Tie rod end removal 21 or 22 mm?

[Stick_man]

I bent a tie rod doing my brakes and rotors

anyone have any good tips on how to get rusted stuck tie rod end off?

everything is rusty.

I had to hammer out the cotter pin. The autozone bolt is appraently a 22mm while oem is 21, and I rounded the corners using a 22mm, trying to get it off

Also I dread popping it only to then deal with a stuck anchor bolt

 

[RomeovilleIL]

If you are referring to the castle nut, make sure the cotter pin is removed before you try to unbolt it. Would recommend you get a decent set of 1/2 drive metric sockets along with a breaker bar. Wrenches and large unhardened bolts/nuts are a bad combo as you have discovered. Get the appropriate socket and hammer it over the nut to reshape the rounded corners and it should turn off with a breaker bar. If your end is popped apart and just spinning in the joint, wipe the grease off and clamp the ball tight with a pair of vicegrips. Worst case scenario get a nut splitter and cut the nut off then hammer the stud up and out.

If the question is the end itself coming off the tie rod, hopefull the rod is still attached to the truck. I generally use two pairs of vice grips to tightly grip the rod itself and the tierod end at the flat spots then a 18" adjustable crescent wrench tightened down on the lock nut so I have some torque. Rest the handles of both vicegrips agains the control arm so you have a solid tierod to turn against. Once the locknut is loose, the ends usually turn off with little resistance. If it gives you a headache, soak with PB or WD40 or liquid wrench then use the same crescent wrench/vicegrips combo to turn the tierod end itself. Only once have I encountered an end that wouldn't come off with these -- clamped in a vice it turned off with an impact wrench and oversized socket on the end itself.

 

[drdoom]

Using a small Pittman arm puller.

 

[SoNic67]

The picture with the Pittman arm puller - do I see there the castle nut still on the threads? That's not gonna work.

For the original poster - use sockets, not wrenches...

 

[drdoom]

Yes you loosen the castle, but leave it on until the TRE pops off, as it can do so with some force. Then you remove the puller & castle nut.

 

[RomeovilleIL]

Pitman puller. Hmmm... never considered that. But then again, never had one not come loose with a couple solid raps from a 3-lb mini-sledge. Yes, that would definitely build up some stored energy to help it fly apart. File that idea away for the future.

 

[RomeovilleIL]

As an afterthought, I have had a couple times I left the castlenut half way off the stud then popped the stud out only to find the friggin nut would bind on dirt and corrosion near the end of the threads. The stud would merrily spin in with each turn of the socket forcing me to hammer the dumb thing back in and take the nut all the way off and then knock apart again.

 

[drdoom]

As an afterthought, I have had a couple times I left the castlenut half way off the stud then popped the stud out only to find the friggin nut would bind on dirt and corrosion near the end of the threads. The stud would merrily spin in with each turn of the socket forcing me to hammer the dumb thing back in and take the nut all the way off and then knock apart again.

Oh, I certainly see how that could be a problem. I removed the castle nuts completely, sprayed them out with WD40, then put them back on, then the puller. That is the tool recommended in the Haynes manual, so I was just going by that.

 

[Stick_man]

has anyone tried it with the wheel still on? i think there's enough room (no puller. just socket and then hammer)

 

[drdoom]

has anyone tried it with the wheel still on? i think there's enough room (no puller. just socket and then hammer)

That should work fine, most people I know just use a hammer.

 

[RomeovilleIL]

has anyone tried it with the wheel still on? i think there's enough room (no puller. just socket and then hammer)

Actually prefer it. There is room, actually helps you get closer on the rod length since the tires on the ground keep the steering from turning. Turn the tire out to the side you are working on and go from the front of the truck (ie turn steering left to work on left side). Just be careful when pulling the cotter pin out so you don't accidentally stick your tire sidewall with it or a tool.

 

[SoNic67]

I prefer the tire off and using the Pitmann puller rented from Advance Auto. It is way better, don't need to crawl under and look up, with dirt falling in my eyes.

I always count the number of rotations (thread lenght) and write it down somwhere on the body.

 

[Stick_man]

There's no way that thing was coming off w/ the tire on. Even with a torch. The corners were too rounded and, I had to go to autozone and buy a nut breaker tool. I also broke their 21 mm socket and returned it after 2 days of ownership, only using a 1/2 socket with a pipe over it, and hammerring it on with Sear craftsman regular hammer

Anyway, after numerous attempts with the nut cracker I finally got it down to where I was able to hammer it off with an old broken screwdriver.

WHAT A PAIN IN THE A--! It took 3 hours to do all this....

Anyway, my concerns now are torque specs and alignment.

I counted 21 turns to take off the tie rod and 21 turns to get it back on, so doesn't that mean the same alignment; or close enough? I just hate the idea of going through all that just to pay someone 70 dollars and deal with rides/hassles of a shop.

Also that castle nut makes me nervous. I got it on as tight as possible but, man I was exhausted. Also lug nuts... it always seems like I can tighten those more....but i just hate the idea of being on the side of a road, with a flat, and that sh*tty Ford tire iron trying to take off over-tightened lug nuts...

 

[shooked]

Im sure you got the castle nut tight enough, put the cotter pin through it, forget about it. As for the lug nuts. The shotty ford tire iron is designed so you do not twist the studs off. I only (after breaking studs off, pulling threads, etc) use a tire iron to tighten lug nuts. You can run them up with an impact wrench, but only tighten with tire iron.

And yes do the alignment. Due to manufacturing differences, the new tie rod could be shorter or longer, but same thread count.

Good luck
shooked <///><

 

[RomeovilleIL]

Your may be close enough for now. You need to compare the length of the old end with the new one, specifically the distance from the start of the threads to the center of the ball joint (or zerk fitting on the new one). The one's I've installed were usually very close but some were off up to 3/8". There have been posts in the forum where the ends were more than 1" different! I usually use tape measure from inner end joint to center of existing outer (make a mark on the tape, then screw on until it lines up).

Castle nut should be 60 foot pounds, which honestly isn't super tight. The cotter pin keeps it from backing off due to vibration. As you discovered the nut is not hardened so putting much more on it will stretch the threads.

Leave the ford tire iron for zombie protection, buy a non-folding 4-way for $10 and put it behind the rear bench. You'll be thankful every time you use it.

Not suprised the autozone socket broke. Most of the hand tools I've purchased there have been junk (hex sets, star drivers, screwdrivers, small sockets). Stick with name brands like craftsman and master mechanic. Stanley heavy duty and dewalt professional are pretty good for less money.

You can do just fine with cheap generic sockets if you get impacts. Stick one on a gun at 500 ft-lbs and they may crack, but even with long breaker bars cheap impact sockets will last a lifetime attached to hand tools. Harbor freight and northern tool run reasonable specials on full sets including larger sizes pretty regularly.

 

[Stick_man]

Measuring the old tie rod to the new one would be tough--especially considering the old one was bent.

Are the inner tie rods the same legth on both sides? I figure I can measure how how much exposed tie rod thread there is after the anchor bolt on the left side and then see how close it is for the new one on the passsengers side?

Is that doable?

How close does it have to be?

 

[RomeovilleIL]

Measuring the old tie rod to the new one would be tough--especially considering the old one was bent.

Are the inner tie rods the same legth on both sides? I figure I can measure how how much exposed tie rod thread there is after the anchor bolt on the left side and then see how close it is for the new one on the passsengers side?

Is that doable?

How close does it have to be?

Yes they "should" be the same size. Alignment is measured in 1/16" so... If you take a test drive and there is zero pull or drift (hands off wheel) while accelerating, coasting, and braking then you should be fine. If you have any pull or if the steering wheel isn't dead center anymore, then need alignment.