Rack and pinion or tire rod boot

Hey guys just brought my 2002 toyota tacoma in today for service and they said i needed to replace my rack and pinion. So i looked under the truck and i saw a rip in the passenger tire rod boot Does this require whole rack and pin replacement or? Thanks for hearing me out

 

The tie rod boots can be taken off and are replaceable without the rack off. You will need to take off that outer tie rod though to get to the boot.

 

Thanks for the info they were gonna charge me like $1500 dollars for rack an pin replacement. The driver side looks good though. Idk why they would tel me to replace the whole thing

 

Because they take advantage of people.. personally I don’t trust anyone with my baby

 

This’ll give you an idea of the unit and how it fits together:

https://youtu.be/wZoRP5ogrK0

I fing hate service writers and mechanics who pull that bullshit.

 

Are you needing to add Fluid to the Power Steering on a daily basis ??

The whole underside of the truck is covered in ATF from the leak??

Friends no longer allow you to park in their driveway or close to their house then you might have a problem.

Two new boots clean things up a Front end Alignment a nice easy $1500.00.

A Honest Shop that does good work is so hard to find and most are booked at least a week out because of that.

 

I have not personally put power steering fluid because i just bought the truck like 2 days ago and i Don't see any leak spots under the truck but i will replace it as soon as possible. I can do it myself its just the tools that are needed for the job. Thanks for the info again guys i appreciate it so much

 

Wyoming09 is right.

If you buy a brand spankin' new rack from Toyota it will cost between $575 and $750 including shipping. I think the jobber shop book states 2.5 hours to replace a rack. So figger $250 for labor. An alignment (toe-in only) costs around $60, so you would be saving $400-$500 if you go that route. Something to think about!

 

@ skeezix thanks for the info brother i will be leaning towards buying one from AutoZone they said it will cost around the 250-350 range. The truck had one owner and 113k miles currently on it. I bet its the original rack and pinion lol. Can't wait to start on this project.

 

hold your horses OP. first, dont buy a new rack from autozone. second, you just bought it 2 days ago? relax and drive the thing for a few weeks and see what you really need to do. if your steering rack bellows is torn, you def need to replace that. If you leave that torn, only a matter of time before that rack DOES need to be rebuilt. I took my new to me 2004 4x4 in for an alignment at mavis and they tried to sell me a new rack too. Just be aware that its (unfortunately) standard practice for dubious shops to try and upsell you on new parts and the labor associated with it. Most people have no clue what they're even talking about and just do it because they think their car will explode next week if they dont. Where are you located? Under ur truck looks really clean and you say only 113k miles? Thats pretty low mileage. Drive it for a while and start off on some small easy projects to get your confidence up. I dont recommend starting your home wrenching career with a steering rack replacement.

go to HF, get some tools, and watch some Timmy videos and enjoy the truck. this forum is a godsend for home mechanics.

 

As long as there's no fluid in the boots you're ok. The boots are there to protect the seals inside. If fluid is in the boots then the seals have started to fail and you will need to start thinking about a new rack.

All the more reason to replace that boot though so dirt and debris doesn't compromise your seals. I had a tear in mine and just put silicone over it to patch it, held up so far

 

Don't go buying anything and those shop guys can take a long walk off a short pier. Look at the PS fluid reservoir, you could assess from there if it's worth even addressing the PS system in any way.

 

lol long walk off a short pier.
Thats good.

 

@ cast718 yes i did buy the truck two days ago and the person i bought it from was the original owner and im guessing thats the original rack and pinion from 2002 cause everything looks original in the truck. So far all i have seen is the boot looks wet but it might be from debris or something. I have not seen actual fluid seeping out from it to the ground. I have changed a cv axle on my 2015 tacoma but never have i done a rack and pinion before. Ill just start off small like you said lol i think im going to start by changing my rotors and brake pads first. Thanks for the tip! I know these guys be over charging me. And timmy videos are awesome! Ive been watching it these past days!

 

@ eon blue. Yeah brother it looks like power steering fluid or it might be wet from debris or something. Im going to look at it further and the driver side looks great. How long do you think before it goes totally bad? So far i havent had to put any PS fluid in it yet

 

Also another question. Does it require an alignment if i ever plan to replace it?

 

basically anything that relates to either tie rod, steering rack, or lower control arm requires an alignment. not so for the shocks or sway bar.

 

When touching any of the suspension you should get a alignment. Shocks too

 

Thanks for the helpful information bros!!!!

 

@Allex95 how is replacing your shocks going to mess with your alignment?