OEM TRE and Drag Link confusion

[2mbb]

So I went to my dealer to order tie rod ends and drag links. I bring in my own part numbers from my parts CD, but of course they've been superceeded. I gulp at the price, but it's OEM, so I don't think too much about it. When the parts come in, each tie rod end is taped to a tie rod, and each drag link end to the drag link rod! My tie rods and drag links are fine so I don't need any, let alone two of each. The parts guy says that Toyota superceeded the original end with a set of one end plus one rod.

Does this sound right to anybody or is there a part number for just the TRE's and drag link ends?

These are the original part numbers: 45045-69045, 45044-69055, 45046-69115, 45047-69065

These are the new part numbers: 45045-60H04, 45044-60H00, 45046-60H05, 45047-60H03

 

[CSA]

Your parts guy probably got it right. The superceding TRE's fit only tie rods and relay rods of trucks built after a date I do not recall that is probably well after the build date of your 60. My 62 (Sept. of 89 IIRC) did not require new rods when I replaced the TREs.

I live literally 5 minutes from a Toyota dealer, but I buy all my parts from Cruiser Dan of American Toyota in Santa Fe, New Mexico. He knows these trucks better than most of us ever will, has in stock parts most dealers have to order, and you get a very nice discount and free shipping for orders over $50.00 (IIRC).

 

[2mbb]

Thanks. I sent a friend of mine to C-Dan, but I have been working on a relationship with my dealer. I had been getting OK discounts, but they haven't been so nice lately, so I'll probably start going to Dan. My dealer never has anything in stock, except oil filters and spark plugs so I pretty much have to wait for all my parts anyway.

 

[dogboy2]

When the parts come in, each tie rod end is taped to a tie rod, and each drag link end to the drag link rod! My tie rods and drag links are fine so I don't need any, let alone two of each. The parts guy says that Toyota superceeded the original end with a set of one end plus one rod.

Does this sound right to anybody or is there a part number for just the TRE's and drag link ends?

Yes, this is how Toyota now sells these parts. Same thing happened when I ordered those parts too! When I asked as to "why", a service writer told me that given the average age of most of the '60's they see for service on these items, the TRE's and drag link ends are usually completely rusted into the rods and the rods themselves often times need replacing too.

Like you, my original rods were just fine and so I returned the new Toyota parts, purchasing a set of TRE's and drag link ends from cruiserparts.net which resulted in a significant $$$ savings. It was only upon trying to remove my original TRE's/DLE's that I understood why the dealerships replace everything -- the b'tards were freaking welded onto the rods with rust!! It took two+ days of soaking with Liquid Wrench, a big vice, and an even bigger plumbing wrench with a 4' cheater pipe to finally wrestle the parts loose.

Had I just gone with the Toyota parts, job would have been done start-to-finish in under an hour vs. 3 days. Short answer: Toyota sells them that way because it saves their service techs much time and makes for an efficient repair.

-dogboy- '87 FJ60