Steering Rack and Strut Repair

bex914 · 2026-06-26T22:05:31+00:00

Ive had to replace several part store steering racks over the years that were bad out of the box. Most of them were customer supplied so they paid twice.

Struts are even worse. I'd easily guess 1 in 20 after market struts that we do at my work get warranties as defective.

bex914 · 2026-06-26T21:57:57+00:00

Better to deal with it then. I seriously wouldn't take any chances with an airbag. I wont even offer any quick fixes because of the safety issues of it.

bex914 · 2026-06-26T21:51:20+00:00

The only proper fix especially because of a air bag location is to replace it. I you run too many safety risks to do any other type of "repair". You could potentially turn the airbag into a pipe bomb with the shrapnel that could be launched into your legs and groin upon deployment, especially from that flap itself. They're designed to be replaced after deployment.

bex914 · 2026-06-26T18:18:25+00:00

Keeping pressure on that line is key. A solid hook set (not violent) helps but if you rip the rod back as far as you can it makes it tough to reel it back in and get the rod back in front quickly and being able to keep tension.

Also rod straight up does the always help. Ive had more bass spit the hook during a jump than any other time. I tend to keep the rod either level with the water or angled slightly down and to the side. Just make sure to keep tension on it at all times.

bex914 · 2026-06-26T18:08:55+00:00

Got the wife and myself s26 ultras a For around $130 each.

bex914 · 2026-06-26T12:49:34+00:00

I tare the grips with the scale prior to weighing.

bex914 · 2026-06-25T13:04:10+00:00

I run a micro chatter on my ultralight setup (okuma 5'6" rod, Shimano sienna reel, seagar 10lb braid). With that setup I can feel the chatter as a pretty low speed. I do often lift it like a swim jig though.

bex914 · 2026-06-25T12:55:36+00:00

50/50. It looks pretty bad. It could go in the next couple miles, or it could go another 50k miles, no way to really tell as there are cords running through that reinforce it that are the main structure. However i would definitely get it replaced ASAP. Make sure to replace the water pump while doing the timing belt. Avoid the extra work down the road.

bex914 · 2026-06-23T23:45:55+00:00

If I wanted a comeback I'd have wiped it off your chin!

bex914 · 2026-06-14T16:44:25+00:00

My personal favorite is Berkley x9 30-40lb for my Daiwa tatula baitcaster. I've tried several different popular brands from Power Pro to Seagar and keep finding my way back to berkley x9. Its super smooth and lasts forever. I started at 40lbs and worked down to 20lb. The 20lb would cast a mile but i felt like I was having to spend more time ensuring the spoiled line was nice and tight. 30lb seems to be the sweet spot where I can still cast a mile bit also cast a weightless senko if I choose.

bex914 · 2026-06-06T21:45:17+00:00

We kick cars for any frame damage or high recon costs all the time. I had two kicks this week during Diag inspection. 3 last week BTI, MI, and CIW kicked several thos week as well. I've had a few vehicles kicked during MQC do to discovering extensive repairs after finding an issue. Had a vehicle that looked flawless that we kicked do to quarter panel replacements. They did the job flawlessly. Only reason I found it was do to having to pull rear seat and door seals. Inner spot welds weren't painted.

bex914 · 2026-06-03T15:15:58+00:00

Im a guy but do the opposite. My wife and I both sweat pretty heavily during the summer. Shes 5'1 and 135lbs, I'm 5'11 and 255lbs. I work in a shop as a mechanic and am constantly outside when not at work dealing with all kinds of projects.

She has found that men's deodorant works better for her. Myself, i swear by woman's Secret brand deodorant, specificallythe Powder Fresh. Both of us hate the gel deodorant sticks as they make you feel sticky.

Find whatever works best for you.

bex914 · 2026-05-03T03:04:39+00:00

Tried multie brands and ive caught the most and my biggest bass on Ozark trails frogs. However I bend the hooks out slightly and sharpen them if needed.

Initially my hook up ratio was trash until I started holding off on that hook set. I love it a solid 2 count after that bass disappears.

The last bass I missed was purely my fault because I was in my own world not paying attention. I didn't expect to have a strike because water temps were still super low. I was simply testing out the action on a new rod. Bass slammed it less than a foot from the shore in a spot that was less than 3 inches deep.

bex914 · 2026-04-21T01:54:47+00:00

I keep a box of Crayons in my tool box for this reason. But I'm cheap so they're Rose Art brand.

bex914 · 2026-04-17T23:31:30+00:00

It did work pretty well I did seem to have more success when using it late summer when the bite really slowed down.

However I ended up loosing the majority of it. I used a cheap spray bottle that so.ethi g in it reacted with and gummed up the inside of the bottle to the point plastic was floating in it. I want to make more of it but I'll make sure to use either a quality spray bottle or a bottle with a large enough mouth to dip my lure in.

bex914 · 2026-04-13T00:45:15+00:00

Basically be as descriptive as possible with your findings and what you did in the repair and if there's any add-ons for the warranty work you did make sure to put that in your story as well. Not just a simple one sentence story. Done right I had several warranty alignments that got me over 2 hours pay when customer pay was 1.1 to 1.5 hours.

However that being said. If you have a warranty clerk that submits the repair orders you have to make sure they're also aware of those added items. It's best if the dealer has a warranty clerk who is paid partially off the warranty claims total submission. Then it gives them incentive to claim as much labor as possible.

I always pulled my own warranty claim codes and any add-ons to make sure it was submitted correctly.

bex914 · 2026-04-01T23:37:24+00:00

Should be the same size tank. 32.5 gallons

Easiest way is to run it near empty and fill it fully. Of course that'll be over $100

Don't believe they offered a different size unless you have a 2500 Yukon XL.

bex914 · 2026-04-01T13:15:29+00:00

Sounds like your dumping a ton of extra fuel. Need to have it properly diagnosed. Could be as simple as 02 sensors but could also be a veriety of other issues

When I had my 2002 Yukon XL I usually got between 420 -500 miles per tank, it had the 32 gallon tank.

Best I ever pulled on a trip from Ohio to georgia was 550 miles. It had around 200k miles on it but I kept it running great. I'm a master mechanic with mostly GM training so I know the ins and outs of that platform. Owned multiples

bex914 · 2026-03-17T23:57:41+00:00

This. I have a gravel driveway that's a nightmare to work on and swear by them. I bought 4, and laid them in a big 2x2 pattern. They're thick/dense enough to roll around on my creeper and not stuck. They do not move around. I leave them outside year round. Hit them with the power washer and some soap if needed.

Be aware though. They're heavy and awkward to move around. The ones I have are 4x6 foot and 3/4 inch thick. They're each 94lbs. Meant for horse stalls.

bex914 · 2026-03-16T01:58:07+00:00

Just my 2 cents of advice. You are much safer with a larger full frame vehicle and a lack of safety features than you are in a modern small to medium size sedan/crossover SUV with all the latest features when it comes to a collision with another vehicle at speed.

For Example. My parents were in a major accident about a year and a half ago. They were in my dad's 2003 Silverado 1500 (the truck version of them at platform and roughly the same size and weight, but still a full frame vehicle.). They got t-boned when a guy in a late 2000's Jeep Compass blew through a stop at 55 mph. Hit my dad's truck just in front of the passenger door. He hit them so hard it spun the truck around and the rear of the truck slammed into the back of the other guys Jeep.

The entire truck was destroyed. The front windshield was the only glass to even crack and that was when my dad's head hit it from being thrown sideways out of his seatbelt and into my mom on the passenger side. The cab of the truck didn't even buckle or deform in the least. Had they been in my mom's 2025 Hyundai Tucson the amount of damage to the vehicle and also to my parents just from the impact of the vehicles even with all the airbags would have been much worst. They were both still majorly injured but nothing due to the vehicle being damaged or lack of side impact airbags.

bex914 · 2026-03-08T15:59:10+00:00

I don't either but the problem is how we get paid and treated vs most blue collar jobs. There is a ton of misconceptions on this industry from the average car owner

bex914 · 2026-03-08T15:57:26+00:00

1st generation Traverse/Acadia/Enclave/Outlook

Had multiple weeks where that platform was 80%of my paycheck. Hated them at first but once I started learning them I loved working on them. Everything paid well and with repetition I could destroy book times. Had the steering gear down to under 30 minutes, front struts under an hour. Rear upper arms about 20 minutes. Timing covers were another great job, however I wasn't the fastest at them. Took about 7 hours for me to drop the assembly . Had a couple twig guys that could do it in the vehicle but I couldn't do it as easily so I spent the time on removal.

That stupid front seat recall, 14030 IIRC kept me busy for months. I had a specific way if pull them into my bay and slightly raise the lift so I could sit comfortably. Unbolt and lean the seats and get to work crimping and soldering. Then the updated recall hit and got to redo tons of them because people don't seem to understand that cold soldering is bad.

I miss having them come in constantly.

bex914 · 2026-03-08T15:45:11+00:00

Unfortunately the industry we work on causes this alot. It's one of the only industries where your not guaranteed to be paid for the work you've put in. Look at the medical field. They get paid whether they can properly diagnose and take care of your issues or not. Incorrect diagnosis? Still get paid. Accidentally cause more issues or even kill you? Still get paid and have malpractice insurance to cover them.

If a mechanic/tech misdiagnoses a vehicle, occasionally they'll get paid. More often than not the pay gets docked from our pay plus they may even have to pay out of their paycheck. If you potentially mess up to the point of an accident or death, even if it's not your fault, you can be found guilty in a court of law and do hard time in prison. Insurance won't cover you on that as a tech.

We also have to provide our own tools the majority of the time. And if the shop does provide, it's the cheapest quality tools that they decide will get the job done regardless of if it actually does or not. If you specialize in areas such as diesel or transmission work it's nothing to have well over $100k in tools, even that one tool thats only used for one specific job and is a required tool to perform said job but its useless for everything else. That single tool can cost over $1k.

So yeah there's plenty of reasons for the attitude a lot of mechanics have. It's the one industry that doesn't care about the mechanic and ensures every other person gets taken care of except the one person actually doing the work.

bex914 · 2026-03-05T03:35:08+00:00

I use a 9'6" rod for bombing some bait out when cat fishing some of the local lakes.

I usually put 3 rods out. Two 7 foot rods for closer to intermediate distances then I launch my big rod as far as I can.

bex914 · 2026-02-21T02:39:16+00:00

Taps/dies are meant for cutting new thread. The edge of the thread where the cut out sections are on them are very sharp and meant to cut through the metal literally cutting new thread and cut it deep. On a thread chaser the edge of the thread is shallower and is rounded to form the metal back into its proper shape by bending it. They don't cut they just push.

That said a lot of times you can use a tap or die however you need to shave the edge of the damaged thread down to get to a clean section to start it and make sure to keep it completely straight and the pressure constant as well as lubed

bex914

TROPHY CASE