ok so i have this boot thing comming out if my drivers side wheel, i know its not the axels, so the only thing i could figure it to be is the Steering Rack & Pinion. the problem is that the boot is torn and so i guess i have to replace the whole piece. im not exactly sure if this is the part i need, so if there is anything else that connects to the wheel that has a boot besides the axels and Steering Rack & Pinion, please let me know.

if it is the Steering Rack & Pinion, is it a hard part to change? and how dangerous is it to be driving with a torn Steering Rack & Pinion boot? whats the worse that could happen, i really have no clue what this part is for, i have never heard of it failing before. i see some on ebay for 100 after shipping and handling. if anyone has replaced this part before and can offer some advice, it would be appreciated.

 

Any boot simply keeps dust and moisture (contaminants) out of the moving parts. Without the boot it will somply wear out quicker. Is this inboard or outboard on the steering? Is it at the wheel or underneath the car?

Either one just keeps out dust and most moisture... similar to the boot on a shock absorber. The moving parts will simply wear out quicker... especially in a either a sandy or wet environment. The steering will pregressivly looser (sloppy) until after a long period of time (months?) it would finally begin to feel unstable at freeway speeds. Tire wear will dramatically increase as it gets worse... and steering will be less precise.

You'll need ot remove the tie rod to change the boot...which means you'll then need to get a front end alignment afterwards.... that's the probably the most expensive part of the repair.

 

I just recently got my steering rack & pinion replaced about a month ago. The driver side boot was leaking like crazy. Although everything was working fine, the steering did feel loose like Motoguy said especially on the freeway. I got a friend that owns a car shop so he just charged me for the parts which was around $500 from a Honda dealer. The difference was night & day, the steering feels a lot tighter now.

 

does anyone know if i can do this myself or do i need custom tools. the part looks pretty simple to install, i only see about 4 mounting points. the thing that worries me is that there seems to be a cylinder type thing on the top of the assembley that probably connects to the power steering pump or perhaps a hose. i hope its simple, but if anyone has any clues to the install or removal...