I have rack and pinion steering on a 2002 Aurora. Should it be replaced if I heard a popping sound?

I heard a popping sound and took it to Firestone. They told me I need the steering replaced and replaced the rack and pinion steering, but people tell me that it is too soon. My 2002 Aurora only has 25000 miles on it. I'm still hearing the popping sound and I have to take it back tomorrow. I need help! Any suggestions? Thank you!|||It looks like Fireblown has taken you for a ride. Also, I believe that there is a recall on some models involving the steering rack but I can't recall if your model is included. Check with GM to see if there's any recall on your steering rack.





It would be more likely that a tie-rod or a ball joint would make this noise. Occasionally the strut bearings will create this but only after 100K (miles). If the car was ever in an accident they need to know this too. However, I would sooner suspect an outter CVJ (constant velocity joint) than the steering rack or ball joints or strut bearings. The outter CVJ's take much more punishment as they do all the twisting and turning and bouncing over every bump and crack in the road all while you are accelerating.





Rather than replace just the one CVJ joint, a better fix is to replace the whole "short shaft" (nick-name for the driveshaft(s) on a front wheel drive car) as the labor is less to pull the whole shaft and replace it with either a new or rebuilt short shaft and you have a decent warranty (lifetime) on the part.





If the car has ever been wrecked or run over a curb or hit something in the road then it is important to relay this information to the guys at Fireblown.





Good Luck!|||it maybe axle going out to but cvj or cvboot can be bad on it

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|||If this is a front wheel drive, the popping noise you hear is a CV Joint, not the rack and pinion...You can test it by going to an open parking lot, drive slowly streight and then turn the wheel hard left and right listening out the OPEN window, if it pops, while turning, its a CV Joint..........Make them give you your money back.....#######|||Listen to elmerfud...he is right.