Steering rack rubber boot torn- Advice?

**Ange** · 06-20-2015, 12:48 PM

Was under the car today and noticed my PS steering rack boot was torn completly.

Can I replace it with the steering rack still mounted? Prefer not to remove the whole rack seems like a PITA. But the crossmembers is kind of in the way so IDK if I can get at it even.

Anyone who have done this and has some advice to give would be great thanks

**lawdogg** · 06-20-2015, 12:56 PM

You can get a new boot cheap from a parts store. To replace it, you need to remove the inner tie rod which isn't that hard. Autozone / NAPA / Oreilly should have a free tool rental program with the inner tie rod socket you'll need.

It won't seem like it will fit, but if you roll it on like a condom (if you don't know how to do that, ask your kid) it will fit.

The part I used is on the left, you can see how the end looks smaller than the stock one.

**Ange** · 06-20-2015, 01:05 PM

That was fast

Thanks man appreciate it!

**Ange** · 06-20-2015, 01:09 PM

Btw. Anything special to think about when removing the tie rod? Never done it

nvm found a good vid explaining

**Jimvr4** · 06-20-2015, 03:30 PM

Hey Ryan you don't have to remove the inner tie rod you only have to remove the tie rod end.

Undo the clamp around the steering rack and you can slide the boot pieces right over the inner tie rod no problem.

Stock steering boots fit best I would use those.

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**Ange** · 06-20-2015, 04:50 PM

Originally Posted by Jimvr4

Hey Ryan you don't have to remove the inner tie rod you only have to remove the tie rod end.

Undo the clamp around the steering rack and you can slide the boot pieces right over the inner tie rod no problem.

Stock steering boots fit best I would use those.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

Haha. Just now found your thread from 2010 on the other 3s site now after making this thread...

All the questions I wanted answered was in there ofc.

Btw. What's the part # for oem boot?

**Jimvr4** · 06-20-2015, 04:52 PM

Originally Posted by Ange

Haha. Just now found your thread from 2010 on the other 3s site now after making this thread...

All the questions I wanted answered was in there ofc.

Btw. What's the part # for oem boot?

Did you find this one? Yeah the part # is in there too

Steering Boots

**Ange** · 06-21-2015, 02:48 AM

Originally Posted by Jimvr4

Did you find this one? Yeah the part # is in there too

Steering Boots

I found the forum thread, but that's better

I'll get new tie rod ends as you did they're pretty cheap anyways.

I think both these part numbers works for the boots anyways:
MB350581
MB501711

Originally Posted by Alan92RTTT

As I found out,if you have larger hands you will need to find a friend with small hands to get the boot into place.(Thanks again JeremyC) I can not even get finger tips to then end of the rack where the boot has to go.

Thanks for the tip I have pretty large hands too, will bring GF then ^^

**lawdogg** · 06-20-2015, 03:38 PM

Oh yeah I guess Jim's right. The boot will slide right over the inner rod. Much easier than what I was thinking! In terms of a how-to, yeah it's pretty simple just hold the inner with a wrench and spin the outer off. Make sure you mark the position and put it back in the same location so you don't mess up your alignment. You might need to hit it with pb blaster first.