Almost every single modern car in the world uses rack and pinion steering. Of course, there’s a reason for this. It is a straightforward and practical way of turning the wheels.
However, the power steering racks is a complicated mechanism. That is why if there is a huge problem with the steering, the possibilities are that it will require replacement.
Rack and pinion replacement generally cost less compared to fixing it. The reason for this is that fixing the steering system requires a huge time investment, like toyota etios steering rack price is not cheap, but also not high compare to the fixing cost.
This means that the labor costs will be a lot higher. Also, the complexity of the process means that complete replacement is a much more reliable and safer option.
1 How Much Does It Cost to Replace Rack and Pinion?
In general, you should expect to spend around $1,500 to $2,000 if you want to replace the rack and pinion system of your vehicle.
On average, most car owners would pay about $1,800. However, the price can greatly depend on the model, make, and age of your vehicle. Such as Rack And Pinion 2012 Prius C, which is a popular model in the United States.
Replacing your rack and pinion can be a complex process. Thus, it typically costs more compared to other forms of car repairs.
Aside from that, you should keep in mind that lower-end consumer cars are cheaper to maintain and repair in general.
On the other hand, luxury vehicles will be a lot more expensive to replace. This includes cars from brands such as BMW and Audi.
The costs for labor are a bit difficult to pin down. Replacing the rack and pinion is hard. It needs someone with deep knowledge of car steering systems.
It does not matter where you go. You should expect to pay a premium for a rack and pinion service from a reliable mechanic.
If you want to save money, you should consider checking several various mechanics in your area. A couple of auto repair shops might provide you with a discount if you get a lot of work done on your vehicle at once.
In addition to that, always make sure that you get the service from a reliable and certified mechanic. This will help you know that your car is covered under their warranty policy.
2 Diagnosing a Bad Steering Rack and Pinion
Before you even decide to replace your rack and pinion system, it’s important that you diagnose first to guarantee that the problem is with your steering system.
However, how can you diagnose this part? Well, there are a couple of things you should know.
First of all, you need to conduct a rack and pinion test. This is particularly true when it comes to the tie rods.
Usually, these parts can cause symptoms that you may confuse with a bad power steering racks.
You have to ensure that the ball joints of the outer and inner rod are in excellent shape and don’t have play in them.
After you figure out that the tie rods are in excellent shape, you have to examine the steering rack and pinion next.
Examine the fluid and check its condition in the reservoir. If the fluid is dirty, then it might be the one causing the problem in your vehicle. All you’ve got to do is to get rid of the old fluid and replace it with a new one.
Next, you need to detect any weird sounds that are coming from the rack itself. After that, you’ll have to focus on the steering wheel.
Try to see if the steering wheel feels too stiff and wanders randomly. This is a sign that you’ve got an issue with the rack and pinion gear.
However, the most common indication that you’ve got a problem with your rack and pinion is a leak. Usually, bad steering racks leak.
There are three leakage points you have to look for. The first one can be found where the pinion gear is located. The two other spots are behind the rubber boots at both ends of your steering rack.
When you see these leaks, you can guarantee that your rack and pinion steering system is in need of replacement.
3 What Factors Affect the Cost of Replacing Rack and Pinion?
There are a couple of factors that will influence the overall cost of rack and pinion replacement. However, the most common factors include the age of the car, cost of components, make and model of the vehicle, and mechanic-specific factors.
1) Age of the Car
The age of your car will have a huge impact on the cost of replacing the rack and pinion system. The reason for this is that it’s more complicated to look for components for older cars compared to newer models.
Unfortunately, this difficulty in finding the right components will be reflected in the overall replacement costs.
The age of the car will also influence the labor expenses associated with the repair.
2) Cost of the Steering Rack
A lot of people think that the price of a steering rack is fixed. However, that isn’t the case. Various vendors will offer various prices for the same product.
Thus, it’s always ideal to do your research first to figure out which rack and pinion manufacturer offers the lowest price point for the rack and pinion system.
However, just because you’re searching for the cheaper steering rack supplier does not mean you should ignore quality. Always consider quality as well.
3) Make and Model Your Car
Another major factor that can affect the cost of replacing the rack and pinion system is the make and model of your vehicle.
In general, the rack and pinion system will cost higher if you’ve got a luxury model compared to lower-end consumer cars.
In some luxury models, the average cost of replacement is drastically higher compared to a normal car.
Furthermore, labor costs are usually higher as well since luxury cars are more complicated than standard vehicles.
4) Mechanic-Specific Factors
Compared to other elements of the repair, replacing the rack and pinion isn’t something you should DIY unless you’ve got the right knowledge and skills.
Because of this, you should still expect to pay for labor even after you buy the parts.
Labor expenses are extremely variable. It’s hard to precisely figure out labor expenses since various mechanics will quote differently based on a couple of factors.
These factors include their labor rate, location, and even their level of interest in the job.
Keep in mind that replacing rack and pinion needs a huge understanding of the vehicle’s steering system and a lot of skills as well.
Luckily, you can even the odds in your favor. All you’ve got to do is to do your research and get quotes from various car dealers and mechanics in your region or area.
This will enable you to take advantage of potential discounts and lower pricing. Keep in mind that even if the cost of components is fixed, the labor costs can be inconsistent. Thus, you shouldn’t be scared to look for a better deal.
Fortunately for you, you can easily find contact details for most mechanics if you want to save some time finding out about the various estimates.
Still, when looking for the ideal deal, always consider the reputation of the mechanic. The reason for this is that poor replacement work might end up costing you more and can put you and your car in danger.
4 Other Factors That Affect the Cost of Replacing Rack and Pinion
The rack and pinion system has other components that you’ll probably have to replace when replacing the primary gears.
Here are a couple of the most common extra expenses associated with replacing a rack and pinion steering system.
1) Alignment
If you’re replacing your steering system, then you’ll probably need to have your tires realigned before you can start driving your car again.
Luckily, realignment services are affordable.
For around $75, you can get your tires aligned at your local car repair shop.
2) Power Steering Reservoir Tank
For those who don’t know, the power steering reservoir tank is the component holding the power steering fluid of your vehicle.
As time passes by, your tank can deteriorate, just like the other parts of your vehicle.
Usually, replacing the power steering reservoir tank will cost you around $175.
3) Power Steering Pump
Aside from the lines, the power steering pump circulates lubricant across your steering system.
If you’ve got a modern model of vehicle, you should expect to pay around $100 to $200 for a power steering pump replacement. Aside from that, you’ll also have to pay an extra $200 for labor.
4) Power Steering Lines
The power steering lines distribute fluid to the steering system for lubrication. If you’ve got a poor rack and pinion system, there’s a huge possibility that your power steering lines are in bad condition as well.
The cost to replace your power steering line is around $300 for parts. Then, you should expect to pay an extra $200 for labor.
5) Tie Rods
You will find the tie rods at the end of your steering rack. Thus, if you are planning to replace the entire steering system, it’s a wise move to purchase new tie rod ends instead of reusing the old ones.
The cost of tie rods usually runs around $20 to $100. The price depends on the brand of the component.
If you add all of these extra expenses together, you’re looking at a potential $1,000 additional cost for replacement.
You should expect to spend more than $3,000 in repairs if you are revamping the whole steering system of your vehicle.
5 Indications That You Need to Replace Your Rack and Pinion
If you think that your rack and pinion steering system is in poor condition, there are a couple of signs you need to look for to see if you’re right.
Here are a couple of the most common indications of a poor rack and pinion steering system.
1) Burning Oil Smell
One common indication of a broken steering system is the lingering smell of burning oil. Keep in mind that the oil in your car’s gears can heat and start to smoke.
The smell of burning oil is a bad indication. Thus, if you notice this odor, you should take your car to an auto repair shop right away.
2) Leaking Steering Fluid
Another common indication of a poor steering system is leaking steering fluid. It might be a leaking steering system if you see a pool of fluid under your vehicle.
Almost every steering fluid has a brownish-red color and smells almost the same as fish oil.
3) Grinding When Turning the Wheel
Your rack and pinion system has gear teeth that interlock with each other to fit all the components. If the system is damaged, these teeth become unaligned.
If that’s the case, they will begin to grind against each other. Also, broken gears can scrape against the axles as well.
4) Tight Steering Wheel
Almost every car has a smooth steering action. Thus, one of the clearest indications of a damaged rack and pinion steering system is the difficulty of turning and steering the wheel.
If it takes you a lot of effort to turn your wheel, you should visit an auto repair shop as soon as possible for a rack and pinion test.
6 Is Replacing Rack and Pinion Better Than Repair?
As a car owner, you’re probably wondering if it’s better to simply repair your system instead of completely replacing it. This is particularly true since repairs are often cheaper than replacement services.
Well, that is not the case with the rack and pinion system. According to experts, in general, it is a lot cheaper to completely replace the system instead of repairing it.
The reason for this is that fixing rack and pinion systems is a time-consuming process. Since labor is one factor that affects the overall costs, you might end up spending thousands of dollars on labor alone.
In addition to that, always keep in mind that power steering is an extremely complicated system. Thus, the repair process can also be extremely complex.
This means that there’s a possibility that your system won’t work as reliably or effectively even after repair.
That is why if you’ve got a damaged rack and pinion steering system, the best thing you can do is to simply replace the whole system.
7 Is Replacing Rack and Pinion Worth It?
Without a doubt, rack and pinion replacement is a costly service. As a car owner, you’re probably wondering if it’s worth the cost.
If your vehicle is very old and has been through a lot, it might be difficult to justify spending more than $2,000 to replace the rack and pinion system.
Thus, before you choose to replace your rack and pinion, a lot of experts suggest that you look up the current market value of your vehicle to see how much it is worth.
If your vehicle isn’t worth more than a couple of grand, then it might be a wise move to simply put your money into a new vehicle rather than spending money on repairs and replacement.
On the other hand, if you’ve got a newer model, replacing your rack and pinion can be cost-effective and enables you to get the most out of your vehicle.
8 How to Lower Costs?
If you think that the cost of replacing your rack and pinion is too much, there are a couple of things you can do to lower the cost. Here are some of them.
1) Think About Buying Aftermarket Components
The make and model of your vehicle will affect the cost of replacing your rack and pinion. This is particularly true if you’ve got a luxury car.
Luckily, you can go around this issue by opting for aftermarket components rather than brand-specific components.
Aftermarket parts are made to fit a huge variety of cars. However, the drawback is that they might lead to a couple of minor design changes since the car’s specific rack and pinion manufacturer doesn’t make them.
2) Buy Refurbished or Remanufactured Components
Without a doubt, the cost of components takes up a huge portion of the replacement costs. Luckily, you’re not required to purchase new components.
You can choose to buy remanufactured or refurbished components, readily available from almost every steering rack supplier.
3) Replace the Rack and Pinion on Your Own
If you’ve got a bit of knowledge about the steering system of your car, you can save a lot of money if you do the job yourself.
This is particularly true if you already have experience replacing or fixing the rack and pinion system of your vehicle.
Unfortunately, this is only a practical option if you’re adept at repairing these components and have done it successfully before.
Keep in mind that DIY projects can lead to further damage if you don’t know what you’re doing. Thus, if you aren’t sure of your ability to do the job properly, you might want to skip this option.
9 Conclusion
These are all the things you should know about replacing your rack and pinion. As you can see, it was a bit expensive.
However, choosing to ignore this problem isn’t ideal since you’re compromising the safety of your passengers and yourself.
The Previous Articles:
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How To Rebuild A Steering Rack?
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Rack And Pinion System Vs Power Steering System: What Are The Differences?
Power Steering Rack Market Analysis Report (Japan Market)
What Causes Steering Rack to Go Bad?
Design Of Car Rack And Pinion Steering Racks
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