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i have a quesiton regarding the tie rods. i went to the alignment shop the other day due to extreme wear on my front tires. he said i needed new tie rod ends for the tie rod and the drag link. i noticed there was a LITTLE play on the 2 drag link tie rods but i couldnt really tell if there was play on the tie rod ends. anyway... as for the question. when tie rods are bad enough to replace is there generally a whole heck of a lot of play or is there just barly enough to notice? i know my alignment is off, but the right tire is a lot more worn than the left. is this a characteristic of bad tie rod ends, drag link ends, or just a lot of toe in?
also, i called Boyce equiptment down the street and they have a left and a right tie rod end, but they are expensive. (like 47 bucks or somthing like that) is there a Napa or aftermarket one i can get for cheaper? and is there a part number on these tie rod ends? i cant really take them off untill i have the new ones due to the fact that this is my one and only daily driver.
also again, what do i need to change tie rods ends? all i have is BASIC hand tools, and a parking lot to work with. can this be done without the use of air tools?
thanks in advance
-BrianM
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Brian,
47 isn't too bad. The archives say that parts store tie rod ends will run in the nieghborhood of 80 bucks. When I needed them, ABLinn had the rights for 15 a piece but no lefts. I had to get the left from Memphis for around 30 I think . AB may have both in stock now.
I don't know how much play is acceptable but I'd reckon that you don't want any. They're supposed to be tight with zero play. If all 4 move .050", by the time you get the the left tire, you have .200" total play. Thanks to geometry, the measured play increases as you move farther along the radius of the tire.
You should have a pickle fork or somthing similar to change them but I haven't seen one large enough to do ours at the parts store. If you want to be a barbarian like me, you loosen the tie rod end nuts and whack the side of the steering arm by the rod end with a single jack. After a few hits it'll usually pop loose.
Chris
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which tie rod ends tend to wear first, the drag link ones, or the tie rod ones. i know i kinda need to replace all 4 but money is the limiting factor right now, so i could only buy 2. which ones would cuase more tire wear? i would think that the tie rod ones would be more trouble, but i wasnt able to notice much play. and in order to save money, could i maybe align it myself with a tape measure and measure the front and rear tire distances? would this be acurate enough? thanks.
-BrianM
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if you can only get 2, get the tie rod ends. Your tires will at least be in sync then.
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Best way I've found to get a tie rod end loose is to lay the biggest hammer you got (8lb sledge works nice) on the side of the steering arm next to the tie rod end and then smack the other side of the arm with the 2nd biggest hammer you got (2lb sledge). Imagine trying to squeeze the tapered hole, that's kinda how it works. This will usually pop it loose or at least loosen it enough that a light tap on top will free it.
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Good answers, one and all. I agree with it all, but must interject. Bear in mind that some alignment shops make squat off aligning cars and trucks. The real bread and butter (and commision) comes from parts sales. Thus, you are correct in asking how to tell if they really need replaced at all. Are there any guidelines or pass/fail criteria for these joints in the PMCS? I'll check and get back with you...
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hmm, i checked the manuals but didnt find anything about what constitutes a bad tie rod end.
I had to put my spare tire on the other day and it did not like it at all. at speeds greater than 30 driving in a straight line it shimmys a whole heck of a lot, and the truck shakes like mad and i can feel the steering wheel shakeing a lot from side to side. it seems like its coming from the right front. is this a characteristic of worn tie rod ends? its seems to me that since the tread on the spare is not chopped like the old tire, it is fighting against the bad tie rods or bad alignment. i dont know. any ideas?
-BrianM
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I'm still betting that zero play is the only way. Simply by design a ball and socket should not be loose at all. Plus like I said any play compounds itself as you increase the number of worn rod ends and the complexity of the geometry.
Chris
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In my experience (which isn't vast as far as aligment issues go), if there's too much play in the steering system, you'll get an uncontrollable shimmy that you can only stop by slowing *way* down. If you are not having problems like that, and the only issue is tire wear, I would suspect that the rod ends are still serviceable. There are alignment procedures in the manual(s) that you can follow yourself, or look around for another alignment shop that might have a different opinion. Good Luck!
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thanks all, i replaced the tie rod ends and aligned it with a tape measure. it seems to drive much better and easier on the road now, and no more wheel shimmy. the drag link ends are going to have to wait for now i think. thanks everyone for the input.
-BrianM
