Alright, I gotta replace the rack and pinion on my 1997 Chevrolet Venture, how hard would it be to replace and if it is worth it, should I do it.

Acording to alldata. You need to lower the rear engine cradle (frame) down. You have two bolts that hold it to the frame. The two tie rods to disconnect. The power steering lines. The steering shaft and when you do that you need to make sure steering wheel does not spin. If it does it can damage the airbag coil assembly. It says once its all loose you take it out the left side wheel opening. If you should do it or not is whether or not you have done any major work before. If you have someone that has that could help you would be good. Alldata says it is a skill level B job.

Okay, but is it the power steering rack and pinion that is shot or not? The steering shaft turns but the intermediate shaft does not. I had a power steering leak for a quite a while, and I didn't put fluid in it for about 3 months. Is power steering rack and pinion same as rack and pinion? Id rather not replace if it isn't shot, pretty sure it is though. I have a buddy that would help me replace it. I gotta do it, cuz i'd rather not junk the van out cuz it runs like a champ. The power steering rack and pinion is $155 and I also have to replace the power steering pump and reservoir is 58.99. When I get the rack and pinion replaced I get $125.00 back for the core, and I when I replace the power steering pump and reservoir replaced, I get $46.00 back for the core. It'* a heck of a lot cheaper to do it myself than pay an $800 bill when its all said and done. So yeah, I'll end up spending less than $200 when it'* all said and done. let me know please. thank you and I do appreciate all the input a lot.

Are you saying the shaft going to the steering wheel turns but the shaft below dosent?

I turned the steering wheel yesterday and I held onto the shaft that is in the van and that turned, the intermediate shaft does not, and also when I turn the steering wheel it something knocks like its loose or broken. I had my buddy who works at an ASE Certified shop, who is ASE Certified himself came out to where my van is at, and he had me turn the steering wheel and he was looking under the van and he pushed on something and I had no play in the steering whatsoever. When he did that, I could turn my tires a little straighter then they were. I told him to do whatever he did again, and he did that, and he told me that steering wheel shaft turns but the intermediate shaft does not. So yeah, my van is sitting at the same place still it has been there for two weeks now on this coming Monday. Then I called his shop and his boss told me that he told him that the rack and pinion needs to be replaced. So here I sit with no flippin vehicle, wondering wat I could do to fix it. So yeah, let me know please.

definetly a job to performed on a lift with a support to hold the sub-frame while you remove the two rear sub frame bolts. loosen the front sub-frame bolts just a little to allow the lowering of the rear sub-frame. I have a 00 venture, and I will be rebuilding my rack, before too much longer, but i built a motor for it last march, and when we lowered the van back down, to meet the sub-frame, it was a real pain in the *** to reconnect the knuckle!!! It might not be soo bad if you do this from under the vehicle , should take about 2 hours on a lift. any other method will definitly cause you GRIEF BEYOND BELIEF

I have no access to a lift, so me and my buddy are going to be doing the work in a garage. We are going to lift the van up and do it that way. I have to get it fixed, because the van runs too good to scrap it out. So yeah, It will be a job and a half, and there will be a lot of smoking involved and a lot of drinking afterwards.

Hope you got it fixed, yeah it'd be a real PITA without a lift, if not nearly impossible. Just make sure you hold the steering wheel with something when you unbolt the steering shaft. I just loop and buckle the seatbelt through it.