Tie Rod Help

Bumpysbro · Post by **Bumpysbro** » September 12th, 2006, 5:16 pm

having a problem with my driver tie rod end, anyway to get it off without the Service Tool? having a tought time getting it off, oh and the bushing on mine is leaking grease where to i buy new ones? thanks
Jon

1992blazeredgs · Post by **1992blazeredgs** » September 13th, 2006, 9:29 am

All it took to get mine off was some pb blaster, and than a wrench of the appropriate size on the tie rod and tie rod end and it should spin right off. I also like to put some tape on the tie rod and mark it so i can get the new tie rod back on as close to alignment as possible.
As far as purchasing a new tie rod end. Try rockauto.com they were the cheapest i could find. Beckarnley for only 26 bucks.

Nate

lakersfan1 · Post by **lakersfan1** » September 13th, 2006, 9:43 am

Yes. A couple of wrenches. Never mind any time the shop manual refers to a special Mazda tool. There are no special tools required for any work on our cars that you can't buy at any chain auto parts store.

happyclown · Post by **happyclown** » September 13th, 2006, 10:39 am

Are you trying to unthread the tierod end from the tierod inner half? In that case yeah, the right sized open-ended wrench will work find.

If you are trying to separate it from the hub assy without the pickle for, than your in for some fun. It took me 3 hours with a 5lb hammer, pb-blaster, a torch, and a jackstand. From what I found, the best way to separate it is to:

Spray down liberally with pb-blaster.
Remove coder pin and rook nut.
Spray some more.
Jack the hub assy up a bit and lower it with a jackstand under the tierod, so the weight/pressure of the spring is held by the tierod.
Heat real good with the torch. (By doing this I destroyed my boot, not a problem if you’re replacing the end...)
Beat the piss outa the hub part around the 'tierod end balljoint bolt'. That will bust the rust and hopefully the rod end will pop right out in no time.

The best way to hit (was told this by a mechanic 2.5 hours into it) is best described like this: Take your left hand and stick you pointer finger out (curl up the rest). This is your tierod end. Take your right hand and make a fist with a bit of a hole through it. This is where it attaches to the hub. Put you tierod (left hand) into the hub (right hand). You'll want to hit the back or your right hand. Most people would hit down on the arm that doesn't work well (2.5 hours told me that).

Hope this helps and I make sense!

Bumpysbro · Post by **Bumpysbro** » September 13th, 2006, 3:38 pm

ya i finally got it off haha my neighbor walked by and saw me hammering it, he had a expander tool especially for tie rods whats the luck lol. put it on there tightened it up just like a steering wheel puller and bam in like 5 seconds it came off. i was hammering for an hour lol. thanks guys for your help, if i buy a new end it has to be at the same length as the first one is set at right?

happyclown · Post by **happyclown** » September 14th, 2006, 11:02 am

To the best of your ability

Then usually you'll want to take it to get it aligned... although I've yet to get mine aligned and my tires are not wearing tooo unevenly.

Neighbors are pretty handy arent they?
[rant] I was helping a friend on his car and we accidently pressed the breaks with the calipar off the rotor, so we had to squeeze the it back open and couldn't do it. Went to my new neighbor to see if he had a large c clamp and after a few minutes of looking we told him what we were doing and he whipped out the kit made just for doing that![/rant]

Bumpysbro · Post by **Bumpysbro** » September 14th, 2006, 11:53 pm

haha thats awesome. ya and today i bought one jack but then my other one broke and my neighbor had a nice big jack for me to support the tranny haha but the tranny almost fell had to hold it up while bending over the fender to let it down lol fun times

hgallegos915 · Post by **hgallegos915** » September 15th, 2006, 12:03 am

mine is seized

so when they aligned it they used one tire to do it because they said they were afraid of breaking it..

happyclown · Post by **happyclown** » September 15th, 2006, 10:57 am

hgallegos915 wrote:mine is seized so when they aligned it they used one tire to do it because they said they were afraid of breaking it..

And you live in texas? It couldnt possibly be that bad

Has your car ever even seen a winter (one with snow and ice, where they salt the roads)? I've had things on my car that have quite literally fused together from many years of harsh New England weather. I'm pretty sure your mechanics are panzies and have never heard of pb-blaster or anything of the likes. If they were afraid of stripping/rounding it, than their tools suck.

hope I don't sound like a d--- or anything...

hgallegos915 · Post by **hgallegos915** » September 19th, 2006, 12:47 am

well id ont know, i think they did suck. I didnt hear that same complaint from the other shop i took it. They do look OLD. Rain i think its what messes it up and the car having over 250 thousand miles. Ill go to a different shop this time tho.