Replacing Tie Rods

Hey Y'all,

Went to the local shop this weekend to have my oil changed and tires rotated and balanced. I've noticed my left tire wearing a little weird and they checked and said I needed to replace my "left inner tie rod."

1) Can someone tell me the part # and/or link for this part?

2) How do I go about replacing this myself without having to pay $300.

Thanks,
Trap

 

its not hard, but its not easy

if you have replaced a tie rod on your car before its the same procedure but we have inner tie rods as well that screw into the rack and pinion steering system.

if you never changed a tie rod before it might be money well spent to let the shop do it and do an alignment at the same time which has to be done when you replace the inner or outer tie rods.

I would closely examine the rubber boot that covers it because the only time you can replace it is if the tie rod is removed so if its anything other then in great shape replace that while you already have it apart.

this video shows how to replace the inner and outer tie rods on a Tacoma: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVQHgcXEhpE

 

I changed my inners and outers a few weeks back and used that video.. First time doing it on any vehicle and it went very smoothly. All you need is some common hand tools.
Def need an alignment after.

 

With your year there is a very high likelihood that you may have a worn part in the steering rack known as the "rack guide" and the ITR is fine.
To determine the culprit yourself in minutes, release the clamp and pull back the driver side boot on the rack. This will expose the ITR and the end of the rack shaft. Now vigorously shake the tie rod (steering wheel unlocked) and observe exactly what is moving. Play will be seen/felt in the ITR joint itself or the end of the rack shaft will move.
The early racks had a "guide" notorious for developing play in as little as 20K-30K miles. This play in the guide is mistaken for a loose ITR by "techs" all the time. The guide has since been upgraded, lasts significantly longer and is easy to change. Frankly it should be changed out just as a matter of PM. All this is assuming that it is the original rack.

As far as that video, if that kid worked for me, he would be fired so fast his ass would burn. Clubbing that rack shaft with a mallet like a baby fur seal? Please, and it's a lock washer, not a thrust washer.

 

Can someone supply me with some links to these parts?

I do a lot of hunting and I am constantly driving rough and beat up logging roads.

How much do the replacement "rack guides" run?

 

here you go: http://www.rockauto.com/

the better quality or "recommended" choices always have little hearts added next to them

 

I'm having a hard time seeing how that tool could slip over a Taco ITR and still fit the flats. The 4 flats are a smaller diameter than the body of the joint.
Does the tube slide over the joint then one of the crows foot looking adapter/wrench things slip in over the flats and lock to the tube?

 

You'll likely need new clips for the boots, so get those before hand. Often when you buy a kit they give you zip-ties with them to secure the boots and they didn't hold the boots on (at least for me). As well, the little washer I bent to shit, not realizing that my kit didn't come with new ones, so make sure you dont ruin those.
Other than that, you should be able to do it.

 

Having trouble finding the clips on RockAuto. Where should I look?

 

don't over complicate things that are already simple, just use two open end wrenches as shown in the video and don't bother with specialty tools you will only use once, maybe twice in your lifetime.

 

Well sonny, take another look at the pic in my post you quoted. I call those open end wrenches, 30 and 41mm service wrenches to be precise. I use them all the time.
As for the vid, go back and read the last line in post 4.

 

Got it, thanks.

 

lol, I haven't been a "sonny" for 50 years sonny.

so you have two wrenches and you have removed and replaced the tie rods, so why do you need this fantabulous tool from harbor freight? the place notorious for selling low quality Chinese made cheap crap?

don't get me wrong, lots of cheap tools still work great, I have lots of cheap harbor freight stuff. now if you can explain why the tool is needed when everything you need to do the job is just those two wrenches alone, then all I can see this fancy tool is good for is to brag that you have one.

as for the vid, yes he is an idiot and probably caused the steering seals to leak the way he beat on it for no reason at all and instead of tapping the washer over at and angle like he was supposed to, he tries to hammer it straight on to crush it.

add to that red locktight is used on the inner tie rod threads and not blue like he said to use in the vid.

but remember, anyone can post a youtube vid so it was likely some joe smo with no real mechanic background, common sense, or training

 

What in the world continuously makes you think I want, desire, approve of or need that tool to any degree what so ever?
And you will need another 20 to call me sonny.

 

lol 97

 

I replaced my struts recently and went to get an alignment after and they said my tie rods were frozen and needed to be replaced. The guy handed me a714$ estimate and said "thats life". So i was thinking of doing this myself if i could , how did yours end up?

 

I also think you can those tools from autozone for free, so both you sonnys can stop fighting

 

Took me all of 50 minutes to replace mine, took it in for alignment, good to go. Hardest part for most people is having wrenches that size to remove the tie rod.

 

your right, I got you mixed up with the guy who was saying he needed the tool.
sorry about that