Tie rod troubles

IDidntDoIt · Jan 8, 2012

Did an outer tie rod end yesterday. Whoever did it last must've put the nut on at over 100ft lbs. Laying under the car jacked up, barely any room, and I couldn't back it off at all. I even tried using a pipe extension on my crescent wrench and it wouldn't budge. PB blaster and still no go. Should've only been on at about 42 ft lbs, easy removal. Typical.

I ended up buying two 10'' locking pliers and undoing the tie rod end first. Then I clamped down on the tie rod shaft and backed off the nut, had to push on the pipe with my whole body.

Just wondering if there's any tools or techniques that could've made this easier.

e10 · Jan 8, 2012

Heat.

srmofo · Jan 8, 2012

Heat and wax. It wasnt over tightened, it just catches all the weather and corrodes. They do make a few specialty tools however they are overkill for a diyer that rarely changes a tie rod.

porphyre · Jan 8, 2012

Heat.

And not a crescent wrench....

Kestas · Jan 8, 2012

Ditto - heat and wax. I had to use that technique recently to get a tie rod off.

briggsguy17 · Jan 8, 2012

IDidntDoIt said:
I even tried using a pipe extension on my crescent wrench and it wouldn't budge. Just wondering if there's any tools or techniques that could've made this easier.

Anything except a crescent wrench and locking pliers would have given you a better chance at success. DIYer or not, USE THE RIGHT TOOLS! :beer:

MoToys · Jan 8, 2012

Along with heat and wax, I like this guy if you don't have an open end wrench.
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?store=snapon-store&item_ID=84242&group_ID=12959

IDidntDoIt · Jan 8, 2012

As for using the "right" tools, it was supposed to be a 19mm nut. 19mm didn't even come close, so someone put a different nut on it. 19mm is my largest combo wrench. Crescent wrench isn't bad for catching sizes you don't have a wrench for.

znowaczyk · Jan 8, 2012

it's a 7/8 nut...

idoitproject · Jan 8, 2012

lolz welcome to the forum, like your name.

bowlofturtle · Jan 8, 2012

i got a couple tie rod ends i need to do in the spring. hopefully i dont have any trouble.

10+ year old cars, chicago winters. blah. I need to get one those plumber torches

blacK20 · Jan 8, 2012

Heat is definitely the answer. Even if you don't have oxy acetylene, a propane torch will still help alot.

Kestas · Jan 8, 2012

Turtle, start by squirting some penetrant a day or two before digging into the job. Heck, next time you're under the car, try to loosen the assembly for some peace of mind. Once loosened, the job is half done.

blacK20 · Jan 8, 2012

I wouldn't go loosen the jam nut just for piece of mind as that is the adjustment for the front toe. If you're careful enough it may not move much, but why risk altering the alignment that you probably paid money for.

ptschram · Jan 8, 2012

Cut-off wheel. I find it necessary about half the time given Indiana winters.

shampoop · Jan 8, 2012

Jam nuts normally quite hard to loosen. Penetrating oil + FDP wrench = win.

I can fix anything · Jan 8, 2012

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diesel research · Jan 8, 2012

MoToys said:
Along with heat and wax, I like this guy if you don't have an open end wrench.
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?store=snapon-store&item_ID=84242&group_ID=12959

http://www.toolsdelivered.com/Wrenches_c_2207-2-0.html

User_Name · Jan 8, 2012

Had the same problem. Air hammer solved it immediately.

laskt9 · Jan 8, 2012

ptschram said:
Cut-off wheel. I find it necessary about half the time given Indiana winters.

ive never had to use a cut off wheel either in indiana, chicago, or erie. just use a torch get it cherry and put a wrench on it.

Terry454 · Jan 8, 2012

Last tie rod end (2001 Impala) we did in school was spinning. The torch blew it right off. Forget the heat, burn it off. :shocking:

ptschram · Jan 8, 2012

laskt9 said:
ive never had to use a cut off wheel either in indiana, chicago, or erie. just use a torch get it cherry and put a wrench on it.

When the nut loosens just enough to break the tapered joint loose and it starts to spin, what do you do then???

I'm trying to earn a living. If a fastener won't come off, it loses every time.

IDidntDoIt · Jan 8, 2012

I think I'm gonna get a set of butterfly sockets (like icanfixanything recommended) and a portable oxy/acetylene torch kit. If it were spinning then hecks yeah I would cut it off. If you can cut a fastener down the side they'll usually pop open near the end. If not you can stick a little prybar inside the cut and pry it open and it'll pop open. Done it to a few bearing races and frozen nuts. Interested to try this wax and heat method though.

srmofo · Jan 8, 2012

ptschram said:
When the nut loosens just enough to break the tapered joint loose and it starts to spin, what do you do then???

I'm trying to earn a living. If a fastener won't come off, it loses every time.

Put a pry bar on the top of the tie rod and push it into the joint BEFORE attempting to spin it loose. If solves that issue about 99% of the time especially on the GMs that use the nylon locking nuts.

I believe the OP and everyone else was talking about the jam nut though, no need to use cutoff wheels on the jam nut.

laskt9 · Jan 8, 2012

ptschram said:
When the nut loosens just enough to break the tapered joint loose and it starts to spin, what do you do then???

I'm trying to earn a living. If a fastener won't come off, it loses every time.

wait. which nut are we talking about? the castle nut or the nut on the inner tie rod? what i was talking about before was the jam nut on the inner tie rod. but if its the castle nut on the outer id just blow it off with a torch.

IDidntDoIt · Jan 8, 2012

castle nut comes off easy even if its rusted. Then i just shock the knuckle with a hammer and it pops right out. But I try to get that jam nut loose before I take the castle nut off. Yesterday it wouldn't budge so I did it backwards.

ndoran · Jan 8, 2012

blacK20 said:
Heat is definitely the answer. Even if you don't have oxy acetylene, a propane torch will still help alot.

try a MAP torch much hotter than propane even without oxygen

ptschram · Jan 8, 2012

srmofo said:
Put a pry bar on the top of the tie rod and push it into the joint BEFORE attempting to spin it loose. If solves that issue about 99% of the time especially on the GMs that use the nylon locking nuts.

I believe the OP and everyone else was talking about the jam nut though, no need to use cutoff wheels on the jam nut.

Takes way longer than a cut-off wheel or torch.

Jam nuts, heat and if it takes too much, replace it all. I sure as Hell don't want overheated steering components on my trucks or one I'm responsible for repairing.

I can spend two hours trying to disassemble components, or I can charge the owner 1/3 of the labor for new parts with a warranty.

srmofo · Jan 9, 2012

ptschram said:
Takes way longer than a cut-off wheel or torch.

Jam nuts, heat and if it takes too much, replace it all. I sure as Hell don't want overheated steering components on my trucks or one I'm responsible for repairing.

I can spend two hours trying to disassemble components, or I can charge the owner 1/3 of the labor for new parts with a warranty.

It takes way longer to place a prybar on top of the tie rod than it does to cut it off?

luvit · Jan 9, 2012

.
icfa,
i;m not as smart as you think. lol.. i don't know the name of these to search for them, but i can safely assume they;re SO..
what are these, sir?

I can fix anything said:
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diesel research · Jan 9, 2012

znowaczyk · Jan 9, 2012

luvit said:
.
icfa,
i;m not as smart as you think. lol.. i don't know the name of these to search for them, but i can safely assume they;re SO..
what are these, sir?

butterfly sockets. very handy...sometimes

znowaczyk · Jan 9, 2012

srmofo said:
It takes way longer to place a prybar on top of the tie rod than it does to cut it off?

I was thinking that too. I need to see this cutoff wheel!

briggsguy17 · Jan 9, 2012

znowaczyk said:
I was thinking that too. I need to see this cutoff wheel!

You don't need to see the cutoff wheel, you just need to remember that ptschram is always right....... :wtf:

znowaczyk · Jan 9, 2012

briggsguy17 said:
You don't need to see the cutoff wheel, you just need to remember that ptschram is always right.......

dully noted :lol_hitti

gbick · Jan 9, 2012

Wow! I can see those butterfly sockets making flairnut wrenches obsolete! Greg.

diesel research · Jan 10, 2012

gbick said:
Wow! I can see those butterfly sockets making flairnut wrenches obsolete! Greg.

Well they are nice, but I doubt they will make them obsolete. They are a bit less convenient to use since you have to disassemble each time you want to move the wrench. Makes some easy tasks more time consuming.

There can also be clearance issues sometimes.

Handy? most certainly.

But just like the "kwik-tite" most people are not going to embrace them or pony up the money. Especially since they aren't chrome.

I've used the kwiktites for a long time, but most people have never saw one in person, nor used one, so are real skeptical. They have been out for a LONG time.

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