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any advice for replacing tie rod ends?

Posted by DiBiaso

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any advice for replacing tie rod ends? #1
DiBiaso Ad'm DiBiaso Haverhill, MA, USA 1978 MG MGB	Posted: April 18, 2012 07:43AM Registered: 3 years ago Posts: 1,066

i am at the point on front end rebuild where i am putting stuff back together grinning smiley

one of the things i have left to do is replace the tie rod ends/ball joints with a new set that i received from basil. what is the preferred method to replace them?

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Re: any advice for replacing tie rod ends? #2
spritedriver28 Erik Jacobsen Albuquerque, USA 1959 Austin-Healey Sprite Bugeye 1965 Austin-Healey Sprite "Pennsy"	Posted: April 18, 2012 07:56AM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 11

I did them on my wife's GT and it was easy. I bought a seperator from Harbour Freaight and they popped right out. Of course, you'll have to re-set the toe-in when you're done.

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Re: any advice for replacing tie rod ends? #3
DiBiaso Ad'm DiBiaso Haverhill, MA, USA 1978 MG MGB	Posted: April 18, 2012 08:03AM Registered: 3 years ago Posts: 1,066

In reply to # 2043490 by spritedriver28 I did them on my wife's GT and it was easy. I bought a seperator from Harbour Freaight and they popped right out. Of course, you'll have to re-set the toe-in when you're done.

i actually already have them separated from the knuckles... they just remain on the ends of the rack right now.

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Re: any advice for replacing tie rod ends? #4
spritedriver28 Erik Jacobsen Albuquerque, USA 1959 Austin-Healey Sprite Bugeye 1965 Austin-Healey Sprite "Pennsy"	Posted: April 18, 2012 08:30AM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 11

IIRC I have flats on the inner tie rod (coming out of the rack) that I used to break loose the tie rod end jamb nuts. I measured from the center of the tie rod end to the rack and was able to get withing 1/8" of correct toe.

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Re: any advice for replacing tie rod ends? #5
69GT Robert Tyree Murrieta, CA, USA 1969 MG MGB GT "The B" 1975 MG MGB "Tangerine Sky"	Posted: April 18, 2012 08:51AM Registered: 7 years ago Posts: 1,389

Loosen the jam ot lock nut and they should just spin off. You can mark the relative position before removal with some paint or nail polish, but you will still want to have the toe in set. I had one jam nut on my 75 that was a real bugger to get loose.

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Re: any advice for replacing tie rod ends? #6
gooser Drake Myers Danville Va, USA	Posted: April 18, 2012 09:05AM Registered: 5 years ago Posts: 6,995

count the number of turns it takes for them to fall off when removing.

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Re: any advice for replacing tie rod ends? #7
dickmoritz Dick Moritz Philly 'burbs, PA, USA	Posted: April 18, 2012 09:12AM Registered: 3 years ago Posts: 7,412

Ad'm,

If the jam nuts are still tight, you can simply stick the tapered ends of the tie rod ends back into their respective holes in the steering arms to hold them. This will keep the assembly from turning while you loosen the jam nuts. No need to push the taper fit tight or install the tie rod end nuts; just stick the tapered end into its hole. That's enough to hold it firm while you loosen the jam nut. This often works better than trying to keep the tie rod from turning by holding the sometimes-rounded flats on the tie rod itself.

Like Gooser says, count the number of turns it takes to remove each tie rod end, and then install each new one the same number of turns. Because of manufacturing tolerances from old to new, you'll still have to re-set the toe, but this will at least put you close.

Dick

Errabundi Saepe, Semper Certi
(Often wrong, but always certain)

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Re: any advice for replacing tie rod ends? #8
tomkatb Larry Baygents Dayton, Ohio, USA 1963 MG MGB	Posted: April 18, 2012 01:24PM Registered: 8 years ago Posts: 3,426

Who can count?

Just back the jamb nut off a bunch of turns and spray any old paint on the threads to the end, instant marker.

My wife and I easily gave the car a front end alignment afterwards.

L.W.(Larry)Baygents
63B
77 Spit

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Re: any advice for replacing tie rod ends? #9
DiBiaso Ad'm DiBiaso Haverhill, MA, USA 1978 MG MGB	Posted: April 18, 2012 04:00PM Registered: 3 years ago Posts: 1,066

In reply to # 2043727 by tomkatb Who can count?

Just back the jamb nut off a bunch of turns and spray any old paint on the threads to the end, instant marker.

My wife and I easily gave the car a front end alignment afterwards.

wow, that's an awesome idea grinning smiley

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Re: any advice for replacing tie rod ends? #10
tomkatb Larry Baygents Dayton, Ohio, USA 1963 MG MGB	Posted: April 18, 2012 06:58PM Registered: 8 years ago Posts: 3,426

There is a however.

Keep in mind some tie rod ends have different dimensions.

It is fairly easy to check your tires with an agile wife and a tape measure to be sure the tires are aligned,

L.W.(Larry)Baygents
63B
77 Spit

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Re: any advice for replacing tie rod ends? #11
curtis7420 Curtis Wright Univerisity City, MO, USA 1975 MG MGB "The "B"" 2000 Chrysler Town & Country 2003 Toyota Highlander 4WD	Posted: April 19, 2012 10:02AM Registered: 2 years ago Posts: 1,965

be sure to put on a couple coats of paint on the new tie rod ends. i got the same ones from Basil and they rusted up pretty quickly. if you are restoring the rest of your suspension, they will stick out like a sore thumb. wish i had done it myself...

as others have stated, make sure you count the turns, or mark off the location (i like that idea). another thing i did was to put on a pair of vice grips to let me know when the whole rack bar was spinning, making your count inconsistent/incorrect. this worked for me.

good luck. the hardest part is just getting the nuts loose. you may have to use a bit of heat. and/or use some spray, days in advance...

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Re: any advice for replacing tie rod ends? #12
DiBiaso Ad'm DiBiaso Haverhill, MA, USA 1978 MG MGB	Posted: April 19, 2012 10:48AM Registered: 3 years ago Posts: 1,066

In reply to # 2044517 by curtis7420 be sure to put on a couple coats of paint on the new tie rod ends. i got the same ones from Basil and they rusted up pretty quickly. if you are restoring the rest of your suspension, they will stick out like a sore thumb. wish i had done it myself...

as others have stated, make sure you count the turns, or mark off the location (i like that idea). another thing i did was to put on a pair of vice grips to let me know when the whole rack bar was spinning, making your count inconsistent/incorrect. this worked for me.

good luck. the hardest part is just getting the nuts loose. you may have to use a bit of heat. and/or use some spray, days in advance...

hey curtis, thanks for the advice!

i have been spraying everything ahead of time with pb blaster. hopefully i will be tackling this on saturday (along with replacing the steering rack boots.) the king pins & swivel arms are going back in tomorrow.

btw, your 'b is looking great!

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Re: any advice for replacing tie rod ends? #13
MGB567 Barrie Braxton Sunshine Coast, Australia 1966 MG MGB MkI "Money Guzzler"	Posted: April 19, 2012 06:25PM Registered: 2 years ago Posts: 5,524

I gave mine a coat of POR15 - I had all the rest of the suspension (other than the new springs and shocks which also got PORd) powdercoated. Unfortunately I forgot to mark my track rods - oh well not insurmountable!

CKD 11/66 first registered 8/5/67 owned since 3/77. Undergoing nut and bolt restoration. Tartan Red (now). 18GB +40 balanced with almost all new internals. Peter Burgess big valve fast road head. Piper 285. TT exhaust. ARP everywhere. 123 ign. Needham 4synchro c/r box. Stock rebuilt/replaced suspension. Superpro bushes. New brakes all round including all pipes in SS flex. Interior redone. CAMS approved roll bar and side bars. Lots more. Hybrid of o/e and show/fast road car. Not for sale - it's my toy!

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Re: any advice for replacing tie rod ends? #14
buffalo0811 bill l rossville, USA 1970 MG MGB "Little Booger" 1997 Lincoln Town Car "Old Smoothie"	Posted: April 20, 2012 12:36PM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 37

if your jamb nuts are super tight of stuck. stick outer rod back in the spindle to hold it ,if you got access to a torch heat them up till red (dont melt them)and put a wrench on them and they should spin loose with ease .i do all the time.

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Re: any advice for replacing tie rod ends? #15
Kirksan Travis K Homestead, FL, USA	Posted: April 20, 2012 06:59PM Registered: 1 year ago Posts: 143

In reply to # 2043495 by DiBiaso

i actually already have them separated from the knuckles... they just remain on the ends of the rack right now.

I bet you're probably done by now but when I took mine off, I used a set of calipers to measure from the inside of the jam nut to the end of the threads. We marked the tires (per the Library article on changing the steering boots) and counted the turns coming off the tie rods. Those three numbers let us put everything back exactly.

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