My 85BJ70 (170k miles) had a lot of play in the steering, so I kept correcting while driving. My assumption was that it needed new tie rods, so I talked to some companies about that. The Dan from 4Wheel in Edmonton suggested to rebuild the relayrod ends, since these are most likely to wear out.
Anyway, since the relay rod rebuild is a LOT cheaper than a new set of OEM tie rods, I went for it.
It took me maybe an hour each side (including lots of removing gunk/cleaning, and a pretty hard time getting the old ends apart). Installation of the new parts was easy (with the FSM), and I was really surprised about the effects. The steering is tight and crisp now, no more wandering, and no excessive play.
Only special tool needed is a pretty heavy duty puller, since the rod is stuck well on the seat.
Just thought I share this, since it is an easy fix for an unpleasant problem.
Jan
Anyway, since the relay rod rebuild is a LOT cheaper than a new set of OEM tie rods, I went for it.
It took me maybe an hour each side (including lots of removing gunk/cleaning, and a pretty hard time getting the old ends apart). Installation of the new parts was easy (with the FSM), and I was really surprised about the effects. The steering is tight and crisp now, no more wandering, and no excessive play.
Only special tool needed is a pretty heavy duty puller, since the rod is stuck well on the seat.
Just thought I share this, since it is an easy fix for an unpleasant problem.
Jan
