rack and pinion replacement

[rfoster23g]

So my rack and pinion is leaking power steering fluid and i have to replace it. My mechanic quoted me $500 to replace the rack, tie rods, and alignment. but i have a buddy who is a mechanic who just graduated. do you think we could do it ourselves? what is the difficulty level? what is some stuff i could do to prepare?

[a.graham52]

you CAN do it but it willl be a pain in the arse for you thats for sure. i belive you willl have to lower the rear of the engine cradle to completly remove the rack. simple as remove inner tierods from outer tierods, un bolt steering shaft from rack, un bolt rack from cradle and slide out the side... oh and power steering lines. you will need an alignemnt ASAP afterwords. and if your outter tie rods are still tight and your new rack does NOT come with outters, then just leave the outers in the knuckle and remove the inner tierods from the outters.

[04PONTIACGA]

you CAN do it but it willl be a pain in the arse for you thats for sure. i belive you willl have to lower the rear of the engine cradle to completly remove the rack. simple as remove inner tierods from outer tierods, un bolt steering shaft from rack, un bolt rack from cradle and slide out the side... oh and power steering lines. you will need an alignemnt ASAP afterwords. and if your outter tie rods are still tight and your new rack does NOT come with outters, then just leave the outers in the knuckle and remove the inner tierods from the outters.

Yes. That about sums it up. You will need to drop the rear sub frame and take the rack out the driver side. It is a PITA, and time consuming. If you do end up doing this, make sure to mark where the sub frame was before you take it out. This can cause problems with the alignment. It may look good on the rack when they correct it, but it won't be. Just when you decide to tackle this, remember to take your time and do.everything right. It's better to leave your car in pieces for another day, than rushing to get it done that day an Fucking something up. Good luck, feel free to ask any questions. There is no such thing as a dumb question.

[xXManwhoreXx]

I think fisdad did this recemtly. Or was going to maybe he could chime in

[rfoster23g]

thanks guys i think i'm just going to pay the shop to complicated for me

[04PONTIACGA]

Well, good luck. Be sure to shop around, not just for best price, but a reputable shop. I hear to many horror stories about shoty work.