2000 Windstar inner tie rod tool, what size fitting?

[1320stang]

I bought the rods from O'Reillys yesterday morning and went to rent the tool, but the whole inner end of the rod isnt hex the whole length, and the one they rent is designed to slide over the end. I needed the one with the clip you place on the end, then slide the tube on, nobody rents that. Oddly enough, one of the rentals had a clip in the box from a Lisle set.

https://goo.io/nJwYmJ

At lunch I went to Steve's Wholesale Tools and grabbed a Lisle set and took it to the counter and went and got the end, none of the clips fit. Well, I wasn't gonna spend $80 then mod one of the clips, so I went to HF to buy one on sale for $40. They had one open and it was missing the 1-1/4" clip. Asked for a discount and got it for $20. I checked the rod with some sockets and came up with 35mm or 1-3/8". I went back to O'Reillys and asked for the clip since it wouldn't work with their kit, size? 1-1/4" and it fits the HF kit since thats probably what ot was copied from.

But still, none fit. There's also the possibility that the rods I got aren't the same as the factory ones and I dont want to file one down ahead of time only to find I needed it to fit the factory one. I dont have the van in my possession and I'd like to spend as little of my Saturday on it as possible as its not mine and I'm doing it for free. (Sort of, I said I'd do it when I gave it to the single mom with 4 kids, actually I sold it to the compassionate ministry at the church my wife works for and I figured out it needed done and rather them paying a shop, I'd do it and then they're only out an alignment. They got a good deal and the mom is getting a great van, 180k but after this and a new pair of tires there won't be a single mechanical problem with the van, only interior carpet stains and door dings. They wouldnt let me detail it.)

 

[bw77]

Not sure I understand your question, but the oddball size of inner tie rods
is 33.6mm. That size is included in the Lisle kit:

http://www.tooltopia.com/lisle-45750.aspx

I had to remove one of those recently and I used a small pipe wrench.

 

[1320stang]

The 33.6mm wouldn't fit. That's a bit bigger than 1-5/16". The Master kit has a few more, 29mm (Toyota), 32.5mm (Ford) and a 1-3/8" which is what came closest to fitting my rod end.

I think I'm going to modify the 33.6 and turn it into a 1-3/8".

 

[signcrafter]

Lisle sells the 1 3/8" separately online for around 7 bucks. They also make "universal" inner tie rod tools that use set screws to adjust to different sizes. Also have some that are like U clamps and also some that use a cam action. http://www.tooltopia.com/search.aspx?find=inner+tie+rod. Not going to help if you need it right now but can order it. I really wish there was an auto parts store that had specialty tools in stock. We have napa, oreillys, advance auto, auto zone, bumper to bumper, and some others and none of them have a good selection of specialty tools in stock.

 

[1320stang]

Glad I waited until I got the van home. The factory ones were 33.6mm. Then I got the wise idea to use a flap disc on the flats of the joint. So no tools were harmed today.

 

[jhelrey]

Had that problem with all of the tool kits from my buddys shop for the Chrysler Sebring. I used a pipe wrench instead. Granted, I had a lift so I had more room to work with.