freakin tie rod ends!!

[1993]

Do you have to replace the tie rod ends on an S-series car every time you separate them from the hub? every time i take my front end apart, the tie rod ends get ruined when i remove them, ok, first i remove the castle nut from the tie rod, theni screw the nut back on a few turns then smack it with a hammer to get the thing loose from the hub, but when i do this it screws it up every time because when i go to put it all back together and try to tighten the castle nut, the whole freakinstud turns! (the ball stud turns). what gives?

[S3aturnR]

...don't know, dude.

i've replaced both sides only once. can't remember if they rotate freely, like you describe, or not...

my replacement parts came from murray's and they differed from the oem in that they had a little nipple on the bottom that you push grease thru.

now that i think about it, i never hit the top with the hammer. i got to a point where the 2 parts were pulling at each other and hit the side with the hammer and it popped out for me. maybe that's the ticket???


s3aturnr

[wolfman]

It's not ruined.
Reinstall the tierod in the knuckle.
Install the nut and turn in tight.
IF the tierod end shaft turns while you are trying to do this, use an OPEN END WRENCH instead of a socket to turn it (the nut) with a stiff (thin screw driver will work) piece of metal stuck through the slot for the cotter pin in the slot, but ABOVE the nut to keep the shaft from turning while the nut is turned.
It will only take a turn or two before the tierod end seats in the knuckle. You will then be able to go back to tightening and torqueing it to spec without it (the shaft) turning with the nut.

If you have the tierod ends with no cotter pin slots, you MUST replace the nut! It is a one time use only part.

[1993]

only thing is the nut wont go down far enough to expose the hole, the stud starts turning soon as i start the nut,..

[Razorbak]

So the cotter pin hole should be visible below the nut. Sounds like your problem is the threads are damaged. Once you re-dress the threads, either by re-starting the castle nut or by using a large die, the nut should screw on without the stud rotating.

[bennett9000]

Take a big pair of vise-grips and GENTLY press the tie rod end into the steering knuckle. That should steady it while you start the nut.

[TedL]

Originally Posted by bennett9000

Take a big pair of vise-grips and GENTLY press the tie rod end into the steering knuckle. That should steady it while you start the nut.

Use a socket over the stud to make it easier.

If vise grips are too small, try a two jaw puller (again, using a socket) to pull them together.

[Baizal]

Next time instead of hitting on the stud, use the tie rod puller that's jaw shaped. It won't rip the boots and doesn't have the damaging impact of a hammer.

[wolfman]

Hitting the tierod stud will NOT damage the boots. My own preferred methodology is to remove the cotter pin and nut, place a WOOD BLOCK over the stud and wack it with a 5 pound hammer. This has yet to fail to knock the stud out of the knuckle easily and damage free for me.