Tie Rods

hey guysi have a 96 lx

I noticed my tie rods are going bad and in need of replacement.
I saw some nice ones on a 97 escort in the bone yard are they all the same?.
Can someone tell me step by step on how to replace them?


Thanks,

Chris

Go to your favorite online auto parts store and lookup the part numbers yourself. Some of them will even tell you all the vehicles that a part fits.

With respect to how to change them, if you are referring to the outer tie rod ends, it's much easier than an oil change. The inners, not.

Go to your favorite online auto parts store and lookup the part numbers yourself. Some of them will even tell you all the vehicles that a part fits.

With respect to how to change them, if you are referring to the outer tie rod ends, it's much easier than an oil change. The inners, not.


yea i checked out part source looks the same:grinyes:..

I need to replace the outer tie rods..but how would i know when i need to replace the inner tie rods?

yea i checked out part source looks the same:grinyes:..

I need to replace the outer tie rods..but how would i know when i need to replace the inner tie rods?

How many miles do you have on the car?

I replaced mine at 180,000 miles. I was unsure if they were bad and was doing other stuff that was going to throw off the alignment anyway so i went ahead and did it. They did not test bad, but were obviously worn (and my car rides much better now).

How many miles do you have on the car?

I replaced mine at 180,000 miles. I was unsure if they were bad and was doing other stuff that was going to throw off the alignment anyway so i went ahead and did it. They did not test bad, but were obviously worn (and my car rides much better now).

my car has 280,000 miles and my mechanic suggested i changed them..i dont know if the previous owners changed them..because they look really rusted out..and when i wiggle them they actually shake..

my car has 280,000 miles and my mechanic suggested i changed them..i dont know if the previous owners changed them..because they look really rusted out..and when i wiggle them they actually shake..

Then they are loose and need to be replaced. The way you are supposed to check them is to pop the outer tie rod end out of it's socket and push and pull on the inner tie rod end and see if you can feel any play. Another way is to see if the inner tie rod end can hold up the outer without it flopping down (as per the youtube video). I can't find that video right now, but if your are the originals (they are) then you need to replace them. Of course, if you like the idea of driving a car that feels like an earthquake while driving down the highway, then keep your old crappy inner tie rod ends.

hey guys i went to the bone yard today and found a 97 with a nice set of tie rod ends. For the love of might i could not get them off. I loosened the nut, cutter pin, bolt and took a hammer to the side. It would not move.

I believe you have to take off the suspension to get them out. Is this true?
The haynes dont even mention this.

hey guys i went to the bone yard today and found a 97 with a nice set of tie rod ends. For the love of might i could not get them off. I loosened the nut, cutter pin, bolt and took a hammer to the side. It would not move.

I believe you have to take off the suspension to get them out. Is this true?
The haynes dont even mention this.

hey guys i went to the bone yard today and found a 97 with a nice set of tie rod ends. For the love of might i could not get them off. I loosened the nut, cutter pin, bolt and took a hammer to the side. It would not move.

I believe you have to take off the suspension to get them out. Is this true?
The haynes dont even mention this.

hey guys i went to the bone yard today and found a 97 with a nice set of tie rod ends. For the love of might i could not get them off. I loosened the nut, cutter pin, bolt and took a hammer to the side. It would not move.

I believe you have to take off the suspension to get them out. Is this true?
The haynes dont even mention this.

Unless you can tell whether they've been freshly replaced it would be better to get them new. Depending on your area's road conditions the junkyard replacement may be as little as a year or two away from knocking, itelf. (here they're pretty bad so it's best to always get new)

As far as removal, take a close look at the threads and be sure you're turning it in the correct direction. That may differ depending on which side you're on.

Mechanic doing an alignment did some damage thinking one of my ends (on there less than a year and no hint of rust) were seized. Before specs were damned perfect he shoulda left the sh* alone; all he had to do was the rear; got it back worse and with a knocking noise I've not been able to locate the cause of. Sheeze, want something done right... unfortunately those machines are damned expensive otherwise they wouldn't be touching my vehicle at all... :cya:

hey guys..its not the turning..or anything i can twist both nuts..its actually getting the tie rod off the knuckle it sits on top of..i tried hitting the bottom part where the cutter pin nut theads on to with a hammer and it would not budge.

And your right i'll buy new ones, cuz the roads here are craters.

I imagine it would be twice as hard on mine since the tie rod ends totally full of rust...

Ah. There is a special tie-rod wedge tool that looks like a giant tuning fork. They can be rented at AutoCrap... I mean AutoZone. Probably do nothing but split the wood, but could also try hitting the threads from side to side with a block of wood before the hammer to protect the threads. But since you're replacing them anyway, you don't have to worry about damaging the threads. Then again don't bend the rod insert otherwise it'll be impossible to disconnect..

http://images.google.com/images?client=opera&rls=en&q=tie-rod%20wedge%20tool&sourceid=opera&oe=utf-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi

Ah. There is a special tie-rod wedge tool that looks like a giant tuning fork. They can be rented at AutoCrap... I mean AutoZone. Probably do nothing but split the wood, but could also try hitting the threads from side to side with a block of wood before the hammer to protect the threads. But since you're replacing them anyway, you don't have to worry about damaging the threads. Then again don't bend the rod insert otherwise it'll be impossible to disconnect..

http://images.google.com/images?client=opera&rls=en&q=tie-rod%20wedge%20tool&sourceid=opera&oe=utf-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi


Yea I've seen those but, could there be any pressure from the suspension shocks thats pressing the tie-rod end down to the knuckle?..

p.s. the woods a good idea..

Once you disconnect the end you'll see that the tie-rod arm freely moves in all directions except in/out. (have to turn the steering wheel for that of course) So it's not possible for there to be any "pressure" placed on them. Most people just take a big flipp'n hammer and bang the crap out of the steering knuckle where the rod inserts into. If that fails then they use the wedge tool... hammering that in there. It's a very common problem for many if not all cars which is why the wedge tool was developed.

Once you disconnect the end you'll see that the tie-rod arm freely moves in all directions except in/out. (have to turn the steering wheel for that of course) So it's not possible for there to be any "pressure" placed on them. Most people just take a big flipp'n hammer and bang the crap out of the steering knuckle where the rod inserts into. If that fails then they use the wedge tool... hammering that in there. It's a very common problem for many if not all cars which is why the wedge tool was developed.

Oh i see, i remember hitting the crap out of knuckle and it wouldnt budge. So what your saying there shouldnt be any pressure on the tie rods ends at all. I just use the wedge tool and it should come out right.

Here's a link where you can buy new ones for $9.99 each. I just replace the outer tie rod ends on my '02 about 1-2 months ago with lifetime warranty tie rod ends from Auto Zone for $20 each or could have got new ones with a 90 day warranty for $12 each. http://www.worldsuspension.com/ShopByVehicle.epc?q=1996-FORD-Escort-L4--116ci--1.9l--F/i--Vin--J&yearid=1996%40%401996&makeid=28%40%40FORD%40%40B&modelid=6531%40%40ESCORT&engineid=17923@@L4%2D116ci+1%2E9L+F%2FI+Vin+J@@179 23&catid=9@@Steering%2FSuspension&subcatid=138@@Steering+Linkages%2C+Rods+%26+Arms&mode=PA

As for removing the old ones after you remove the cotter pin and castle nut just take about a 2lb hammer and hit the bottom of the old tie rod end and it will pop out with a few licks. If it damages the threads they are going to be thrown away anyway. Or you can use a tappered suspension fork between the tie rod end and the steering knuckle to get them loose, but this usually destroys the grease boot which doesn't matter, because again they are just going to be thrown away.

Here's a link where you can buy new ones for $9.99 each. I just replace the outer tie rod ends on my '02 about 1-2 months ago with lifetime warranty tie rod ends from Auto Zone for $20 each or could have got new ones with a 90 day warranty for $12 each. http://www.worldsuspension.com/ShopByVehicle.epc?q=1996-FORD-Escort-L4--116ci--1.9l--F/i--Vin--J&yearid=1996%40%401996&makeid=28%40%40FORD%40%40B&modelid=6531%40%40ESCORT&engineid=17923@@L4%2D116ci+1%2E9L+F%2FI+Vin+J@@179 23&catid=9@@Steering%2FSuspension&subcatid=138@@Steering+Linkages%2C+Rods+%26+Arms&mode=PA

As for removing the old ones after you remove the cotter pin and castle nut just take about a 2lb hammer and hit the bottom of the old tie rod end and it will pop out with a few licks. If it damages the threads they are going to be thrown away anyway. Or you can use a tappered suspension fork between the tie rod end and the steering knuckle to get them loose, but this usually destroys the grease boot which doesn't matter, because again they are just going to be thrown away.

thats actually a good site with good prices but the shipping to canada is 25 bucks..lol

Check this..would this be the 2 rods?

http://www.partsource.ca/parts/automotive-parts.asp

its actually only one rod..so 21 each..

Put a jack under the threads of the tie rod and jack it up. If it doesn't pop out then after the tire is up off the ground try tapping with a hammer and it'll come out.

Tip-Put the nut back on part way so you don't damage the threads.:2cents:

good idea with the jack haha..i tried the 2nd one with the bolt on..i guess i would need a heavy hammer..i'll try both fork and hammer...

hey guys..how about this

http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/browse/4/Auto/AutoTools/GeneralAutomotiveTools/PRD~0251157P/Universal%2BTie%2BRod%2BEnd%2BTool.jsp

Its a tie rod puller..would that hurt the rubber grease fittings?

hey guys i want to pick this tool up today, do you think it would do the job?

hey guys i want to pick this tool up today, do you think it would do the job?

I think you should save your money and try what I suggested. Just my opinion though. :2cents:

I've never had much luck with the wedge type tie rod puller. A 2lb. hammer may not be big enough. I use a 5 lb. hammer and hit the side of where it goes into the steering knuckle. It relaxes the fit and should drop right out. I've never had this method fail on me.

An air-hammer wedge tool is preferable.

A lot of the manual ones are poorly designed. But there are some good ones out there.

You could use the best of both worlds. Hammer a wedge type puller into the joint, then use a big hammer to hit the knuckle where it joins the tie rod. If that doesn't work, then....

That's what I mean by poorly designed. The lot of the wedge tools out there aren't designed to be used with a (manual) hammer. But they're virtually useless without one.

thanks guys i got the tie rods out..i'm going to take that tool back. i didnt even use it..all i need to do was give it a few hard hits and it poped rite out:lol2:

thanks guys i got the tie rods out..i'm going to take that tool back. i didnt even use it..all i need to do was give it a few hard hits and it poped rite out:lol2:

I knew hitting them from the bottom would remove them if you had a large enough hammer and you hit it hard enough. That approach has never failed for me and I've changed a lot of tie rod ends.

I knew hitting them from the bottom would remove them if you had a large enough hammer and you hit it hard enough. That approach has never failed for me and I've changed a lot of tie rod ends.


THanks guys..i actually hit it with a heavy sledge hammer..with in 4 knocks it pop out.lol

Just an update.. i finally got to install the tie rod ends on my escort..man it is as easy as an oil change lol..
I got lucky to find new ones on a escort in the bone yard.:grinyes:

The steering is way off now..but nothing a alignment wont cure..

thanks again guys...

If your "new" ones were made in China, then you are not so lucky.

hey guys do you know how much is an alignment normally?

If your "new" ones were made in China, then you are not so lucky.

I don't think these were made in china..they seem to be strong quality..

I just got a four wheel alignment on the 97 and it was $69.95. If you want to save some money just ask the dealer what he would charge to just set the toe. Because......most Escorts are preset on camber and caster by the way the struts fit into the strut towers. Yeah. The camber and caster can be changed by the position in the strut tower, but 99.9% of all Escorts are within the range specified by the book.

I just got a four wheel alignment on the 97 and it was $69.95. If you want to save some money just ask the dealer what he would charge to just set the toe. Because......most Escorts are preset on camber and caster by the way the struts fit into the strut towers. Yeah. The camber and caster can be changed by the position in the strut tower, but 99.9% of all Escorts are within the range specified by the book.


interesting..well do thanks..guys