I went and got my car aligned today, after I installed new AGX struts and Sportlines. The mechanic told me as I was paying for the alignment that my car would not pass inspection unless I fixed the rack. He said that the bellows boot needed to be replaced and that the rack was leaking. Also, he mentioned that it would be 4 hours of labor to fix the rack. My question: What are my options with the rack leak? How much is it going to cost? how difficult is it to replace the above mentioned problems? And, would disabling the power steering make a bit of difference with this problem? Sorry for so many questions, but the search function was rather useless regarding steering. Thanks in advance,
Andrew
steering rack on its way out.. what to do?
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jrc90240sx
- Posts: 455
- Joined: Mon Jul 29, 2002 9:21 am
despite what some people say, cutting the power steering wont be what you think. if you car has PS, then the rack is different, and with out the pump, it will be very difficult to turn and will end up messing things up. a non-PS car has different setups, so even though its not aided, its not impossible to turn and wont ware out.
My advice is, fix the torn boot. Steering is not an aspect of the car that you want to get premature wear or risk of failure in.
Without the protective boot, there is all manner of water, grime and grit getting into the rack arm joints.
Disabling the power steering won't decrease the wear and tear on the exposed joint.
4 hours of labor does seem a bit excessive for that job, it's not THAT complicated, I would shop around a bit and see if another mechanic can give you a less exorbitant estimate. Wish I had my FSM handy, I could tell you exactly the steps involved...I will check when I get home tonight.
Without the protective boot, there is all manner of water, grime and grit getting into the rack arm joints.
Disabling the power steering won't decrease the wear and tear on the exposed joint.
4 hours of labor does seem a bit excessive for that job, it's not THAT complicated, I would shop around a bit and see if another mechanic can give you a less exorbitant estimate. Wish I had my FSM handy, I could tell you exactly the steps involved...I will check when I get home tonight.
Okay, here it is straight from the FSM.
To change the steering rack boots, all the mechanic has to do is remove the wheel, take off the outer tie rod nut, remove the boot, clean/grease up the area, slide a new one on and tie it up, then reconnect the outer tie rod nut and put the wheel back on.
It should take a competent (and honest) mechanic no more than an hour to do. Where they got 4 hours from, I have no clue, I would be tempted to actually have the mechanic show you what will require that amount of time. That's pretty ridiculous. Shop around and find someone who will do it for less.
To change the steering rack boots, all the mechanic has to do is remove the wheel, take off the outer tie rod nut, remove the boot, clean/grease up the area, slide a new one on and tie it up, then reconnect the outer tie rod nut and put the wheel back on.
It should take a competent (and honest) mechanic no more than an hour to do. Where they got 4 hours from, I have no clue, I would be tempted to actually have the mechanic show you what will require that amount of time. That's pretty ridiculous. Shop around and find someone who will do it for less.
No, it won't fix the leak. How bad is the leak? How often do you need to top off the fluid and by how much each time? A tiny leak will get worse over time, but it can be ignored in the short term. I don't recommend any of the stop-leak stuff. The 4 hours they quoted, that was to rebuild the rack? Or just the labor to replace it?
well, to this date (owned the car for 1.5yrs) I have never added steering fluid. I did at one time have a leak in the high pressure lines, but that was fixed by the place I bought the car, at no cost. The mechanic (at the recent alignment shop) said that the rack/bellows boot was a four hour job, and referenced the lowering of my car as an obstacle to their working on it. I imagine that rebuilding the rack on site is vastly less expensive than buying a new one, or buying a rebuilt one and installing that. I assume that was going to be their course of action. In that instance, how much work would it be to go ahead and replace whatever seals (I assume that blown seals would be the culprit) on my own? Cost?
also, despite the size or severity of the leak, I can't ignore it. The mechanic said that my car would not pass inspection without fixing this problem (unless I went to a mechanic that overlooked that sort of thing). Seeing as my inspection expired in May(I had to replace the breaks and windshield, which has put me way over due... had to wait for the money) I can't let it go.
Man, that's really strict! I don't believe in governing things that tightly. Too big brotherish. I'd bet money that the legislators that passed those laws were petitioned/funded by the local automotive industry. How many industries are there that get income guaranteed by legislation? You are forced to either fix the car or buy a new one. I firmly believe in keeping cars safe and properly maintained, but that system sounds like it's way too easy to take advantage of.If you haven't ever had to top off the fluid then a) the leak is brand new, b) the leak has been around but is VERY slow or c) the shop is wrong (maybe there's a leak above the boot). In any case, I would think that you would pass inspection if you replace the boot right before the inspection. The fluid hopefully wouldn't have time to accumulate and run out the end.Racks are usually replaced because many shops lack the tools/knowledge to diagnose and repair. Same with transmissions; there are shops that specialize in rebuilds and that can do it quicker and more efficiently than your local independent. You pay your shop a "commission" for finding such a source. They make money regardless if they rebuild it or not, so they choose to do less work and spend less time. Of course you can save money doing it yourself, but what happens if you take it apart and can't get it back together? I'm not saying it's hard or easy, I honestly don't know.
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twilightslide
- Posts: 7
- Joined: Fri Jun 11, 2004 10:51 pm
the rack shouldn't take too long to replace. I'd recommend as mentioned above to check some junk yards and pull it from there. While that rack is out, order new seals oem and rebuild it before putting another worn down rack into your car. After that's done I'd install that repaired rack in place of your jacked one. If you don't have the tools to do it (basic wrench/socket set, pickle fork, hammer, and pry bar) then you should be able to do it without too much hassle. Probably take a good portion of your day if this is your first time though. Just another option.