steering replacement help

[s4983]

took my car in to get new rims mounted, and was told i need a new rack & pinion because mine's leaking slightly.

what the hell.

they said $600 to replace it.... what should i do.

is that a good price? is there some kind of upgrade?

[BobbyZ72]

Re: uhhh now what

$600 becuase of a small leak....i would just keep an eye on it, and top it off now and then

[T-Mill]

Re: uhhh now what

Yea some shops will say that something is bad, and it may be, but it might not be too bad, if anything, go to another shop and having a steering and suspension evaluation, Sears does them for free. Get a second opinion, if it's bad enough to replace, they'll let you know. I worked at Sears and at the one I worked at, our mechanics were very honest with the customers, they'd let you know whether it was something that needed immediate replacement or whether it was something that you should just keep an eye on. I realize that not all shops will be this honest with you, so get a few opinions before you shell out 600 bones.

[Camaro Dom]

Re: uhhh now what

ok, listen to me. i JUST went thru this. first, grab a can of carb cleaner and spray the **** outta everything that could leak. the hose connections on the pump, the steering shaft input on the rack, the lines on the rack, the boot connectors so that everythign is nice 'n clean. let it dry and go to the dealership and get a little bottle of indicator dye. it comes in a bottle about the size of a thing of chapstick. pour that in your reservoir and wait a few days to a week. grab a blacklight and at night shine it under the hood. if its leakin the indicator will light right up. the indicator costs like 5-10 bucks maybe and it wont hurt anythign to leave in there.
if the rack IS leakin, i got mine for 175 with a 75 core from a good dealership around me. i put it in myself but the labor on it is about 2.1 hours. $80/hr. for labor says 168 for total labor. the most you should wind up paying is around 300-350. it took me a good 8 hours but i hadnt done it b4 and took a few breaks. also, i forgot to factor in like 40 bucks because you'll have to get it aligned afterwards. if you do it just make sure you put the steering wheel STRAIGHT and find some way to lock it that way. otherwise you'll drive around and the wheel will be all cocked to one side when ur going straight.
all told i'd say about 375 for the whole job alignment and all