Tie Rod Removal ??

[difrangia]

Been a member for a couple years but haven't visited in a while. This is my first post & need some advice so as I don't mess up vital parts. I have spent a couple hours digging through the threads here and haven't found answers to questions that I have.

This Festy is a 1989 carbuerated car. I have the rack out to rebuild as the bushing is long gone. Completely gone !!

Question is: Factory shop manual shows that locking tab washers secure the tie rods and ensure that they don't loosen and back out. Mine appear to have blind split pins locking them in. I can't drive them out as the holes don't go through to opposite side of the rack. Do I just shear them off by forcing the tie rods out and replace with new pins on re-assembly? They appear to only go in 3/16" - 1/4". Here's a pic:

Festy Rack #1.jpg

One other question is regarding the tie rod threads. I don't have this dis-assembled yet so I don't know what thread pitch I have, but understand that there is a coarse and a fine thread rod. Does someone know the pitch of the fine and coarse rods? I want to be sure that I get the correct rods the first time.

Also: Does anyone here have a photo of a new or a good bushing? I'll possibly make one myself once I get this thing apart. Otherwise I may send the unit out for refurb.

Thanks in advance for any help. If my photo doesn't attach, I'll post in a subsequent post.

[TominMO]

Been a member for a couple years but haven't visited in a while. This is my first post & need some advice so as I don't mess up vital parts. I have spent a couple hours digging through the threads here and haven't found answers to questions that I have.

This Festy is a 1989 carburated car. I have the rack out to rebuild as the bushing is long gone. Completely gone !!

Question is: Factory shop manual shows that locking tab washers secure the tie rods and ensure that they don't loosen and back out. Mine appear to have blind split pins locking them in. I can't drive them out as the holes don't go through to opposite side of the rack. Do I just shear them off by forcing the tie rods out and replace with new pins on re-assembly? They appear to only go in 3/16" - 1/4".

You can shear them off and re-assemble with blue Loctite. I find this a lot easier to do when the rack is bolted to something, like a Festiva for example. Maybe you could bolt it to a thick piece of plywood to keep the rack stationary while you pull.

No help on the bushings, sorry.

Rock Auto only has the AC Delco P/N 45A0654 fine thread ones for 88 and 89. I had thought the 88-89 were coarse.

However, I noticed that the Moog ones for 88-89, P/N EV801088, and 90+, P/N EV288, are different. So maybe the Moog ones are coarse. I'd go to a McParts store and compare the two Moogs. You could even order one of each, and just take the one that works. I hear that O'Reilly's is good about this. Even if you don't buy it there, you will at least have your visual evidence.

BTW in case you didn't know this, the Festiva Store sells refurbished racks. Not sure on their policy on taking 88-89 racks as a core.

[jawja jim]

For the 88-89 I think the bushings can be ordered from Fourgreen, cheap, but possibly 2-3 weeks wait for shipping.

http://www.fourgreen.com/store/scripts/RACK-BUSH-p-MDX0132114

[WmWatt]

I tapped the decomposed bodies of the cotter pins out with a nail or a punch.

Mark the position of the old tie rod on the shaft with paint or tape so you can install the new one to the same postion so the wheel will be properly algined.

[william]

I just turn them out! Like tom said .
As for ends they should be fine thread I'm almost positive but it's been a while. I like the acdelco when I was driving 65k a year it's the only ones that would last all year long. The moogs wouldn't go 40k befour then where loose.

[TominMO]

I just turn them out! Like tom said .
As for ends they should be fine thread I'm almost positive but it's been a while. I like the acdelco when I was driving 65k a year it's the only ones that would last all year long. The moogs wouldn't go 40k befour then where loose.

Wow, I wouldn't expect that with Moog.

[william]

Me either! I Tryed several kinds from rock auto and the ac's where the best.
I've used other moog parts with great resalts in fact I just ordered some for my taurus. I may have gotten bad parts as one side was worse then the other but for the price I didn't want to try them again if they wouldn't last

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[difrangia]

Thanks, guys.

Detroit Axle on Ebay has rebuilt unit tie-rod end to tie-rod end on Ebay for $150 including exchange.

Might be most economical/timely route compared to scrounging up all the stuff and bustin' a knuckle doin' it myself.

Anybody give me a read on Detroit Axle products. I put DA lower control arms on a year ago. Haven't put a lot of miles on as I have several daily drivers going back to 1964. The Festy has evolved into our retirement 'fishing car', and it's a good 'un.

The other daily drivers:
64 Datsun NL320 1200cc 'Sport Truck', 64 VW Type 117 Sedan, 78 Datsun 'Longbed' 620 Pickup. 61 FIAT 500D Cabriolet.

Toys #1 9-5-2016.jpg

[william]

Thats awesome and the festiva store has efi racks for sale. I prefer the carbureted racks in my experience they last much longer than the EFI rack. They will interchange as will the aspire and kia rio rack if you can't find a used festiva rack.
The benefit of using the EFI rack is all the parts stores can get the EFI rod ends. I have only found the carbureted ends on rockauto no local stores have them.
The rack in your picture looks at be efi? The efi is aluminum as where the carbureted rack is steel

[sc72]

A couple places to try, The Festiva Store, he sells rebuilt steering racks and skeeterskeeper rebuilds steering racks, a couple good places to ask questions. Good luck

[jawja jim]

I have one from them. It's great. The only problem, if it is, is mine was advertised as a power steering rack, but when I opened it 6 months later it was not PS. It was too late, and not enough time, to complain as I was loading up to go see Shadetree for an engine and rack (while the engine was out) swap. Mine only cost $122 w/o core last summer. I was so impressed with how it felt, I bought another which is sitting in the shop.

[difrangia]

Got a rebuilt rack with inner tie rods ordered from 'Detroit Axle' in Michigan through Amazon Prime for $102 delivered. Also snagged a couple of outer tie rod ends.

DA sends a return label for sending the old rack back to activate a lifetime warranty. I guess you can pass on the warranty and keep the old unit ??

I'll get it back in good order for fishing season coming up soon.

BTW, I found the 'Part From Hades' on these Festivas. It's the firewall boot for the steering rack. I read a bunch of threads on the forum to figure out how to deal with this issue. I didn't want to pull the steering column and pull the boot out from the cabin so I ended up splitting it down the front middle to get to the lower U-Joint. I cleaned it real good before splitting and when it's all back together, I'll seal it back up with Flex-Seal (ass seen on TV). I'll post some photos.

Steve

[difrangia]

Yeah, the rack advertised on Amazon is listed as a power steering unit but the only customer review states that it was received as a manual unit and was used on an Aspire. At any rate he was pleased with the unit. I weighed all this and called Detroit Axle to inquire as to whether the Amazon advertised unit was manual or power. They insured me that it was a manual unit so it's on the way. I'll post an update when it arrives.

Steve

[william]

Super glue! To put the boot back together. Super glue bonds rubber and makes the bond stronger then the rubber it's self.
I've never had a problem getting to the u joint it's a bit tight but a socket and extension used to hook on the bolt and pry the rubber back or a small ratcheting wrench gets the job done.
I did a short till right up on my build thread on how to swap a rack.


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[difrangia]

I cleaned the front of the boot real good when I first started and split the boot right down the front.

When everything was bolted back up, I put one stitch of nylon thread in the center of the cut and put the zip-tie on the bottom around the pinion housing of the rack.

Shot a coat of Flex-Seal on the cut about 1 1/2" wide. Flex-Seal as seen on TV that they cover the bottom of an air-boat with screen wire and shoot the Flex-Seal on and hit the water.

I cut a patch approximately 1" X 6" from some open weave nylon mesh cloth that I have laying around the shop and pat it down in the damp Flex-Seal.

Let it dry about 15 minutes and coat the wound over with another coat of F-S.

I have an idea that it will be there for a while.

Festy Boot Fix.jpg