Inner tie rod replacement - 2012 Honda CR-v - to drop, or not to drop, the rack that is.....

Any one have the scoop on replacing the inner tie rod end. Went for an inspection, failed.... Any way, the shop stated the book states the steering rack has to come out to replace the inner tie rod, the tech thinks he can do it with out dropping the rack, the difference is 4 hours of labor, per their book.

The high temp today did not quite make it to 30, and I am sure my garage floor is less than that so I am going to have the shop do it. I just dont want to be in for a surprise when I go pick it up as I was when they told me it was bad, 52K highway miles driven by parents in their mid 60s.

Thanks, Steve

Pretty simple: You don't have to drop the rack. You can rent/borrow the inner tie rod tool from auto parts store (Autozone, etc.). 1. remove the outer tie rod 2. measure and mark the length from the tip of the outer tie rod to the end of the threads of the inner tie rod to keep the alignment close to spec (google for clearer instructions/pictures). 3. remove the 2 clips for the boot. The 1 on the rack end is harder to take off without breaking it, so either be careful or have a replacement on standby. 4. using the tool, remove the inner tie rod. 5. reverse steps for installation. get an alignment afterwards.

make sure you get your torque specs and properly torque your nuts/bolts.

Yep. With the tool it is a very easy fix