What Is This and How Do I fix it?????

[Bonnell]

Someting different - I was changing the driver-side headlight this morning and I noticed what appears to be a bar/rod that runs across the under side front of the car (well just below the fan level in front of the engine). There is a boot or something on both sides of the car that looks like it slips over the bar (steering rod or something??). The boot on the drivers side looks like it was heated and burned and I can see a shiny steel bar with grease on it. The other boot is intact and I can't see the bar/rod.

What is this thing? How hard is it to replace?

Thanks.

 

[Ken]

Sounds to me to be the steering rack, and one of the boots somehow got fried. Is it leaking?

As for the difficulty in replacing it, you know as well as I that nothing is easy on these things, right? It's not the most difficult, but it ain't the easiest either. :L

 

[Bonnell]

I don't see anything leaking. I'm having odd sounds from the rear end and others on teh forum think it is a u-joint problem I'm having it checked this week. I'll have the boot checked too.

Thanks.

 

[SKIP780]

yea man seems you got a bad boot on your steering rack.no worries-go to the local auto parts store and get a replacement boot.i believe they come split with some snaps to secure it together after instalation.you need to replace that boot what ever it takes or you'l end up replacing the whole rack later on.

 

[Bonnell]

Thanks for the reply. So this is something that can be done by a non-mechanic?

 

[SKIP780]

dont think so

if you got one of those replacement split boots (as the type for cv joints) you can do it yerself.but if ya gotta pull the rack to put on a regular boot it is a job for some-one with experience or their help.i could do it so it aint rocket science.