Have any of you people ever replaced the steering rack boots? If so did you have to pop out the tie rod ends to do it. Also can you do it from the sides of the car or do you need to get under the car?

 

Yes, you will need to get under the car. You will also need to pull the OUTER tie-rod-ends. Then, get under the car, and find where the boot is clamped to the rack unit. Nissan used a wire type clamp that is a real b1tch to get off - I had to clip it off myself. Pull the old boot off.

Word to the wise - buy the good quality boots, or better yet, buy them from Nissan. Aftermarket proper boots should run about $15 / ea, and there is a differnece between the two. Avoid the generic or universal units like the plague. The pressure balance lines do not attach them the universal untis, and they are of inferior quality.

After slipping the new boots on, be careful and patient getting the new clamps in place, and tight. They are almost as much of a b1tch as removing the old ones.

I hope this helps.

 

Yes I have nissan replacement boots and my next question is can I just slide them over the tie rod ends or do I need to remove the tie rod ends first? Another question just poped into my mind and that is should I get 2 new nissan clamps or try to use the old ones?

 

Remove the OUTER tie-rod ends, ONLY! The boots cover the joint for the inner tie-rod end, so leave those in place.

As for the clamps, yes, buy new clamps. They are likely to be a real pain in the a$$ to install, with the rack still in the vehicle. You may be able to use worm-drive type hose clamps, maybe. I don't know...didn't try.

Clearance is VERY tight down there, so you can expect some complications...it took me about 1 hour per side, just to get the inner-most clamp on each new boot when I did it. It's wasn't something you learn a trick to on the first, and the other is simple...the space is so tight, you'll fight with it. It may just be easier to pull the rack, to be honest. My oroginal boots were split for so long, that replacing my boots was just a band-aid. I need to replace the entire rack now. I used to live in the coutry when I bought the car, and they were split then. So it was driven extensively on old, dirt roads...the rack itself is full of dirt, and more than the seals are waxed.