replacing inner & outer tie rods (Chevy, cost, 2004, damage)

[cjski]

2004 chevy silverado 5.3L 2WD

so I pull back the boot between the rack and inner tie-rod...lot of oil...

leak at rack seal? what's that broken plastic pink thingy?

have'nt done this before, but watched several videos, and am pretty handy...

[Hemlock140]

The broken retainer may have cause the rack seal to fail, but at this point the rack could be damaged. Inside is bathed with oil, so depending on how long it leaked the rack may need replacing. Seal kits cost almost as much as a remanufactured rack and are harder to install.