time; however, if you don't regularly wrench, it could easily take a weekend.
and I will disagree with altec on one minor part; the pita is figuring out how to get the old one out after unbolting everything...

 

sounds like something i cant do lol
can you answer my questions if you can

 

Good point Ben. They don't make it easy to wiggle out. Be prepared to take ten things off to get one part out. Yay for engineers... could be worse. You could have to pull the cab off to change spark plugs (Looking at you Ford).

Edit,

Oh. About the price of the rack. I can only suggest calling local autoparts stores for prices. Compare those prices with online prices (factoring in shipping) and make the call. Looking at warranties doesn't hurt either.

 

Lmfao noob hour and a half removing and replacing rack and pinion. That is once the car is already up in the air. Starting from unbolting to tightening everything back up. Then again most of you all consider mechanical work to hard. And pay people like me $400-600 to remove and replace just that part not including paying around $65 for just a front end alignment.

 

$148 is a good price for the rack and pinion. Especially for the ease of being local for returning the core. You can get it for about $15 cheaper at RockAuto but the easy/local core return with Autozone more than makes up for that.

Although I'd probably put on some nice Moog boots before installing it. My cheapo boots on mine are already cracking after not even 6k miles on my blue VE (didn't install a new rack, just boots - but I guarantee all these rebuilt units come with cheap boots).

 

its a 2 min drive to autozone

do u know around how much this labor would cost? i dont wonna get ripped off

 

Like elusive said, you're likely looking at $400-600 total.

The rack and pinion isn't hard to replace per se, but it's kind of a PITA, so most shops are likely going to charge you a couple hundred bucks in just labor. Plus the part, which they'll probably mark up..

 

dammmmmmmm

do i need to remove the y-pipe? (if i do it myself)

 

i wish there was tutorial on this and i might of took a crack at it.
i wouldn't even know where to start on doing this to save myself $400-$600
and no one ever answered if i need the seal kit -__-

 

Not sure what you mean by rack and pinion seal kit. You should just need the rack and pinion assembly, which will come complete with boots, and the two bushings (assuming you need them).

I don't know if you HAVE to remove the y-pipe but it would certainly make it easier I'd think. I'm doing the rack on my black VE in a few weeks but I have the engine and everything out right now so it'll be cake.

 

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/par...er=228877_0_0_

 

Don't need to remove y pipe. You will be pulling the rack and pinion out through the hole where the inner tie rod end goes through. That will be the hardest part is pulling it out and maybe putting it back in. I've done my rack and pinion and in college a customer car rack and pinion same bolts and all parts nothing different from gxe to se

 

You don't need a seal kit if your replacing rack and pinion. Find someone from the forums who is local that is mechanically inclined and save money by paying them to do it. Personally if I was doing it out side of a shop I'd probably just charge $100 for removing and replacing. Then tell that person to go get a front end alignment done.

 

don't forget the hoses and some fluid. Always a good idea to change the hoses while you are in there. Maybe check pump for any bearing wear.

I have to do this in the spring too. But I am also pulling the engine so it will be cake here too.

 

there is nothing hard about this job at all. when i did this to my car nothing didn't seem difficult to do. a rebuilt rack and pinion will cost at least $120 - $160 with a core return. and it is not hard to remove the rack once everything in unbolted and disconnected. the rack will slide out just fine through the hole where elusivemax93 stated on the driver side. i removed the y-pipe just to have more room to undo the rack bushing bolts and i know i also removed the rear crossmember bolts to lower the back of the engine to have even more room. replace all hoses and washers with new ones and get some ATF fluid once you are done with everything to flush your power steering system. the one thing i do agree with this being tricky is centering the steering gear in the middle so that the steering wheel is centered after all is done and then take to a shop to get the car aligned.

 

what hoses? i have no clue whats hoses you guys are talking about.
can some one give me a parts # or the name of the hoses?

and damn i just got an alignment two weeks ago, fml

i was thinking maybe its not as bad he said it was and i can hold out from doing till i save up for this. how do i know when the rack and pinion is bad?

i know the boots are done, but he said its leaking oil and i never had any oil drips beneath my car cuz i have a habit of checking all the time. i think he just wanted to get money from that.

 

The power steering lines that go to your rack. I wouldn't bother changing them unless you see they are dry rotted.

If your wheels don't turns, or if you can't put power steering fluid in fast enough is a easy way to tell that you need a rack.

Like I said, put it up on stands, and check these problems for yourself. If you want, put a piece of cardboard under the car around the rack, and lines. Start the car and let it run for a while cycling the steering when you feel like it. Pull the cardboard out, and you'll be able to spot a leak.

 

o ok i bought some steel ramps so ill put them use this weekend.
my wheels turn and what do you mean by cant put power steering fluid in fast enough?

 

Lol, as in it is leaking more out then you can put in. It was a joke, really. Well, sorta. Gotta do what you gotta do. Haha.

Mechanical problems with your rack you will feel in the steering wheel, bit leaks you just have to look. If you didn't already notice that your powersteering was low, my guess is it is a very slight leak, and the mechanic is trying to bend you over. Now that you have ramps though, you can always check to see what's up.

 

o ok i have no problem with my power steering so it should be good for a while till i decide to change it then. yea i think the shop was tryna get me for a few hundred. maybe i should jus get the boots for now.
ill have a guy from work (old school mechanic) look at it and let me know whats up.

 

If you have no problems/issues with it, then leave it alone. The shop very well may have been trying to get you, but if they see ripped tie-rod boots, a little fluid leaking out, etc. (which doesn't make your rack "bad" per se), then they're going to tell you you need a new one. Do you technically NEED a new one? Not really, but the again that doesn't mean the shop is necessarily trying take you, ya know?

But at the very bottom of the issue, if you have no problems, then don't worry about it. If your boots are torn but you have no major leaks or anything, then just replace the boots. However, the longer the boots are torn and the rack is "exposed", the quicker debris will get in there and cause you to eventually for sure need a new rack.

 

Ok like james has said if and we mean IF your steering rack is not severely leaking but rather just a little wet then just change the boots and thats it. As for the sway bar i forgot to also tell you about the bushings that go around the actual sway bar plus your end links, both really easy DIY job.

 

lol. that 4 hrs included the pump, too, at 40*F about two years ago.
you won't be able to use the ramps. you will have to take the wheels off to do the job. and if you did figure out how to do it with the wheels on, I would refuse to be within 10' of that car (not to mention underneath it). the wheels will be all flippy-floppy, causing a risk of falling over sideways.

and as above, if the rack is fine, not really leaking, just get the boots, and put them on. no sense wasting hours and lots of cash on replacing something that's not bad (I would advise checking the tie rods for problems, and if needed knock 'em out real quick)

 

I think he was just planning to use the ramps for a inspection. I'd stick with jack stands, and a jack for extra protection. Or a lift.

Please dont say flippy-floppy anymore.

 

I forgot to say that they also mention that the rack and pinion bushings are shot.
does the rack have to be removed to replace these?

So the ramps are basically only good for oil changes and inspections? -__-

And how do I put on the new boots?

 

Thats it? Lmfao I just did rack and pinion outer tie rod ends and power steering pump all removed and replaced in three hours in a total of ten hours of doing all that plus end links ball joints and all four struts.that was one sitting of ten hours doing all of the work alone in my drive way with no power or air tools. while also sanding primering and painting both controls arms and sway bar to stop and reverse rust and prevent further metal cancer. Did all that a month our so ago. Since then replaced both rear calipers and rear brake pads all four disk brake hardware front rotors from damaged caused by two bad front wheel bearings and hubs as well as all eight caliper bolts and pins. fourth gen energy suspension control arm bushings. Then went on two replacing all the components from slave cylinder to clutch master cylinder to have the whole clutch system since clutch only has like maybe 5,000 miles on it. Now replacing one bad fuel injector as well ask injector o rings upper and lower as well as injector seats. And non of the parts are cheap e bay parts or bottom of the line auto parts store parts like the line of value craft with only one year warranty. All my parts if they have life time warranty available. As well as many dealer items that most parts stores can't get.

 

Yes the ramps are only good for other things but for steering and suspension. The rack bushings can be replaced without removing the rack but the one on the passenger side is tricky but you can still get to it with a long *** SK wrench. The outer boots can be replaced once the outer tie rod ends are off the inner tie rods.

 

ok so i took a pic of my boot thats off and it looks like ****. do i need my rack and pinion replaced according to the pic?

 

bump for an answer

 

I had one like that I replaced the boots and all is well. In fact it looks to be in pretty good shape.

 

If you were asking about coil springs and wheels everybody would be all over it. Looks vs functionality.