TIE ROD END REPLACEMENT
Here's a pretty simple repair. If you
notice some play in your steering wheel before your wheels actually turn, it's
likely that the tie rod ends need replacement. To test this even further, jack
up the car, take the wheel off one of your front corners. Have a friend turn the
steering wheel back and forth as you watch the tie rod end and steering knuckle.
There should not be any play in the tie rod end.
Tools Needed:
2 or 3 jaw puller
Two 17mm wrenches (or an adjustable wrench)
Pliers (for pulling out cotter pin)
Jacks and Stands
New tie rod end ~$25 each
1) Loosen wheel nuts. Raise and support front of car, and remove wheel.
2) Remove the cotter pin and 17mm castle nut from the tie rod end.
Then take a 2 or 3 jaw puller and remove the end from the steering knuckle.
3) Mark the threads of the tie rod, so
that you won't need to get an alignment when done.
4) To get the end off the tie rod just
takes a couple wrenches and some muscle. Take two 17mm spanners and place them
on the nut (green) and the tie rod end (red). Then turn to loosen the tie rod
end. It's a pain since the tie rod isn't rigid. Eventually one or the other will
give. Then take a 12mm spanner to the tie rod (blue) and a 17mm to the part that
didn't loosen up. This shouldn't be as tough, since it probably loosened a bit from the first time.
Here's the tie rod end and it's nut, castle nut and cotter pin:
5) Installation of the new tie rod end is
fairly simple. The new end should come with a new castle nut and cotter pin.
Just tighten it down to place you marked it when you took it out. Then simply
tighten the end into the steering knuckle and tighten the adjuster screw to spec
onto the tie rod end.
