ok...89 GL wagon...

 

have been having some wandering issues lately, and after checking it over decided it needed new tierod ends...ordered a set (left and right) got them in and proceded to take off the right one to install the new one...after discovering i had the wrong ends i notice that the right tierod is bent! (thats never a good thing)

 

Anyway, the question is this - is it possible to remove the tierod without pulling the entire rack??? (have a donor available - just need to get them off and swapped) If so, how does one do this???

 

Any tips and suggestions are greatly appreciated

You could bend the rod back and replace the ends and get it aligned.

bending it back really isnt the smart thing to do - just makes it weaker.

putting too many miles a day on this car to be fooling around with that, it needs to be replaced.

 

Come on guys/gals - somebody has had to have done this...

You could bend the rod back and replace the ends and get it aligned.

 

This has to be the WORST ADVICE EVER!!!

 

Remove the boot and unscrew the inner tie-rod.

yes you can but you may need a special tool to remove the inner tierod, i haven't done mine in awhile so i don't remember but i know that some cars do. i do agree don't bend it back if it fails on the road you could crash and hopefully you won't get hurt or hurt someone else.

 

check your local parts store you should be able to get a tool if its needed, just pull the boot and see.

Thanks guys, I did get it swapped out.

 

removed the boot...used a long flat head screwdriver to bend back the crushwasher, and used a smaller pipe wrench to break the tierod loose - did have to fiddle around with placement of the steering to get the wrench on it, but it worked.

 

Work I managed to get done today - swap out bad tierod (remove good one from donor car, remove bad one from my car and replace w/good donor), new tierod ends on both sides, new struts on both sides (after fighting with the spring compressors for an hour - one got stuck on the first strut :-p ) should handle and ride a LOT better now!

 

work left to do...replace rear shocks...but that is for another day...am worn out right now!

What's wrong with bending it back? Unless there is a serious kink in it, no worries. You think it's some high carbon piece of steel, that might "shatter". If you think that's the "worst advice ever" then anyone with a lift and bigger tires should have bigger rotors and calipers...nah that might be the second to worst advice ever....that's even more dangerous than bending a piece of mild steel back into place. If you wanna tell me my job (iron/steel worker) go ahead. Oh, and I have done this and drove over 10K on it. You just have to make sure you get it realigned.

 

Sorry, I just took offense. I know that replacing it would be the best thing, but if you think of all the things we do to these machines, bending a rod back and having it realigned is the least of my worries.

for future people with similar problem and actually use the search function to find answers.......

 

 

remove cotter pin from tie-rod end castle nut,

loosen tie-rod end castle nut a couple turns,

use brass hammer and whack pretty good on the castle nut/ threads,

should pop loose, if not, use pickle fork (a.k.a. ball joint seperator),

remove old tierod end leaving tighening nut IN PLACE,

watch closely as you unscrew old tie-rod end( note its positoin when it comes off),

put new tie-rod end on starting with the correct(or close to it) position,

good idea to do struts/springs/bearings while you do this, cause it requires you to get an alignment, unless you are really good at getting things back together perfectly.

 

~Josh~

bending it back really isnt the smart thing to do - just makes it weaker.

 

actually this is incorrect. bending will actually strengthen metal to a point. ever notice if you bend a spoon its always harder to bend it back?

 

now that being said, the metal will also become more brittle, ie: it will tend to shear instead of deform. bending the tie rod back could be used as a quick fix, but i personally would get it replaced as soon as feasibly possible.