Seeking help with tie rod ends (1 Viewer)

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Jul 22, 2020
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Location
Ohio
Hi all - just picked up an 80 and the PPI went very well. I took it in to a local shop to get a minor repair that the seller disclosed to me, and the shop told me that I had a bad driver side TRE when looking under the car as I was turning the wheels while the car was jacked up a bit. We had previously arranged for me to go back and address this, but we haven't been able to work out a date/time and I'm leaving for Moab in 2 days.

I know that I have a bad TRE, but do not know if it's the inner or the outer one - would anyone here be able to offer some clarity on which one it is based on the description of the shop's observational methods?

Thanks in advance!
 
should be ok in Moab and probably run into/hang with more knowledgable mechanics there. no worries.
 
If you don't replace them now, next week you'll be asking about death wobble.
 
I know that I have a bad TRE, but do not know if it's the inner or the outer one - would anyone here be able to offer some clarity on which one it is based on the description of the shop's observational methods?

No inner/outer tie rod ends. You're thinking of a rack and pinion type steering setup.
The tie rods are just ball joints threaded on to the tie rod and relay rod (or also called a drag link). Your tie rod is the flat rod that goes from wheel to wheel behind the axle. It is a very simple fix.
 
I know that I have a bad TRE, but do not know if it's the inner or the outer one - would anyone here be able to offer some clarity on which one it is based on the description of the shop's observational methods?

Thanks in advance!


It doesn’t matter. Just replace both of them. Count the number of turns when you take them out and turn the new ones in the same amount. You will be close. To double check, sight along the inside edges of the passenger front tire and turn the wheel until this line aligns exactly with the inside of the rear tire. Then go to the driver side fron’t tire and sight along the inside edges of tire until it hits the rear tire. It should point about a quarter inch in to the tread of the rear tire. I used to use this method to check the toe in on every car or truck tha went up on the alignment rack to find ones that needed the toe in set. It is pretty close to what the machine read.
 
The only time I have seen an abandoned broke down car on Elephant Hill in the Needles district of Canyonlands national park, it was due to a broken tie rod end. That slickrock is very tough on the steering systems of our cruisers (and all other cars). It has given rise to many hard core wheelers going to the larger sector shaft, and also improving the power steering cooling capability. Fix it on "your" terms, not out on the trail. Pin head is right on with this one too. Easy and quick job.
 
It doesn’t matter. Just replace both of them. Count the number of turns when you take them out and turn the new ones in the same amount. You will be close. To double check, sight along the inside edges of the passenger front tire and turn the wheel until this line aligns exactly with the inside of the rear tire. Then go to the driver side fron’t tire and sight along the inside edges of tire until it hits the rear tire. It should point about a quarter inch in to the tread of the rear tire. I used to use this method to check the toe in on every car or truck tha went up on the alignment rack to find ones that needed the toe in set. It is pretty close to what the machine read.

Thank you for this, I will definitely have them done. I am a little lacking of tools and what not, so I'll just pay a shop to do it this time.
 
If one is bad then the other three are most likely near the same condition. Replace them all at the same time.

Will do, thank you! For my own knowledge, could you please explain why there are 4 total? I see many kits selling 4, which I mistook as inner/outer, but @bajaphile kindly let me know that this was not the case (thank you for that).
 
The only time I have seen an abandoned broke down car on Elephant Hill in the Needles district of Canyonlands national park, it was due to a broken tie rod end. That slickrock is very tough on the steering systems of our cruisers (and all other cars). It has given rise to many hard core wheelers going to the larger sector shaft, and also improving the power steering cooling capability. Fix it on "your" terms, not out on the trail. Pin head is right on with this one too. Easy and quick job.
Good to know - this is EXACTLY where I am heading and I really do NOT want to handle TREs there.... Thank you!
 
Will do, thank you! For my own knowledge, could you please explain why there are 4 total? I see many kits selling 4, which I mistook as inner/outer, but @bajaphile kindly let me know that this was not the case (thank you for that).

Technically two tie rod ends and two relay rod ends. Look in the Steering section of the FSM for a diagram.
 

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