Tie rods?????

Ive been told by the shop I need a tie rod on the passenger side of my '88. I noticed that you can get the ends at the Zone for less than $50 bucks. Is this somthing that is easily replaced by me in the driveway. Im not a mechanic by any stretch but I'm not an idiot :screwy: either. any help is greatly appreciated.

HELLO,tie rods are not much 25 or so.replacing is also pretty easy.jack up wheel & remove. tie rods are at the end of steering 1 ea side.loosen adj. nut
remove cotter pin & nut at spindle.using fork seperator, brake tie rod from spindle & unscrew tie rod.thats a quick procedure hope it helps

Thanks bud that helped alot was a quick n easy procedure......but when i took it for a test ride and made a left turn there was a wierd noise comming from there almost like a grinding noise but not grinding, doesnt happen when i make a turn to the right(the side i fixed) i dont know if maybe i over-tightened something or was supposed to grease it, or if it was there in the first place and couldnt hear it because the original problem was masking it, Is this something that might be causing damage???:eek7:

HELLO,tie rods are not much 25 or so.replacing is also pretty easy.jack up wheel & remove. tie rods are at the end of steering 1 ea side.loosen adj. nut
remove cotter pin & nut at spindle.using fork seperator, brake tie rod from spindle & unscrew tie rod.thats a quick procedure hope it helps


Just to go along with what he said...

Buy Moog brand so you get a grease fitting, when you remove it, make sure you count how many turns it took to get off, then screw the new one on the same amount of turns. Then you need to get an alignment. I'd do both at he same time if I were you.

unfortunately i had already done the work. the one i bought came with a grease fitting and it is on there. do i need to have this greased asap. I cant get the car in for an alignment until late next week am I going to destroy anything by driving it until then? and would the lack of alignment be causing the noise when i turn to the right? thanks for your help

:meant:I meant to say that the noise happens when turning to the left

no on greasing asap but ask them to grease it when they do alignment.as far as driving before alignment how close did u get it.how far off is the steering wheel???on noise i dought its because of over tighting.need more on noise revalutional or just once,hard turn,ect, anything will help

no on greasing asap but ask them to grease it when they do alignment.as far as driving before alignment how close did u get it.how far off is the steering wheel???on noise i dought its because of over tighting.need more on noise revalutional or just once,hard turn,ect, anything will help

steering wheel isnt off by much. the noise occurs from the time i enter the turn until the time i striaght out the steering wheel. and it doesnt make the noise at all when i turn to the side that was replaced.

I would say Yes, it should be greased ASAP just to avoid premature failure. Who knows how much grease it was packed with at the factory... if any. Alignment should also be done asap to avoid tire wear.

Ill get the alignment as soon as possible they gave an appointment for thursday. Im really concerned with the noise i hear i hope to hell im not screwing anything up.

Btw guys I really appreciate all the help on this one im tryin to learn my way through automotive stuff and you guys make it 100 times easier. wish i could buy yall a beer.:cheers:

Hmmm, maybe turn your wheels from side to side when your car is parked, just to check and make sure your toe adjustment isnt WAY off causing the wheel to rud on the inside of the fender.

Was this noise here before you replaced the tie rod end?

I'd almost expect thats ^^^^ whats happeneing

pretty sure im gonna feel like an ass but what is the toe adjustment? thanks

i dont think the noise was there but coulda been the tie rod made alot of noise before i changed it just bought the car and only know of how it was driving it home.

"Toe" is an alignment angle. Its the one that gets altered and needs to be adjusted (or aligned) after tie rod ends get changed.

Just turn your steering wheel straight and stand in front of your vehicle, you can usually tell if toe is off by a little because the wheel will be facing slightly outward or inward.

Is this noise only while driving? Does it change with RPM's or Speed?

I would just double check eveerything, make sure everything is tightened, and then bring the car in for an alignment. If something is worng, they will be able to notice it with the vehicle in the air.

Cool man thank you. I did notice that with the wheel straight, the tire on the side I replaced was facing out a bit. I thought it was something that would self-adjust.

nope, wont self adjust. This is why an alignment is important. If you drive it like this for an extended period of time, premature tire wear will result.
You can climb back under there and try to adjust it towards more center yourself....