I just bought a 93 cherokee xj (my first car) and had it looked at. The mechanic said I need a new steering damper, tie rod,center link, and sway bar links. Are these hard to install with a basic knowledge of cars? They quoted me at 1100 total, 500 of that just for labor.

 

No they aren't hard to install, but you defintely would need an alignment job done after doing those parts

 

I would find another mechanic, that guy is ripping you off! Five hundred bucks for an hours worth of work is unethical.
www.rockauto.com will have good quality parts for great prices and you should have no problems replacing them yourself. YouTube is a great resource for the DIY mechanic.

 

Haha ya, the $600 for parts seemed very high so I came home and found them for around $250 total online... any good videos or write ups you know of or should I just search youtube?

 

Check out the Rough Country channel on YouTube, you will find some good info there. You can also search for "Cherokee steering rebuild" , something should pop up.

 

OP, before you start doing your own work, make sure you know what's involved in the job. Pick up a manual so you can read what you need to do. Insure you have the right tools to do the job. If this is your only vehicle, make sure you have someone who can drive you to the parts store in case you break something additional. Make sure you torque everything to spec and use cotter pins. Steering systems are much like your brakes, pretty damn vital. If you don't feel comfortable, shop around for another shop. Also, some places will let you bring your own parts in for them to install, but they won't provide you with any warranty work on those parts.

 

Lol @ $500 labor. It's 5 nuts to remove the steering (counting the stabilizer), BFH (or splitter) to remove the old stuff then put the new stuff in, tighten the nuts, insert cotter pins and align.

emptypockets is 100% correct though. Make sure you have all the proper tools. Not having a splitter really set me back 3+ hours. Luckily my landlord was available to run me to harbor freight to pick one up. The hardest one for me to get off was the draglink to pitman arm since there's very little room to hammer it out. Other than that it was a breeze to do.

Look at getting the updated ZJ steering if you don't plan on going ape**** with offroading right off the bat. ZJ steering is a huge upgrade compared to stock and is quite cheap.

 

So look up stock parts off any year zj?

 

No, you need to look for parts from a V8 ZJ. The 4.0L ZJ have the same setup as an XJ. You'll need an adjuster sleeve, tie rod, and long tie rod.

 

Dunno. I bought a kit for $155 + free shipping that came with everything needed to fix my steering issues.

 

Do you have a or website?

 

I got it off eBay but the auction isn't valid anymore. Just Google 'crown HD steering upgrade'. Reviews are mixed on it but it works for now.

 

I would have a second opinion from another mechanic.

Can you even trust this rip-off artists diagnosis?

 

It was sears auto. First time I have been there so idk if I can trust it or not. The steering does feel messed up and I can tell I need a damper for sure idk how to tell if I need a tie rod and center link through

 

National chains tend to charge more because their prices are controlled by a corporate office. They need to go by what the book says. Take it to a local shop and get a quote. It should be much cheaper. Or just do it yourself.