How hard is it to replace a steering rack on a 210
 

My E420 needs a new steering rack. How hard a job is this for a guy who does his own brake pads/ rotors, brake flushes, oil changes, gas filter, etc? Can I do this on ramps or will I need to put it on jack stands? My indie wants $1900 which includes new tie rods/boots.. Is it really necessary to replace the tie rods? How is the rack connected to the tie rods? Will I need any special tools? Thanks.

How to remove a 210 steering rack
 

depending where you get the rack, it should come with the new tie rods on it.

Its not a hard job at all to do.

Support the front end, center the steering wheel and lock it.
remove the front wheels.
undo the 2 8mm screws & remove the heatshield from the left tie rod boot.
undo the 19mm and 22mm banjo bolts holding the lines on.
undo the lower 13mm nut holding the column to the rack and remove the bolt.
undo both 22mm nuts holding the tie rods in on each side.
undo the 4 16mm bolts holding the rack to the subframe (there are nuts on top you'll have to hold)


may I ask why you're replacing your rack? does it just need to be resealed?

Thanks for the description. Can this be done without removing the wheels so I can do it on ramps? I just hate working under the car while it's on jack stands.

My rack is leaking from the box where the steering column attaches to the rack. I initially thought it was leaking from the banjo bolts, but now it's obviously leaking from the box above those bolts. This apparently is weak point of the W210.