Need swap suggestions!!

[houseofreggae]

So I'm in the middle of my Aspire brake upgrade and I noticed my inner tie rods & boots are ripped & filthy. I happen to have a couple universal boots from autozone to replace them, but I not sure how to do it right. I looked over my Chilton's and all it covers is outer tie rod or steering rack replacement. So my question is, do I just clean them off, re-pack them with grease, & attach the boots? Or should I just scrap the old, pull 'em out, & replace them with new inner tie rods. Are they still good? And if I'm going to put it in for alignment after I finish the swap, what preperations should I make for it? Any help or comments would help a lot as this is the biggest job I've ever done mechanically, & I don't wanna mess up!

1 Love

[Silv3rBull3t]

I would do exactly what your planning, clean, repack, put the new boots on but while your at it, check to make sure there is no play in the inner tie rods (check by pulling and pushing on the end of the rod... if there is movement you need to replace them)... If there is, I would go to the nearest junkyard and find a Festy and grab that rack... -Kyle

[houseofreggae]

Thank Yuu Man! So, if they need replacing, I would swap the entire rack...or just the ends...or is it all one piece left to right?

[Safety Guy]

Here's a pic of the complete unit, though it doesn't show under the rubber bellows:

http://198.208.187.182/internet/PartImage.jsp?mfgname=ACDELCO&prodlinecd=36&acpartnbr=36-18731

There are inner and outer tie rod ends. I believe they are linked by a tie rod itself on each side. Then again, this pic seems to imply that the inner tie rod end and tie rod may be one piece:

http://www.rockauto.com/ref/Moog/Detail2.html?cds.demo.activant.com/C2C/U2L8/33/334500/100/EV288_TOP.jpg

Now look at the Aspire parts and see what you think:

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/catalog.php?carcode=1105254&parttype=7428

I've either answered your question or muddled everything up more.

Karl

[houseofreggae]

Thanks to the both of you the feedback is greatly appreciated! Like Jimmy Cliff say "I can see clearly now..." Ya man I did the push/pull test to the rods and they're still solid as a rock so I'm good there. But I can see I'm gonna spend around $100 for a new set of Aspire tie-rod ends! :x Well I gotta suck it up though, I wanna do it all right the first time and I finally have some $$ to finish the upgrade.

[Safety Guy]

Let me save you some money--maybe twenty to thirty dollars!!

Use '92 to '95 Escort tie rod ends. They are much cheaper and I used them for my latest swap. I got the more expensive kind from A-Zone. (You could go cheaper still.)

Those Aspire tie rod ends cost ya!

Karl

[Safety Guy]

Here are Moog '93 Escort tie rod ends with grease fittings like Yvan described using on his car:

http://www.rockauto.com/ref/Moog/Detail2.html?cds.demo.activant.com/C2C/U2L8/33/334500/100/ES3048RL_TOP.jpg

Just under $30 each. I paid about the same for the better ones ("Duralast?") from A-Zone with no grease fittings.

Karl

[houseofreggae]

Wow! Thanks for the moneysaving tip! I'll go get those today.