How to tell if tie rods are bad

[1 Lucky Texan]

I was doing some brake work and the front wheels of my wife's 2003 OBW can wiggle about 1mm or so in the 3 o'clock to 9 direction. Both sides do it. This is with the tire in place, maybe about 1.5 mm?, but , while noticeable, it's very slight. no movement up-down so, bearings all seem OK.

 

just wondering how bad things need to be to warrant repair. (or, is this normal? - I don't know if i have ever really checked this before)

 

 

[gravitate]

When I notice that wiggle it usually comes from the inner tie rod and that happens mostly after the boot has ripped and contaminants get in there. The last couple that went out on me I got about 300 to 500 miles on it before my wheels started shaking to much for me to want to drive anymore, but I was also driving on some horrible Back roads and on twisty mountain roads so that probably made them go quicker.  I have seen them last longer though. I've never had my inner ones go out on me so I don't know on how long you have on them. 

[keith3267]

The wiggle is not important.  What is important is if the tire on the other side is wiggling in sync.  Or not in sync, that is a problem.  The tires are connected like a solid rod from one steering knuckle, the tie rod, rack in the steering box, the other tie rod and the other knuckle.  If both tires move in sync with no delay as you switch directions, then the tie rods are good.  The play is between the rack and the pinion in the steering box.  Some play is needed to keep the box from binding.

 

With the tires sitting solid on the ground, you should have about an inch of free play when you move the steering wheel back and forth.  If you watch the front wheels while someone moves the steering wheel back and forth only one inch or less, the wheels should not move.  If the steering wheel can be moved more than one inch back and forth with the front wheels not moving, then there is too much play in the rack and pinion box.

 

While you are down there, if you trust the person you have behind the wheel, have them start the engine and move the steering wheel back and forth several inches and watch the tie rod ends and ball joints.  Both halves of each joint should move together.  If the halves are slipping, then you have a bad joint.  This is the best way I know of to check the steering links.

Edited March 6, 2016 by keith3267

[Bushwick]

^Steering shouldn't have any play. With engine off, wheels on ground, key in ignition until column won't lock, grab steering wheel and apply light rotational pressure (light meaning you aren't trying to move the tires, just check slop) and the column + steering wheel should be tight left to right and right to left. Heavy play (an inch of play is excessive and dangerous) indicates steering column knuckles are probably worn or the input gear at the rack is.

 

 

With front tires OFF the ground, grab one at 9 and 3 o'clock, and try moving left/right and inspect for play both at the wheel bearing and tie rods. Grab at 12 and 6 o'clock, and try moving in/out, again observing all the components for play. Tire should feel "tight" regardless of direction you are trying to move it assuming the steering column is locked. Heavily worn tie rods you can try grabbing their shaft and lifting up and see if they are loose in the socket.

 

Usually, if bad enough, when going over uneven roads, you'll find the steering is "loose" and tires are following the uneven dips despite holding the steering wheel firm. If it's bad enough to cause the steering to drift and you are constantly having to correct the wheel position, it's not safe to drive. If a tie rod pops out of the socket, the wheel will turn loose and can cause an accident, or severely damage the assembly.

[1 Lucky Texan]

kinda seems like I'm on the edge of needing to replace something...I will further examine for  excessive steering wheel play but, I have not yet noticed any shimmying. Tire wear seemed even.

 

the car has low miles for the year, but 95%+ of its entire use has been secondary roads/grocery getter type driving so - suspension and steering get more punishment than a highway cruiser.

[idosubaru]

Grab tie rods and yank with your hands. Probably normal if both sides do the same thing, I guess I can't see it but it seems the rack/steering wheel and axles have small amount of movement with car off the ground and usually hAve some movement. I think you'd have to lock everything solid to isolate just a tie rod.

 

Just grab the tie rod by hand, even try it while replicating the play you mentioned?

 

Subaru tie rod failure is rare. All or all but one of mine are original at 250,000 miles of nasty roads.

[kamesama980]

How I usually check them (this coming from working as a suspension/alignment tech for 2 yrs while getting the first half of my auto tech degree) is face the wheel like you're gonna grab it at 9 and 3 to shake it side to side, but with your hand closest to the tie rods, reach around and grab the tie rod joint loosely (so you can feel if it's moving but not tight enough to prevent it from moving) and shake the wheel with your other hand. Repeat for the inner tie rod (which is a bit harder to get a good grasp of where you can feel it) and for both on the other side. If you have any actual play (unrestricted movement), start planning on doing the repair.

[1 Lucky Texan]

it's a minimal amount of movement - I guess I'm just ignorant of what 'normal' might be.

[keith3267]

I'm going to stand corrected, partly, on one point.  The one inch free play came from memory from back in the day of worm and roller steering, still used in pickup trucks of today.  There is an adjustment on those types of gear boxes and you adjusted them for one inch of play.  I checked my 2014 Legacy with 30k on it and there is only about a 1/4" of play.  There HAS to be some play in any gearset or it will bind.  I guess rack and pinion just doesn't need as much as a worm and roller does.

 

When ever some one grabs a wheel at 9 and 3 and wiggles it, I think crook or ignorance.  There will always be some movement, but unless there is a really worn out component, when someone does this, you can see the wheel on the other side and the steering wheel moving in sync.

 

kamesama980, I have a little more faith in your method, but I still would not do it that way.  If you detect a loose tie rod with that method, it is really loose.  Doing it my way puts a lot more torque on the joints and if one of them is even slightly worn, you will see it immediately.  If it passes my test, it is good to go.

[idosubaru]

I have seen multiple mechanics fail Subarus with perfectly good tie rods, twice last year. They say it needs replaced and a friend comes and asks me first if they're really bad or hopes I repair it. They've never been bad. But since it's for inspection they either have to replace or go get another inspection somewhere else.

 

The reason I share that is I think something causes or contributed to that ....like other manufacturers fail more often or subarus have a more pronounced play or the AWD adds something a FWD car doesn't have or something. And I see it online all the time too, there's a disparity between how often they actually fail (not counting torn boots which are obvious) and how frequently they get diagnosed and replaced.

[1 Lucky Texan]

watched a video (briansmobile ?) and that car's wheel was moving at least 3/4" - WAY more than our Outback.

 

I'll probably leave it alone for while - and keep looking at videos and perhaps soon compare to my 06 WRX.

[CNY_Dave]

Tie rod ends either have play, and need to be replaced, or have no play.

 

I had a very small click when I grabbed one of my tires at 9 and 3 and wiggled, could not tell where it was coming from.

 

I used tie straps from the steering wheel spokes to the door latches to hold the wheel very securely, it was then trivial to see it was an inner tie rod end.

 

On these subes I think the car wanders and tries to pick it's own line long before they wear to the point they are any where near actually separating.

[kamesama980]

Even Trucks started going to rack and pinion 10-15 years ago. I think all the mid-size and half tons use a rack, some of the HDs with solid axles might have a recirculating ball gearbox. Even then, "play" is different than "movement".

 

Some shops (rather, techs) are just better at identifying what has play and what doesn't. I helped plenty of coworkers track down which parts were bad or corrected them both ways.

 

CNY_Dave is right: any play=replace