outer tie rod ends on 2000 Montana

[lbrazzi]

I have a 2001 Montana that I was told needs outer tie rod ends, The shop is saying to do both sides is about $450. The breakdown is $85 x 2 for the tie rod ends(parts) and then $90 for an alignment and then roughly $180 in labour. Does this sound reasonable? Is this a hard job to do for a do it yourselfer with moderate skill.

Thanks

[radeohedca]

It's not a hard job to do yourself.

With the van jacked up & safely blocked:
- Remove the wheel.
- Locate the rod-end pin where it attaches to the steering knuckle and pull out the cotter pin on the castle nut.
- Undo the castle nut. If it spins on the threads then you'll have to cut it off with a hacksaw (or torch if you have one) since there's no way to hold onto the assembly while you try to loosen the nut.
- Once the nut is off, tap on the threads of the pin with a hammer until the rod-end pops out of the steering knuckle. If you had to cut the nut off then you may need a bolt or something similar to knock the rod-end out of the knuckle.
- DON'T SKIP THIS PART... Loosen the nut on the steering shaft but DON'T unscrew the rod-end yet. Now mark the location of the old rod-end on the threads of the steering shaft using a pencil or marker. (Installing the new tie-rod end and locking it at the same location on the threaded steering shaft will retain the same wheel alignment that you had before.)
- Remove the old rod-end by unscrewing it off the threaded steering shaft.
- Thread the new rod-end assembly onto the threaded steering shaft to the mark that you made on the threads (same location as the old one). Don't tighten the nut yet.
- Insert the swivel pin into the steering knuckle and thread the nut onto it. Tighten the nut until it starts feeling snug and the pin is no longer pulling through the knuckle.
- Insert the new cotter pin. You may need to turn the castle nut a few degrees either way to align the hole in the pin with the slots on the nut. Split the pin so it can't fall out.
- Now tighten the nut on the other end of the assembly at the threaded steering shaft.

Put the wheel back on, lower the van and do the other side.

I felt comfortable with the alignment after I did my vehicle but it's probably a good idea to have it checked/ aligned just so you don't start eating tires and putting undue stress on the front-end parts.

I think I paid $65 each for the new tie-rod ends from Auto Parts Source here in the Greater Toronto area and it took less than an hour to do each side. A good Saturday morning task... a little gratification and a thicker wallet.

[rkvons]

Here's something else to think about. Make sure you have all the tires with the correct air pressure and take the van for a spin. Note the position of the steering wheel while traveling down a straight, level section of road. When you get done with the first side, your steering wheel should be about the same place it was before. If not, you might want to adjust the position of the outer tie rod end on the inner tie rod end for the side you just worked on. These changes will make a corresponding change in the position of the steering wheel. Then repeat the process for the other side. The only caveat is that if your current tie-rod ball joints are completely shot, the position of the steering wheel might not be correct. But if it is initially dead center, then make it dead center after the first side is completed and then make it dead center after the final side is completed. You should not need an alignment if you do this.

[maxwedge]

If an accurate measuring device is used to measure the original length of the tie rod to the inner rod attaching point, then matching that when the new one is installed you can just about get the toe in correct, short of doing this you will need the toe set, anything else may be close but with a fwd vehicle the toe is critical and should be done on a alignment machine.

[wafrederick]

Count the number turns when removing them and this is how I do this.Write the number of turns somewhere in the wheelwell.Do not skip on high quality tie rod ends,go with Moog tie rod ends which have a lifetime warranty and Moog pays for the labor if one goes bad.There is one way to tell if one is a cheap one and a high quality,by the color of the boots.If it is blue, cheap and black,high quality.

[rockwood84]

don't hit the thread part of the tie rod it will mushroom . pop the side of the steering nuckle with a hammer after you take the cotter pin and nut off after a couple of pops it will jump out of the hole. i put moog on mine and it was either longer or shorter i can't remember which way but i did the mark deal on the threads the steering link and it was still off because of the length of the moog.