When to replace Tie Rods ? 
When to replace Tie Rods ?
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From: Between Bowling Green/Owensboro
Go get a set of moog tie rod ends. Mark where you took the old ones off. Install the new ones. Then have it aligned. That way it will be close enough so you can drive safely anywhere to have it aligned.
Mine is nice and straight.. havent got an alignment yet LOL
Mine is nice and straight.. havent got an alignment yet LOL
On the lower steering shaft, there is a device called a "rag joint" that basically divides the steering shaft into two components. This "rag joint" is a piece of laiminated rubber, of sorts, and acts as a shock absorber, to eliminate vibration from the steering gear being transmitted up to the steering wheel.
The down side to the rag joint is two-fold. First, there is a certain amount of "flex" in this piece, which takes some of the linearity out of the steering. More importantly, however, is that over time, the rubber can dry out and deteriorate, causing a lot of slop in the steering. My wife owned a C-3 Corvette, and the joint in her car rotted due to old age.
Do a search of "Unbalanced Engineering". They make the eliminator.
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From: Between Bowling Green/Owensboro
And back to the original topic. Whats the point of changing tie rod ends that aren't worn out enough to have play in them?
Is that like an OCD thing where you change all the lightbulbs in everything you own because they might blow out?
Henry Ford once said he'll give cars away if he's the only company that can sell replacement parts for them.
It's threads like this that make that sound like a great idea.
Is that like an OCD thing where you change all the lightbulbs in everything you own because they might blow out?
Henry Ford once said he'll give cars away if he's the only company that can sell replacement parts for them.
It's threads like this that make that sound like a great idea.
And back to the original topic. Whats the point of changing tie rod ends that aren't worn out enough to have play in them?
Is that like an OCD thing where you change all the lightbulbs in everything you own because they might blow out?
Henry Ford once said he'll give cars away if he's the only company that can sell replacement parts for them.
It's threads like this that make that sound like a great idea.
Is that like an OCD thing where you change all the lightbulbs in everything you own because they might blow out?
Henry Ford once said he'll give cars away if he's the only company that can sell replacement parts for them.
It's threads like this that make that sound like a great idea.
I took the new Moog replacement part from the box. Was I able to easily rotate or move the stud in an angular direction? No! Was this an expensive part? No ($30). Given the fact that this car usually travels 60-65 MPH, and somethies 100+MPH, is my health and the security of my vehicle worth $60, plus a front end alignment that gets done every couple of years anyway, worth it to me? ABSOLUTELY!
(Actually, I'm a little behind schedule on this, as I replaced the ball joints and control arm bushings about 20,000 miles ago...)
Last edited by leadfoot4; Feb 23, 2009 at 02:13 PM.
Now I might check mine, they're at 93k. 
The proper way to check the ball joints and tie rod ends, etc. is take a very large pair of Channel Lock pliers and grab the bottom, where the grease fitting should be or is after removing it, and the top, where the threads are and squeeze and release. If there is more than 1/8th inch of play, replace them. A 1/16th is OK. They can move fairly free and not be bad. GM ball joints and tie rods are know to frequently go over 100,000 miles. Moog is the best you can buy. Car Quest sells Moog joints under their name, but you have to ask for them. If you shake things and they are loose, they have been bad for a while. You must check the part itself to find if it's bad or not.
12 Second Club
iTrader: (4)
Joined: Dec 2007
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From: Between Bowling Green/Owensboro
The proper way to check the ball joints and tie rod ends, etc. is take a very large pair of Channel Lock pliers and grab the bottom, where the grease fitting should be or is after removing it, and the top, where the threads are and squeeze and release. If there is more than 1/8th inch of play, replace them. A 1/16th is OK. They can move fairly free and not be bad. GM ball joints and tie rods are know to frequently go over 100,000 miles. Moog is the best you can buy. Car Quest sells Moog joints under their name, but you have to ask for them. If you shake things and they are loose, they have been bad for a while. You must check the part itself to find if it's bad or not.
