I notice that 10+ old subarus often have split boots on the power steering arms. The dearership response to this is to replace the entire fixture, wheel to wheel for about $600.

 

What is the downside when these boots split. And is there anyway to temporarily repair them without spending a lot of money.

Easy - simply replace the boots. It's just a boot - replace it. Very easy to do I might add.

 

Another guy recently quoted $220 for a dealer to do this. Costs about $20 for the boot and doesn't take that long.

 

Ignore your dealer. That is not a typical response - most dealers simply replace the boots.

Dirt and grit gets into the steering rack and inner tie rod ends and causes them to wear. These aren't all that difficult to replace, there are even boots that can be put on without even removing the outer tie rod end.

Ive heard of people wrapping various types of tape around the boots to keep some of the dirt out while a replacement part is ordered. I would guess duct tape might work fairly well, but will not last long term because of the proximity to the exhaust header.

I hit the yard and pull the newer plastic style of boot. It works great.

 

Jack the car

Center punch the outter Tie rod nut and tie rod for alignment.

Unscrew the outter tie rod - you don't have to take it off just sping the shaft.

Take a coat hanger or welding rod and put it up against the nut, which you just backed off a 1/4 turn and then bend the other end over the shaft. Now you know were to put the nut after the boot replacement.

 

Pull the boot clamps, remove the old boot and clean things up as good as you can.

 

Put new grease in the inner tie rod pivot

Install the new boot

Put the nut back on in the same position

Screw the outter tie rod back on and then tighten the nut so the punch marks line back up.

Install the outter boot clamp.

 

That's it. Sometimes I drop the exhaust for better access to the inner boot area.

i change them dayly i get the bellows from the dealer about 30 $ and a half hour to install only trick is to crank stering all the way to lock and use a small pick and burp the air out or will not hold shape right

i change them dayly i get the bellows from the dealer about 30 $ and a half hour to install only trick is to crank stering all the way to lock and use a small pick and burp the air out or will not hold shape right

 

 

how do you do this?