so. following the formula "Safety, Reliability, Performance, then we meet girls", this weekends project was a steering rack replacement. At face value its not a eco-mod, But all the streamlining in the world is gonna mean squat if your steering fails at 60mph.
I went into the project knowing it was gonna be a pain, any time you mess with something dealing with front suspension your gonna be dealing with tapered fittings, but I had no clue what was in store for me. First thing I did was go buy a tie rod end press, good move. $15 saved me from who knows how long with a hammer and picklefork. Along with the standard hide and seek with bolts and nuts, there was a lock bolt inside the car, under the dash, covered by, I kid you not, the carpet which is BOLTED down with little plastic bolt thingys (Geos are weird).
But all told. with no more than the normal amount of things not wanting to go back together. it wasnt a bad project.
Slop is gone from the steering, the slight front end shimmy I was seeing from 40-45mph is gone. the car feels better connected to the road. and Im guessing with more precise steering geometry my mileage will see a boost.