outer tie rod

[eppoh]

Need to change the passenger side outer tie rod. Will it come out with the rap of a mallet, or do I need to get a puller?

 

Is it necessary to unscrew the rod end first or drop it out of the knuckle?

[Kwhistle]

I did it recently, and the autozone loaner tool worked really well. It's the small pitman arm puller. The only thing about it, the bolt on the puller doesn't center on the tie rod bolt, so I had to stick a wrench under it and over the tie rod end bolt. It was out in less than a minute. The jam nut was a real hassle to get off though. Had to soak it in penetrating lubricant for good half an hour.

[eppoh]

Okay thanks, Did you have to loosen the jam nut on the rod first or after you got the end loose from the knuckle?

[Kwhistle]

I did it after just because it's easier to get there that way. I just fix up things on my car at home and not on a lift, and I'd say it worked out better this way. Don't think it really matters overall. I was just really careful to count the rotations when I was taking the tie rod out as to not screw up the alignment. Also marked the threads with whiteout before taking out the outer tie rod to make sure I can put new one at the right spot even if I screw up counting the rotations.

 

BTW, Beck/Arnley brand outer tie rod end from RockAuto was marked as genuine Subaru, and it was pretty inexpensive.

Edited June 28, 2010 by Kwhistle

[nipper]

If you are doing it at home, i suggest doing both sides as they are equally worn. When mine were done we used a big hammer and brute force.

[94Loyale]

Def mark the threads with some kind of paint first. I always loosen the jam nut before hand because you don't need to try and hold the tie rod end then. It's a bit easier. It's a 19 for the jam nut, unless its an aftermarket one, then it could be a 22. And a 19 for the nut on top of the end. Once you take the top nut off, hit the part of the hub that the tie rod goes through with a good hammer (4lb works perfect, anything smaller is a waste of time) A couple good swings and it will fall right out.

[idosubaru]

use a pickle fork style tool like for ball joints (a little small is nice if you can find one though i've gotten ball joint sized ones to work on subaru's too) - those take 10 seconds and work great every time. they tend to tear boots unless you're really careful and grease it all up good but you're replacing anyway so the old one is hitting the trash probably.

[porcupine73]

When I do them I usually start soaking it with Kroil in advance, then get the cotter pin out the way (usually my cotter pins are so rusted I can just use the impact wrench on the castle nut and it just rips the cotter pin apart no problem). Then I heat the bearing housing with a torch some and hit it with some more Kroil. Then the Kroil smokes and really soaks in there. Then I just keep hitting it medium hard with a hammer until it pops loose.

[1-3-2-4]

Yeah I'm going to tackle my inner and outer rods this weekend providing my wrist has healed.

[heartless]

It doesnt really matter which end you loosen first on the outer tierod ends...I also recommend doing both sides at the same time - if one is gone, the other wont be far behind it - safer to do them both and get it over with rather than risk having the old one break on you while driving.

 

personally, i favor breaking the jam nut loose first, then getting the castle nut off - it helps a GREAT deal to soak it several times with a good penetrating oil over a couple of days before hand. (a quick note here - you can mark the jam nut, but it has been my experience that the replacements are NOT the exact same size as the old ones - an alignment is definitely in order after doing this work!)

 

I also use the hammer method when popping the end from the knuckle.

remove cotter pin, break nut loose, unthread until top edge of nut is just a hair above the bolt end, whack with a 4lb mini sledge until it pops out (supporting the knuckle with a jackstand or something else solid will help with this), remove nut to let it drop out of knuckle, remove end from tierod, thread on the new one getting it as close as you can to the same location as the old one. (chances are you will not be able to get it EXACTLY to the same distance - Alignment will be needed!!!) thread bolt end into knuckle, screw on castle nut and torque to spec. insert new cotter pin.

 

What most dont tell you however is that once you get it torqued to spec, if the hole for the cotter pin doesnt quite line up - DO NOT loosen the nut to get it lined up - always tighten!

 

Once you get everything buttoned up and the car is back on its tires, take it to a reputable alignment shop to have things fine tuned to prevent unnecessary/unusual tire wear

 

When I do this type of work, I genereally try to do everything needed all at once - ball joints, tierod ends, struts - then go for the alignment - that way I KNOW I am good to go for a long time to come.

[idosubaru]

not being prone to failure i don't replace in pairs. the only reason i've ever had to replace tie rods, even on 80's subaru's, is due to broken boots and i don't consider that justifiable for replacing in pairs.

 

that's a horrible place to take a gamble though, so i can understand. but i've never even really heard of Subaru tie rod failures so never been to worried about it.

[heartless]

not being prone to failure i don't replace in pairs. the only reason i've ever had to replace tie rods, even on 80's subaru's, is due to broken boots and i don't consider that justifiable for replacing in pairs.

 

that's a horrible place to take a gamble though, so i can understand. but i've never even really heard of Subaru tie rod failures so never been to worried about it.

 

I dont want to sound like an alarmist or anything, as an actual failure really is not all that common.

 

That said, however, handling characteristics and tire wear ARE an issue if you have one nice tight end, and one loose sloppy end. Same goes for ball joints. And with our current economy - replacing both tierods & getting an alignment is a whole lot cheaper than having to replace tires due to bad wear - especially with the AWD models being so picky about tire diameters...I cant afford to replace all 4 tires all that often, and i know there are others that cant either & tire rotation only goes so far if one is wearing funny.

 

yeah, if you are really strapped for cash, i can understand only doing what you absolutely have to do to get by - been there before - but IMHO it makes much more sense economically to do the job right if you can afford to, get the alignment and be done with it for many, many miles.

 

just my .02 cents.

Oh wait, due to inflation it is now only worth .002 cents!

[1-3-2-4]

I'm strapped for cash but I brought in pairs.. they have been sitting in my room for about 6 months or so now.. mine is so bad that the inner tie rod moves around.

[idosubaru]

i was pointing out the other side, not that i recommend it, i dont think everyone has to do and act the same and the side of caution is my recommendation on tie rods, very dangerous item. not alarmist, your recommendation is probably a better fit for most.

 

has nothing to do with cash for me. i don't get alignments unless i forget to mark and reinstall something alignment related (happened once). been doing that 10 or 15 years since a guy in the industry said alignments are overmarketed pocket stuffers. it's easy on subaru's for me, since I rotate tires often and have multiple sets of snow tires, I can get an alignment if/when I see uneven tire wear....which hasn't ever happened in a non-wrecked Subaru.

 

maybe just lucky so far but 400,000+ miles or so without an alignment works for me. and that's with replacing control arm, power steering rack, strut/ball joint/tie rods and hubs - most of which are said to be "must align" replacement items.

[heartless]

grossgary - Point taken. you, and a few others here, have a tad more experience with this stuff than the greater majority of us, so if it works for you, that is wonderful. (and i am thinking that 400K + is just a tad bit more than just luck. )

 

I guess I am pretty lucky in that the shops around here dont charge an arm & a leg - and most are pretty reputable. there are 2 that I will deal with - both independants. I actually prefer one over the other if/when i need to take the car in for something (which doesnt happen often)

They did one ball joint on my car and the alignment since I was having a problem getting the pinch bolt out (we broke one on the other half's car, ended up replacing the entire lower control arm & knuckle - didnt want to go thru that again!) I had already done the tierod ends, struts and one ball joint - I provided the part, they did the work, total bill was well under $100 including the alignment (whole car align = $65). Hard to beat that considering....

 

recently took the car back to them for a diagnostic - had a shake in the steering wheel that would come & go - speed made no difference - the guy couldnt find anything wrong but was impressed with how tight everything is on a 20 year old car! (tries not to break arm patting self on the back! LOL) He did suggest a tire rotation & possibly rebalancing...

[porcupine73]

(a quick note here - you can mark the jam nut, but it has been my experience that the replacements are NOT the exact same size as the old ones

Yes I have noticed this too. I always try to count the turns as I thread the old tie rod end off the inner tie rod, and then put thread the new inner tie rod and outer tie rod ends the same amount, but it's still off when I put it back together. I just use the strings method to do the toe. It doesn't take any longer than what it would take sitting in the waiting room at a shop.

 

The biggest problem I always had was getting the new boot onto the rack, even after greasing it. It just didn't want to go on. Then nipper told me to try spraying the boot with a little silicone spray. That was the secret. The thing popped right onto the rack perfectly with just a little tug then.

[idosubaru]

(and i am thinking that 400K + is just a tad bit more than just luck. )

or i don't keep them long enough seems i'm rotating through EJ stuff quicker than i used to older gen stuff. thank you kids.

 

it's smarter to get an alignment when doing work like this than all the alignment jobs being sold with new tires. they're pulling perfectly even old tires and requiring an alignment for new tires, that's just goofy.

[1-3-2-4]

 

The biggest problem I always had was getting the new boot onto the rack, even after greasing it. It just didn't want to go on. Then nipper told me to try spraying the boot with a little silicone spray. That was the secret. The thing popped right onto the rack perfectly with just a little tug then.

 

 

I had no issue with mine.. now I did mine was square it and turned as if I was screwing it on.. after I got past the threads that was it.

[johnceggleston]

(a quick note here - you can mark the jam nut, but it has been my experience that the replacements are NOT the exact same size as the old ones - an alignment is definitely in order after doing this work!)

 

someone posted recently that alignment are not rocket science. with a measuring tape you can reposition the new tie rod end close enough to avoid an alignment. maybe put some tape on the tie rod about 12" fromr the knuckle, measure across and place a mark at 12, and another at 12.5 just in case you were not perfect with the first one. thread of the old thread on the new and get the measurement right. milimeters may be more acurate but regardless set it up the way it was before you removed it.

 

I also use the hammer method when popping the end from the knuckle.

remove cotter pin, break nut loose, unthread until top edge of nut is just a hair above the bolt end, whack with a 4lb mini sledge until it pops out

 

my hammer method is different and probably more dangerous. i was told to whack the side of the knuckle where the tie rod mates and the end will pop right out. i'm sure there is a down side to this method, but so far it has worked for me without issue.

 

what i do not like about whacking the bolt with the nut protecting the threads is that the castle nut does not have the same integrity as a solid nut. if the whacks are not square you can booger the castle nut and then the tire rod end. of course, like the pickle fork method, it does not matter if you are throwing the tie rods end away. but if you are going to re-install it you will want good threads.

[nipper]

I have had one fail. What gets me with discussions like this is the sillyness of it. You have all the tools out. The car is up in the air, you have the part.You have one off and have gotten the hang of it. Do it.

 

Mine cost me 13.00 each on ebay. It is silly not to spend the extra time just to replace the other side and be done with it. We aren't talking a huge amount of cash here.

 

Penny wise and dollar foolish makes you drive into a tree.

[1-3-2-4]

One question I have is can bad inner and outer cause wheel shake?

 

 

I wanted to do mine this weekend but I almost forgot I had to help a person install a blower motor resistor in his car but should not take long at all.

[eppoh]

I have had one fail. What gets me with discussions like this is the sillyness of it. You have all the tools out. The car is up in the air, you have the part.You have one off and have gotten the hang of it. Do it.

 

Mine cost me 13.00 each on ebay. It is silly not to spend the extra time just to replace the other side and be done with it. We aren't talking a huge amount of cash here.

 

Penny wise and dollar foolish makes you drive into a tree.

 

 

If I could find outer tie rods for 13 dollars, I would buy a handful. They are over 40 at AZ or Oreilly.