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Removal and Replacement Instructions
(steps 1-10 of 20)
- Place your jack under the frame of the car just behind the front wheel that you are going to work on first (see picture below).
- Partially jack up the car making sure the front tire is still touching the ground.
- Using your lug wrench, loosen all five (5) lugnuts.
- Jack up the car sufficiently to raise the front wheel off of the ground (about 2"). Place a jackstand under the car
(in addition to the floor jack you are using) for added security. Don't EVER work under a car without a jackstand to support
the car in addition to the floor jack.
- Continue to loosen and remove all lugnuts and remove the wheel from the car and set aside.
- The tie rod ends are secured with a single "crown" nut which uses a cotter pin to keep the nut from loosening
itself (see picture below). Using a flat-blade screwdriver, straighten the cotter pin so that it can be removed
and pull it out using a pair of pliers. Repeat the process for the inner tie rod end (not pictured).
- Using an --mm socket or wrench, remove the crown nuts on both the inner and outer tie rod ends.
- Seperate the outer tie rod end from the spindle by inserting an appropriately-sized pickle fork in between the
tie rod end and the bottom of the spindle (see picture below). You will need to use a hammer to drive the
pickle in sufficiently to seperate the outer tie rod end. Don't be afraid to hit the end of the pickle fork
hard but be careful not to miss and hit something else (namely your hand). You will need to hit it several
times to break it free. On our 100,000 mile+ test car we had to beat the crap out of it but it eventually
came free. Once removed, be careful not "turn" the old tie rod ends so that the length of the old tie rod
does not change.
- Repeat step 8 to seperate the inner tie rod end from the center/steering link (see picture below). Once
removed, be careful not "turn" the old tie rod ends so that the length of the old tie rod does not change.
- Using the old tie rod length as a guide, assemble the new tie rod and adjust it so that it is
approximately the same length as the old tie rod. Do not fully tighten the adjusting sleeve clamps just yet
as you will need to "manipulate" the new tie rods slightly during assembly.
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