I've got an '84 DL hardtop with manual steering, and my inners are loose. I've seen them anywhere from $28 to $45. I'd like to go the cheaper route but after buying brand new axles that were complete crap out of the box, I'm thinking that MAYBE I should spend a little bit more money this time. My question is, when it comes to inner tie rod ends does it really matter?

Edited March 10, 201412 yr by Subaru_dude

How about a junkyard? Each time ive ever gone to grab suby parts from a boneyard, Ive happened to notice that all the tie rod ends on the older cars were always tight. I wrecked mine a few years back, and needed a lot of suspension and steering parts. Considering how rarely they wear out (apparantly), i decided used was the best bet. And cheap!

MOOG.

+1 MOOG

 

Ive used Moog suspension parts on all of my Subarus & my truck. Never had any complaints & rockauto sells em for cheap. I did both outer tie rods & ball joints on my hatchback a couple months back for around $75 shipped fom rock auto

Beck Arnley often carries OEM parts and they're almost always decent, so I go with them. Price is usually good too.

 

Order from Advance Auto Parts and google discount codes for them.  You can always get 20% off and usually 30% and I almost always personally get 40% off.  TRT41 is a current 40% off code but gotta spend $100 for that one.  If they have it locally you buy online and pick it up at the store.

 

Axles are a different story and a beast unto itself, all aftermarkets should be avoided unless you like risk and have time to spare doing multiple axle jobs.

Best axle approach:

1.  always reboot original OEM axle, never replace it.

2.  if you have to replace it get a used Subaru OEM axle from car-part.com and reboot it.  that's the only cheap %100 successful solution. 

3.  FWE in Colorado has high quality but shipping drives price very high

 

follow that and you'll never have axle issues again.  if you don't follow that you are guaranteed to eventually have axle issues of many kinds over the years.  sure you'll get a good one here or there but they routinely have issues out of the box and don't last.

Moog it is!! I could drive the price over $100 and do ball joints and maybe even outer tie rods too. As for finding a junkyard replacement, there's no more old Subarus in the junkyards around here. They're all long gone...

, there's no more old Subarus in the junkyards around here. They're all long gone...

 

oh right, east coast.  that stuff doesn't hardly exist at all.

As for finding a junkyard replacement, there's no more old Subarus in the junkyards around here. They're all long gone...

Bummer! They're still pretty common 'round these parts.

 

On a side note; the last couple time i bought moog parts (ball joints, early bronco) i was thoroughly unimpressed. The new stuff was as sloppy, or worse, than what I was replacing. I dont remember what brand i ended up going with...but i do remember i took the moog stuff back to the store.

Beck arnley is good stuff too.

 

Whenever i see a Loyale or a GL around here, it's like I've seen a unicorn. I know of three. Excluding my 2.