Subaru - Outback :: 2000 - Replacing Ball Joint And Steering Rack Boots
Jul 5, 2011
Our 2000 Subaru Outback has just over 200k. We want a vehicle that is safe, but do not want to put a lot of money into this. At the last service the dealership said the left ball joint boot and power steering rack boots need to be replaced and the rear differential bushings are broken or loose. All of this would be > $1000 to repair. They said that the ball joint could get dirty and fail catastrophically and be a safety issue. Is that right or will the steering start to feel rough beforehand? Can we drive it safely?
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I get told that both of the front Upper Ball Joint Boots are cracking. Replacement was recommended.
It has 95k miles and never raced - 1999 LS model.
Is this normal on Acura Integra's? Has double whisborne suspension. Should I use Honda part?
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I just noticed that the upper ball joint boots for both uppers are dry rotted and torn! Only 40k miles and the boot falls apart when I touch any portion of it. Is this normal, so much for quality?
Anyway my question is how hard is it to R&R them and do I have time? IOW will the ball joint wear out really fast?
Rust bubbles front of hood both corners, the tranny thing, now the ball joints all within 40k miles. rear glass trim breaks and falls off.
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The steering rack on my 2009 Sonata was previously replaced under warranty but now it start to leak seriously.from the two boots at the ends of the steering rack ends. Is it possible to replaced seals only where it leaks?
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What would cause noise grinding type and feeling after having axles/boots replaced this morning on my 2005 Outback.Car seems noisy and vibrating
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I have a 2008 Outback and I just got news from my repairman that says there is a leak in the head gasket and one of my axle boots is cracking. The axle boot is not the major concern, but is it worth it to spend $ to get it fixed or should I say "Hasta La Vista" and look into buying a new car? I hit a deer and thoroughly damaged the front end about a year and a half ago and I am not sure if that has "shakin' things up".
I currently have about 85K miles on the car. I don't mind repairing the car if it doesn't turn into the Money Pit.
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I have a 2001 Ford Excursion. I had all 4 ball joints replaced and now I am experiencing poor steering and drivability. While driving in town and on the freeway I am constantly having to correct the steering. The car wants to dart to the right and then dart to the left. It will not drive straight for very long. Constant steering correction is very tiring, especially on long trips. Need to understand what is happening to my vehicle. What can I do to remedy the problem? The steering was not near as bad before the ball joint replacement.
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My 2004 f250 ball and u joint replacement job is at a bit of a stand still. Tore it down, brought the knuckle and axle shafts to an ex mechanic I know, because he has a 20 ton Harbor freight shop press. He mostly used a hammer, bashed out the old ball joints (I already had removed the u joints). U joint turned out fine.
I did notice the upper ball joint protruded a very slight bit on one side in the knuckle, meaning you could feel with your finger on the underside of the joint and on the one side it is not exactly flush with the interior of the knuckle. I would say it protrudes no more than a thirty second or so.
I brought it home, installed the boots on the moog joints, (the bottom was unusually difficult to put on), greased the joints and hung the knuckle on the axle tube, by a few turns on the lower joints nut. I then inserted the camber sleeve on the top stud, torqued the bottom to 49 fp then the top to 67 and finally the bottom to 150. End result, very stiff movement on the knuckle. No tie rod attached, and it takes to hands to move it from the "stopped" position,(turned all the way). I am sure it is stiffer than when I did the other side.
I tried loosening the nuts completely, same stiffness. I redid the torque sequence, no change. Tried hammering the ears around where the joints seat no improvement. The fellow who installed into the knuckle came and took a look. He agreed the knuckle was stiffer than you would hope, but, he suggested Putting it all together, as he believed they would loosen up before too long. I am not sure whether to try that, or remove the knuckle now, and redo with new joints. Pros and cons to either approach.
My question is : Does a knuckle become more sketchy by the time it is dealing with the pressing of a third set of ball joints? If I finish the install now, will a stiff knuckle action lead to other mechanical wear within a thousand miles or so, while I wait to see if they loosen up?
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I believe that I have a leaking CV joint boot in my 2006 Outback. Occasionally smell something burning. Lifted hood and had some smoke. Saw leak and a friend stuck a finger into a hole in the boot.
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My main concern with this replacement job( I am not doing it), is that the R rack is different that the standard golf rack. is that so?
I have a very good friend and excellent mechanic who said "...it's the part number it gives me." which makes me nervous. I don't want a "less sporty" steering feel.
so are the racks the same? what part number it should be I am having a hard time finding it.
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Took my truck in to get the wheel bearings replaced (driver's side was singing pretty loud). Decided to have the ball joints replaced at the same time since they were still original at 133,000. Got the truck back and the steering is just not right. At high speeds it acts like an old F100 wandering back and forth and the steering is pretty tight when you try to correct the wandering. I have taken it back to Ford and had the alignment checked twice.
They adjusted it slightly and "loosened" the stearing gear box. Truck is better at low speeds but still not right at highway speeds. Ford is telling me there is a "break-in" period for the ball-joints. I don't remember my friends F350 having a break-in period when he replaced his ball joints. Truck tracked fine before the work was done. Tie-rod ends also checked out. Truck is a 99 350 CC SRW 8ft bed.
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as the title indicates i had the pleasure () of changing out my leaking power steering rack - all seamed to go well but right after that i am now getting a constent traction control warning light on my dash - what should i check ?
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My brother crashed his 2000 Ford Ranger Pick up and did some front end damage. The spindle,( steering knuckle) and upper control arm need to be replaced. I told him, WHILE YOU ARE AT IT AND THE TRUCK IS ALL APART, you should replace the ball joints and tie rod ends.AND>>>if you replace one side you should do the other side too. Front end and steering parts should ALWAYS be replaced in pairs. Also get a wheel alignment! My other brother said, don't do that if they are still ok. why pay the extra money for parts you don't need. I said, you can do it cheap, OR,you can do it right. Who is right?
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I recently replaced the struts and strut mounts (front and back) on my 1999 Subaru Outback (all wheel drive). Immediately after this was done, the car began making a grinding noise that comes from the front end when I either am coming to a stop (grinding begins happening at 5mph or so) or turning left (happens at any speed). However, if I am traveling along and, upon approaching a stop sign or left corner in the road, shift the car into neutral (it is an automatic transmission) the grinding does not occur. When I replaced the passenger-side strut I did not mark the position of the bolt that is responsible for adjusting the caliber. I did, however, do this for the drivers side.
I really have no clue what is going on here. I replaced the struts because the rear tires were wearing badly on the inside and I was told by a mechanic that the struts were bad (which they were). However, in an effort to save money I am unsure of how to proceed. If I go ahead and have the tires replaced and get a four-wheel alignment and it doesn't solve the issue, I will likely have to mess with the front end (or someone will anyway) which will then require another alignment.
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I have a 2005 Subaru Outback 2.5 and a while back I had to replace a drive shaft. After replacing it my car goes into limp mode and I get a different random code every time. The car seems to run fine when it is cold but after it warms up it will go into limp mode randomly. If I cost to a stop and shut down the car and wait a while to restart it runs fine. I've tried and researched just about everything thing.
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I bought a brand new 07 Legacy 2.5i sedan at the end of 2006. At 1500 miles the steering was problematic, took it in to the dealer, and by the time they were done, they replaced the entire power steering system. They said the problem was with the power steering rack, which they replaced. I asked if this new part was from the same supplier, so could also be defective, and apparently it is. I am rather alarmed, this is the 1st brand new car I have purchased in 20+ years.
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Heard a funny intermittent rattle and my mechanic told me that my check engine light should be going on any time now as my cat converter is bad. The part is about a thousand bucks! Looked on line and see some aftermarket ones from walker and some other retailers. My car has 103K miles on it,.
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I went to get my tires rotated and the mechanic noticed that the right outboard CV Joint boot on my passat had a little tear in it, but the grease hadn't leaked all out. I replaced both the outboard and inboard CV Joint Boots. Below is a nice link for DIY step by step write up with great pictures.
[URL] .....
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The Honda dealer tells me that both of the van's CV joint boots are torn/leaking. Their recommended solution is to replace both front CV axles at a cost of about $500 per axle.
Is replacing the axle the standard repair when the boot is torn, or is the dealer trying to "over-fix" the problem at a greater cost to me? Can't they just replace the boots (at a lower cost, hopefully)?
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I have a 2000 lexus rx300. the steering rack was replaced 2yrs/20k ago. now, there is very slight seeping of fluid. only noticeable on on the boot and never drips onto the floor. i took it back to the dealer and they said that is normal and after 2yrs it's in very good shape. i question why if the seals are working properly then should i see this?
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1999 Lumina / I need to replace the lower ball joint. The original one is installed by 4 rivets.
According to the factory service manual, you need to use 1/8 drill bit to open a pilot hole, then use a 1/2 bit to finish it.
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