Outer tie rods and strut

kinkyllama · Post by **kinkyllama** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 9:59 am

How are you supposed to get the outer tie rod nut to tighten on the strut assembly?

The outer tie rod joint just spins with the bolt and there's no obvious place to hold a wrench above it, plus there's the boot thing so I don't see any room for anything.

Thanks,
Danny

daewoomofo · Post by **daewoomofo** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 10:09 am

if the bolt part is spinning id get a new tie rod.

kinkyllama · Post by **kinkyllama** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 11:05 am

daewoomofo wrote:if the bolt part is spinning id get a new tie rod.

They are new, the old ones do it too

daewoomofo · Post by **daewoomofo** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 7:26 pm

hmmmm

kinkyllama · Post by **kinkyllama** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 7:59 pm

daewoomofo wrote:hmmmm

Think I could drive with them lose safely? Just to the shop to get the alignment and have them do it....

I know they wouldn't break so I wouldn't kill anybody I'm just not sure if it'll be really sloppy or whatever and not too safe. The bolts are fully threaded

daewoomofo · Post by **daewoomofo** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 9:07 pm

can you get the cotter pin on it? if so id say your are good. as long as when you get on the free way your steering wheel doesnt shake.

gse_turbo · Post by **gse_turbo** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 9:40 pm

are you using a wrench or an impact? if you're not using an impact (than use one) just thread the nut on a little and zap that thing. the impact will spin faster than the end joint and it will get tight.

Garrett

kinkyllama · Post by **kinkyllama** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 9:58 pm

gse_turbo wrote:are you using a wrench or an impact? if you're not using an impact (than use one) just thread the nut on a little and zap that thing. the impact will spin faster than the end joint and it will get tight.

Garrett

Never even thought of that...thanks! I'll give it a try

gse_turbo · Post by **gse_turbo** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 10:06 pm

glad to help.

GsiTurbo · Post by **GsiTurbo** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 10:07 pm

Yes, they do twist every now and then and can be pain without an impact. A trick I found that works well (2nd person required sometimes) is to use an open-ended wrench, and attach it on the flat-ish part of the tie-rod end (wise-grip works too). Then, use extension of some sort for leverage, and twist it at the angle down - this will lock the tie-rod in place and help with the nut.

kinkyllama · Post by **kinkyllama** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 10:33 pm

GsiTurbo wrote:Yes, they do twist every now and then and can be pain without an impact. A trick I found that works well (2nd person required sometimes) is to use an open-ended wrench, and attach it on the flat-ish part of the tie-rod end (wise-grip works too). Then, use extension of some sort for leverage, and twist it at the angle down - this will lock the tie-rod in place and help with the nut.

Any other tricks?

The first one went on like a charm w/ only the impact wrench but the right side I'm having no luck with. I could only get the bolt a little more than fully threaded. Even when I get enough pressure w/ the vice-grips to lock it then my impact wrench doesn't have enough torque to move it.

*edit...it actually might be fully threaded for the most part but I can't get any tq down on it yet. Not too easy with one pair of hands too

gse_turbo · Post by **gse_turbo** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 11:03 pm

the reason that it's giving you trouble is that there is more friction on the threads than where the loint sits so it you run a tap an die down the threads on both pieces it should be easier to install.

Garrett

kinkyllama · Post by **kinkyllama** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 11:11 pm

gse_turbo wrote:the reason that it's giving you trouble is that there is more friction on the threads than where the loint sits so it you run a tap an die down the threads on both pieces it should be easier to install.

Garrett

...what does "tap an die down" mean?

gse_turbo · Post by **gse_turbo** » Sat Mar 01, 2008 11:17 pm

use a thread tap to "chase" (clean) the threads down the nut and use a thread die to "chase" (clean up) the threads of the tie rod.

daewoomofo · Post by **daewoomofo** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 3:50 pm

if you got the tie rods local return the messed up one and get a new one.