91 PA Ultra Rack and Pinion Replacement

[sarotara]

The rack and pinion is going bad in the car. I was curious as to whether anyone here had experience replacing it. The Buick service manual says to lift the car using a suspension hoist and lower the frame by 3 inches in order to remove the rack and pinion. Is it possible to perform the rack and pinion replacement without doing this? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

[HotZ28]

What are the symptoms that make you believe the rack is going bad?

[sarotara]

There is a groaning/popping noise when turning the wheel. The noise is a lot more evident inside the car than outside. Raising the front of the car on jacks and placing a hand on the outer tie rods while having someone else wiggle the steering wheel back and forth produces a "popping" vibration in the tie rods.

I'm assuming the rack and pinion is going bad, although I could be wrong. The question is, if this is a rack and pinion problem, whether it's possible to do the replacement in my garage without the use of a suspension hoist.