HELP rack and pinion problems

[lpeezy]

hey all really need some help with this one.... had my oil change done yesterday and everything checked, and the guy said that im having rack problems, that the whole system needs to be replaced soon or else, i have had to keep filling it up with power steering fluid.... do i get a used rack or a new one, he said it would be about 1000 dollars to fix, if its that expensive i just may have to sell the car...lemme know if you guys have any ideas. also if i buy a used one, how hard are they to install.... any help is much appreciated...

[SEXICÄN]

a mech or dealer are always going to rape you on price, i would search around like vwparts.com and places like that for a rack before taking it to a mech to do the job for you. If you can find and buy the part for a mech then the cost till lower. Would be even cheaper if you could do it yourself.

Just an FYI, Lew Schwab(a tire/repair place) wanted to charge me $900+ to change my rotors and brakes. I did it myself and only spent $275

[hodgeac]

$1000 is about right for a rack replacement...I know, mine is being replaced next thursday. If you would like to save a hundred bucks or so, get a remanufactured rack, but personally I would just get a new one and pay the money. The labor on this job is about 5 hours...for a professional mechanic. If you can deal with driving without power steering, then dont bother fixing the rack. According to Jeremy@Matrix his brother drove around for a while with a completely shot rack...it's not fun to drive, but it wont do any harm. Just be prepared to do some heavy workout trying to turn the wheel at low speeds. Personally, I decided to just bite the bullet and get the rack replaced.
-Alex