Not sure what the part is called....the rubber boot between steering gear and tie rod is split. How important is it to fix this immediately? Is this something that can be done while having an alignment done? How much should I expect to pay to have this done? Is it hard to do myself? (bearing in mind I have zero mechanical aptitude)

Thanks

John

 

I call it a rubber boot but the technical name is bellows.

The bellows is supposed to be filled with oil and should be replaced as soon as possible. I do not know what it would cost as I live in the UK but it is a straightforward job. It means releasing the ball joint and unscrewing it from the steering rod. Remove the old bellows and replace with the new. It is clamped at both ends. The large end is clamped first then 0.4 US pints of engine oil (20w-50 or 20w-40) is pushed in the smaller end with an oil gun and the clamp replaced.
Everything is put back together and the alignment must be checked.

 

Thanks. I guess I'll get it done when I do the alignment in a few days.

John (of Weybridge)

 

It is pretty easy.

They do not have fluid in them. But the boot is there to keep dust and Dirt out to prevent the Seals from going bad.

 

Thank you (again)

 

Having researched how to replace the boot, I'm not sure I have the tools (or mechanical aptitude) to do so. A guy at work tells me there is a steering rack boot that can be installed without undoing the tie rod. You basically cut off the old one and put the new one around the joint rather than threading the tie rod through it. Has anyone heard of such a thing? If so, where can I find it?
Thanks

 

I wouldn't bother with one of those they will fall off to easy.

 

Where can I get one of these universal boots for steering rack? (I have found them for CV joint but not steering rack). I don't have the tools to do the job "properly" and it looks fairly difficult , especially considering the effect it might have on alignment. I figure a universal boot has to be better than doing nothing. Any thoughts?

 

orry I haven't ever seen them maybe someone else has.

 

If you CAREFULLY break the tie rod nut, unscrew the tie rod end counting the number of turns so you can put it exactly back where it was then you can replace the bellows with no need of doing an alignment. Just be careful to get it right.

 

Thanks. I need an alignment anyway so maybe I'll just replace the boot myself and then get the alignment I needed.

 

I'm not sure I like the idea of "breaking" anything. Do I need special tools to do this? Is this something a person with average mechanical skills can do? Do I need to put grease inside it?