Special tool needed for inner tie-rod removal?

[danwheeler]

Just got done replacing my balljoints but still have free play in the steering and vibration at 65mph.

I've been searching through and someone mentioned the need for a special tool to remove a one-way pin on the inner tie rods. Is this true? How difficult is it to replace both inner tie rods?

thanks,
dan

[festivaWES]

not true i believe they come off with a 24mm open end wrench

have you alligned your car after the tie rod ends where installed?

[danwheeler]

thanks

I guess i'll give it a shot. Worst thing could happen is I have to take the whole rack out and do it on the bench.

I did not do an alignment after replacing the ball joints.

I'm pretty sure it's the inner tie rods though because I could feel the free play through the rubber boots. They are both shot probably as a result of the balljoints being so bad for so long. Surprisingly the outer tie-rods are in decent shape but I'm going to replace them anyway.

[89fester]

I did mine with just a 24mm wrench. The pin will slowly rise out once you start to unthread the tie-rod. There is a special tool I saw on the internet made for removing the pin. Sort of like an easy out extractor. The hardest part of the whole job was getting a punch in the right position to tap the pin back in.

Good luck

89 L

[danwheeler]

thanks!

so what exactly does this pin do? It's not making a whole lot of sense without seeing it.

Did you re-use your boots? I was thinking of re-using them and using zip ties to put them back on.

[89fester]

I presume the pin keeps the tie-rod from coming off in the event it loosens. When you break it free it will spin a turn or 2 and get tight, thats when the pin will start to come out. It sort of acts like a cotter pin does for an outer tie-rod. You'll see once you take one off.

My boots were wasted, I bought new ones from FMS, and used some extra hose clamps I had laying around to re-attach.

89 L

[festivaWES]

i got reboot kits at autozone for 8 bucks came with zip tips to secure them

[wrestler3025]

Hey Dan,

I know you already have this done, but when I attempted to remove my inner tie rods with the 24mm wrench, they would not come. I spent about 2 hours cranking on both ends, and they wouldn't budge. I called up a couple steering rack rebuilders and they said use a pipe wrench. About a minute after I put the pipe wrench on they came right off! I just did my girlfriends festiva a couple weeks ago, and it worked like a charm again:-) Hope this helps other guys in the future!! :wink:

[danwheeler]

yeah, i actually couldn't get them to budge either using the 24mm wrench (actually I was using an adjustable crescent wrench) which started slipping.

I put a vice grips on the larger rounded part and really ripped into it and it popped loose. I think it would have been easier if that pin was removed first but since it's inaccessible while the rack is still in the vehicle you pretty much need to crank on those things really hard to pop it out.

[festivaWES]

weird got mine off with a 24mm....piece of cake

[wrestler3025]

The guys at the rebuilders told me that using the pipe wrench and loosening the tie rod was the best way to get the pin out, so I just did it that way. I had my rack out and I couldn't get the pin out either. I finally called them and once I had that pipe wrench it came right off. The pin just popped up, and I was able to unscrew the tie rod from the rack.