About how much should labor cost on replacing rack and pinion ?
I agree with kevusaborn. When you take your car to a mechanic and have a service preformed, you are not paying him merely an hourly rate + parts. What the mechanic charges you is his rate x the amount of suggested hours it can take to perform the job. This value comes from a catalog that recommends how many hours it takes to to a specific repair. Then, of course there is an up-sell on the parts and this differs from each shop to the next. So if the mechanic does the job in 2 hours (it will take longer) but the book says four hours then instead of you paying 2(hours) x $90 you will probably be paying 4(hours) x $90. At least you bought the part in advance to avoid any up-sell. As long as your family members mechanic is reliable, I would take it to him. I have never felt comfortable taking my automobiles to Pep Boys and if the choice was only between the two, I would roll the dice on the family members mechanic anyways. If he is questionable, keep in mind that he may not be insured and his return policy may be "you get what you get and you don't throw a fit" so definitely think it through. Part of why you tend to pay more for a more "official" mechanic is because if they do an improper install or break something in the process; the shop covers the damage. I would still lean on the family members mechanic, especially if he comes highly recommended. Although people inappropriately stake their reputation on products and services at an ever increasing rate these days, a referral from a friend is always a good sign. I hope this helps. Good Luck!
How much does a rear differential cost to get replaced?
As everyone here says, you dont give enough info to answer accurately. To start though, for every model car there has been published a suggested time for a competent mechanic in a shop to r+r (remove and replace) or otherwise service all the parts in a car, that information also gets collected and put into aftermarket books available online. You can start by calling a dealer for the car you have and asking the book time to do the job- that will be a number of hours- that you multiply by the hourly rate to get a cost. I see 4 hrs mentioned, that is by no means standard across all models!As differential gears usually last the life of a car, buying the assembly used is likely a reasonable option, swapping out the whole unit is usually a much less technically demanding job that can be accomplished by casual mechanics, correctly assembling and shimming the internal gears should be done by an experienced shop.I see some have answered assuming it is a solid axle car, lots of modern cars have IRS (independent rear suspension), so the hours of required labor needed are all over the place.
What is a rack and pinion? How much does it cost to replace?
It is a toothed rod that engages with the pinion of the steering shaft.Rack and pinion replacement costs can vary greatly from make to make. Labour can also be costly . Anywhere from 2 to 4 hours or occasionally more.At my shop we prefer to sell brand new units as rebuilt ones are mostly crap, but that is more costly. Also, after replacing a rack you must also perform an alignment.Flushing the lines in a power steering system and installing an inline filter is recommended after the replacement is done.
How much does it cost to replace a tie rod?
As with many of the More Useful Answers already left here (some are just snide remarks from people who feel better about themselves when talking down to others!) it really depends on the vehicle & the specific part in question.There are “Tie-Rods” & “Tie-Rod Ends”, then there are Inner & Outer Ends, also Left & Right. So, you must know which component needs to be replaced. Once you have established which one you need, most retail auto parts supply stores have online websites to assist you with the part lookup.If you are mechanically-inclined, you should be able to replace the part yourself, come away from the job with a sense of accomplishment & some extra coin in your pocket! Of course there will be Tools required, Direction & your Time. (Purchase a Haynes or Chilton’s Service Manual for your vehicle… there are also Videos Online to assist you visually.)Unless there has been Physical Damage (Car Accident, Curb Collision) & your vehicle steering is out of alignment, requiring Alignment Service at a Repair Shop, you can avoid this added expense if you make the repairs yourself; When I am replacing a Tie-Rod End on a vehicle which is within Alignment Standards for Steering & Tracking, I clean the threaded areas of the rod with a Wire Brush to remove any buildup or corrosion, then apply a light coat of Aerosol Spray Paint to the area. Once dry, I will remove the part to be replaced, leaving a definite line so I know the reassembly limit for the new component. With everything reconnected & properly torqued, job is complete & no alignment is required.Bottom Line: Unless you are working on an Exotic (Ferrari, Porsche, Rolls/Bentley, BMW, etc) a single Outer Tie-Rod End should cost you no more than $40. Most newer cars have Power-Assist Steering Racks & the Inner Tie-Rods are contained within the Steering Rack, making it much more expensive & labor-intensive, meaning it should be replaced by a shop unless you are an accomplished technician.Best of luck, I hope this is helpful!
How can I tell if I have a bad CV joint?
Grease coming out of a small crack or tear is the early sign of the CV joint boot failing. If the damage is bigger, you might see dark grease splattered on the inside of the wheel rim and around the area inside of the drive wheel like in the photo.If a car is continued to be driven with a damaged CV joint boot, the CV joint will wear out and eventually fail. A most common symptom of a badly-worn outer CV joint is a clicking or popping noise when turning. Usually the noise gets louder when accelerating in turns. In worst cases, a badly-worn outer CV joint can even disintegrate while driving. This will make your car undriveable.Inner CV joints failures are rare. One of the symptoms of a failed inner CV joint is shudder or side-to-side shake during acceleration. A worn-out inner CV joint may also cause clunking when shifting from Drive to Reverse.
I am thinking of buying a 1997 Cadillac Deville Conours in excellent condition for only 1500.00!?
First thing you should consider before buying this is whether that car with that engine from that year is known for blowing head gaskets. Because if so, and there isn't a fix available, you're just going to end up having to do it again. If not, if it was just a fluke, or if it can be permanently fixed, then sure, go for it. Depending on how much stuff has to be removed to get the head off, and how much other stuff you replace (might as well do: all belts, including timing, maybe the water pump, plus any work the head may need), it could be anywhere from the high hundreds of dollars to the low thousands. But the price is right, considering that possibility. I mean there is almost no way this car will top 5000 bucks, worst case, to get everything into good working order, if everything else is in good shape. And it'll probably be less than 4000. Not a bad deal, if you're willing to deal with the hassle of fixing it or getting it fixed. Oh, and I'd recommend against getting a new engine. If you ever decide to sell the thing, "new engine!" looks a lot more suspicious in an ad than "replaced head gasket."
I'm considering buying a Cadillac CTS, how are they in the snow? ?
car's RWD, which is one of the worst performer in the snow. You definitely need snow tire, but even with snow tire good luck.
How long does a Cadillac Northstar 32 valve v8 engine last?
This is a can of worms that can depend on a lot of different factors. The Northstar is very infamous for its head issues; Heads would crack and warp leading the cars to overheat and need very expensive repairs done to them. 1999 was the year that was the most prone to it, but every year had a chance of it happening.However, some people have had tons of luck with their cars due to intensive care being taken on their car. I’ve heard stories of Cadillacs lasting hundreds of thousands of miles because of it. Apparently, they’re engines that like to be run hard, so with that in mind, and the occasional check-up, you may come out fine.Its also crucial to note that while GM never really released a recall or definitive fix for the issue, Cadillac did try to fix it in subsequent model years. They redesigned some components in 2000 and 2005 which increased reliability, and the longitudally mounted RWD Northstar released in 2005 (found in the SRX, STS, and XLR), is far more reliable than the transverse mounted FWD unit (found in the Deville, Seville, etc). There are also aftermarket companies, such as Northstar Performance, who have a proven fix to the issue. It costs a few thousand, but it would give you a definite piece of mind.So, it’s really down to how you treat the car in the end. Take care of it and it’ll take care of you.
How do I bypass power steering pump and completely get rid of it?
What do you mean when you say that the pump can't be repaired or replaced? If it's a matter of not being able to afford to fix it or you can't get the parts, then you are probably going to be without a truck for a while until you can get it fixed properly. While it may technically be possible to do away with the power steering, it is most likely going to be more difficult and more expensive than making repairs (if you want it to be safe at all).Vehicles that have power steering simply aren't designed to be driven without it. You will cause damage to other steering components such as the rack or gearbox. Not only that, but vehicles are geared differently now. The steering on a non powered vehicle was designed to function without hydraulics. Without power, a modern system's steering radius is affected greatly, they literally can't turn as far without power.The heavier the vehicle, the harder it is to steer without power. In particular, I would not attempt to drive any pickup(or larger vehicle) on the road without power steering. There's simply to much risk.There are only two times when I would even consider driving a vehicle with failed power steering:In an emergency. Either I need to get the vehicle home, or I need to get someone to a hospital and have no other options.It's a farm vehicle, the only thing I use it for is moving a few tools around a field.I've had to move two modern vehicles with failed power steering. The first was a Honda Civic that wouldn't run. We dragged it about ten miles with me steering the car. It was really hard to turn at all, and that was with a fairly lightweight car. Afterwards it felt like I'd spent the entire day weightlifting, just from a short drive.The other vehicle was my friend's Dakota pickup. I went out with him to get the truck. The pump had failed and we needed to get it back to his house so that we had space and tools to work with. We got it started, he hopped in to drive, and I followed in my car. I followed him right up until he plowed into a tree on a particularly sharp turn. He simply couldn't make the turn without power steering. He ended up with a tow bill, body shop bill, the repair bill for the pump, and a hospital visit on top. That's why I will never recommend doing away with power steering on a vehicle.
What are some of the things that can happen if I keep driving my car with a broken tie rod?
Tie rods have an adjustment that keeps your tires in alignment. They also provide the link between your steering wheel and the front tires. You turn the wheel, the tire rod pushes the tires left and right.Worn tie rods can cause shaky front wheels, misaligned front tires, imprecise steering, excessively worn tires. A broken tie rod would allow one tire to flop to the side causing instant loss of steering and a crash if you are going fast enough.A least, you will be wearing out your tires much faster than you should. You will be replacing those tires sooner than later.At most, a worn tie rod could cause an accident because your steering isn’t accurate.If you are still driving your car, you don’t have a broken tie rod. You may have severely worn tie rods if your front tires are wearing unevenly (can be caused by a poor alignment as well), aligning the front end doesn’t fix your tire wear problem, or your steering wheel wobbles while you drive.They aren’t that expensive to replace and much less expensive than adding a new set of tires to that cost or an accident.