Thanks to everyone for putting up with Newbie questions so far. And yeah, I know there is probably already a thread for what I am about to open up for discussion.

Went to the Nissan dealer (I know!) to have them look at an oil leak from the rack & pinion, and fix a belt squeal, and got the news this morning that I definitely didn't want to hear.
First- Steering rack needs to be replaced. Quoted $1100 plus $499 labor.
Then the service mgr says the technician noticed that the clutch was barely engaging and should be replaced ($390). And while we're in there we may as well replace the flywheel (also $1100), $700 for labor.

Not more than a day ago my son and I were thinking of what we could do for the next mod on the car. Oh how quickly things change.

Questions are: Rebuilt Steering Rack (with warranty) - Pro's & Cons
Should we replace the clutch & flywheel on the tech's recomendation alone, or wait till we have problems.
If answer is yes to above - Is F1 Stage 1 clutch & flywheel a descent choice? (Mods include HKS Exhaust & Test Pipes, AEM Intake, Plenum spacer) Stage 1 or 2????????

Thanks
Z-Dad

 

Think your first mistake was going to the dealer. You need to find a local shop that knows
Nissans. Much higher labor rate. Plus why are you going on his word about the clutch you cant feel it?

 

Get a rack some where else. Does the clutch slip any? If not tell him to STFU.

 

They're overcharging you a ton on the parts. A new oem steering rack goes for $871 from courtesy nissan. A new oem clutch is $315; however assuming its actually bad now would be a good time for an upgrade. You should be able to play with the engagement point a bit if thats the only problem; theres a tutorial floating around to do that.

 

Yeah, I know the dealers are always high, but believe it or not, import repair specialists in the St. Louis area are hard to come by. I did find one though, and seems like a pretty knowledgeable shop with some performance background.
Found a rebuilt steering rack, and this shop is going to install.
As for the clutch... No, no slipping that I can tell, and honestly, although I don't drive it much, I don't notice any issues. However...Precision Imports in STL offered me a pretty good deal on replacing the clutch and flywheel, so I might go ahead and do it.