Let's talk about tie rod ends----

[cammerfe]

Had to deal with a rim-leak this past week and discovered that I have perceptible play in the tie-rod end on that side. So it looks like a Saturday project right after the 4th.

I've done a search and watched the vid of the guy doing the job. Seems quite straightforward. But some questions present themselves:

1. For those of you who've done the job---does it make sense to simply 'bite the bullet' and plan to do both inners and outers? And plan to do both sides while I'm at it? I can buy all four pieces, with 'lifetime' warranties, for about $75 here locally, and less than that on line.

2. What did you do in regard to setting 'toe'?

3. Is there some reason---clearance perhaps?---why the guy in the vid found it necessary to use crowfoot wrenches instead of simply using an appropriate open-end wrench to loosen the inners?

4. Should I plan to replace the boots? Does anyone have a source recommendation?

5. Are there any invisible pitfalls that I should be aware of in order to do this job?

TIA!!

KS

 

[1LoudLS]

-duplicate post-

 

[1LoudLS]

with the luck I've had with other rubbers/plastics on this car, I would probably just replace the boots too since your doing everything else... unless of course they are silly expensive, then maybe I would inspect the old ones first.


when I did my outers (I haven't had to do the inners yet), I set them as close as possible to the length the originals were set and they verified it wasn't crazy out of wack with a tap measure before driving directly to the alignment shop.

 

[pragmatic]

Never been to an alignment shop. I've always used ruler strings and levels to do my own alignments.

 

[1LoudLS]

$180 when I bought the car years ago and lifetime adjustments

I've had to have over 10 alignments by now... so at $18 or less a piece, I'd say a worthwhile investment...

 

[joegr]

$180 when I bought the car years ago and lifetime adjustments

I've had to have over 10 alignments by now... so at $18 or less a piece, I'd say a worthwhile investment...

Yep, I have that on all four of mine.

 

[hite337]

1 do inners and outer at the same time.

2 measure the tie rods and set them as close as possible let to the old set. Then drive directly to the alignment shop.

3 i used a crescent on the inners

4 the boots are a hard plastic. If they dont have any holes or cracks, reuse them. You will need a hose clamp to secure the boot as the factory clamp is one time use.

 

[pragmatic]

How would you ever need 10 alignments on the car?

I've owned mine 13 years 150,000 miles and have done 5 alignments (Rear ball joint with rear tie rod replacement; twice for front tie rods, twice for front ball joints with tie rods). Strings, level, jack stands, ruler and some time.

$180 when I bought the car years ago and lifetime adjustments

I've had to have over 10 alignments by now... so at $18 or less a piece, I'd say a worthwhile investment...

 

[joegr]

How would you ever need 10 alignments on the car?...

At least once a year.
Every time a suspension part is changed.
With every set of new tires.
...

 

[pragmatic]

Well I've changed parts 5 times. Tires (all season) have lasted 40 -45K per set (winter tires I use for 3 winters approx 15,000 miles and then run them until next winter and change them even though they look great) always even wear across the tread. I guess the roads in the NYC area are not as bad as I thought.

 

[1LoudLS]

well I have had the car for about 7-8 years, I get one every single 12 months (and each time i take it in something has moved out of acceptable spec)

then I have had a couple of times where i have replace a bunch of parts so I take it back in for another alignment


don't know about NY, but here around the D, our roads are sh!t, I'm pretty sure there are better/safer roads in Kabul.

you cant drive any where with out having to drive over wheel cracking potholes that span across the entire lane so they cant be driven around... (I've actually had three tires blown out in the last couple of years from sharp edges of the potholes...)


and since alignments are already paid for, not going into have them done/putting them off is just stupid...

I am glad you saved $180 over 8 years by doing your own, however I trust that the guy with a computer and lasers is doing a more precise job than the guy doing it with a level and strings in his garage...

 

[hite337]

How would you ever need 10 alignments on the car?

If you care about your car at all....I have done over 10 alignments in the 4 years I have owned my current LS. Lifetime alignment = good investment.

 

[1LoudLS]

they call it preventive maintenance for a reason...

if you notice there is a problem, then its gotten pretty bad and far off, you're just doing more damage/wear at that point...


you wouldn't wait until you have a symptom telling you to change your oil would you? not likely

like when most people actually decide to go get their trans flushed, by that time, they have already noticed a problem and its too late.



an alignment shouldn't be used to fix a problem but to keep a problem from coming up... #My2¢

 

[RigsLS]

...
At least once a year.
Every time a suspension part is changed.
With every set of new tires.
...

Couple real hard unexpected pot holes in the spring.

 

[pragmatic]

I trust that the guy with a computer and lasers is doing a more precise job than the guy doing it with a level and strings in his garage...

The laser and the computer are just help throughput. Carefully leveling of the car and attention to detail can yield as good (if not better) a set of numbers as the high school drop out running the computer.

 

[hite337]

The Egyptians built pyramids with a string and plumb bob so a string and a level might just do a good enuf job to align an LS....just not my LS.

And not one Egyptian graduated from high school......

 

[cammerfe]

When it comes to alignments, keeping an eye on the tires and the 'handling feel' will tell you a lot. Tires will quickly show a 'feather' as a sign that all's not well. Or you can simply spend money and not bother to bend down and look. Somewhere in the middle is probably the best place to be.

KS

 

[1LoudLS]

The Egyptians built pyramids with a string and plumb bob so a string and a level might just do a good enuf job to align an LS....just not my LS.

And not one Egyptian graduated from high school......

cave men also built fires by rubbing two sticks together, doesn't mean that I have all day to sit around working on my bow drill skills... lol

 

[cammerfe]

Just finished (for right this minute) the tie-rod-end job that started this thread. So this is an (interim) report.

I ordered inners and outers on ebay. Not the most or least expensive of what was offered. When they arrived I looked them over and found nothing to disappoint me about any of it. I lined-up tools and bought some hose clamps to re-attach the boots.

When I got the left inner off I found the first 'fly-in-the-ointment' The portion of the new part that screws into the end of the rack had about an extra half inch of thread with no clearance inside to accept it. I had a choice to either return it or modify it to fit. So I simply whacked the extra threads off with my chop saw. Neatened-up the end on the snag-wheel---now everything fits just fine. I also cut the old inner in two to simplify the removal of the boot.

The factory boots on my car are a very flexible rubbery material. I simply cleaned them up with spray brake-clean and re-used them. The only source I found for new ones wanted something over $100 for them. On the other hand I found replacements for a late mustang for $2.99 each so I might do replacements sometime soon.

Very soon I'll do the rear radius rods. I bought the parts to fabricate them last fall but never got around to crawling under the car before the snow flew.

More later.

KS