Apparently, according to my trusty mechanic, the rack & pinion on my '98 SE is "bad." Is this too technical a job for a new mechanic like myself? The only real experience I've had with cars I've gotten on a few occasions by following the instructions in a Chilton's manual.

I'll be honest: I have no effin' clue what the rack & pinion is, but that's been true of every problem I've tried to fix myself & so far I've been successful under the hood.

 

It's not an easy task unless the engine is out of the car. The rack and pinion is what is used to steer the car.I would say not to even mess with it. It's not a job for a begineer

 

What symptoms do you have that points to a faulty rack?

 

I've contemplated doing it on my car, but haven't tried it yet. It's not an easy job - you need to lift the front of the car, drop the front exhaust pipe (the y-pipe), detach the tie rods from the steering knuckles, detach the power steering hoses (and deal with the fluid draining out), remove the rack mounts, unbolt the steering column from the rack (apparently in very tight quarters), and carefully remove it out one wheel well.

Dave

 

I was wondering the same thing. Make sure you've got to do it before you do.

And if you'd like to know what a rack and pinion is... http://auto.howstuffworks.com/steering2.htm