so how big of job am in for? i want replace all four of them but im pretty sure they are the originals and the truck spent its life in ohio and michigan. i have be spraying pb blaster on it for the last two weeks but i'm still worried there never going to come off.
tie rod end replacement
- Thread starter 1morebike
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Rent a good set of TRE pullers from autozone. Also helps to have a table mounted vise and perhaps some pipe wrenches to get the ends out once you have popped them off their links. AND anti-seize for the new TREs.
Might consider some heavy duty rods and replace the whole package. Could end up being a real bitch to separate the ends from the rods. I landed mine for $60 apiece if I recall.
Kurt at cruiser outfitters has the whole set of 555 TREs for under $100.
You will need a big pipe wrench and a GOOD quality TRE puller and a propane or MAPP gas torch. Don't forget to get a alignment afterwards unless you want to mess with it.
You will need a big pipe wrench and a GOOD quality TRE puller and a propane or MAPP gas torch. Don't forget to get a alignment afterwards unless you want to mess with it.
Getting the rod ends out of the steering arms and pitman arm are usually the easiest part of the job. Get yourself one of these. It makes quick work of the ends.
Great deal on OTC Tools 7315A at ToolTopia.com
The biggest problem is the ends seizing to the internal threads of the rods. This can become nightmare and was on my truck years ago when I tried to remove the originals. I had a 12" pipe wrench with a floor jack under it and was able to raise the truck off the ground while heating the ends with a torch. Nothing worked and I wound up replacing everything with new. Make sure to use anti-seize liberally on the threads of the new parts.
Great deal on OTC Tools 7315A at ToolTopia.com
The biggest problem is the ends seizing to the internal threads of the rods. This can become nightmare and was on my truck years ago when I tried to remove the originals. I had a 12" pipe wrench with a floor jack under it and was able to raise the truck off the ground while heating the ends with a torch. Nothing worked and I wound up replacing everything with new. Make sure to use anti-seize liberally on the threads of the new parts.
Found out this trick on toyota nation. I used a tie rod puller, tightened it up, gave it a couple quarter turns to put some pressure on the tie rod, then hit the side of the control arm, right next to the tie rod. This distorts the control arm tie rod hole every so slightly, and that puppy will come out stat. I used about a 6 inch swing, not a full pounding by any means.
I've used pullers, jacks, pickle forks, torches..... this was the smoothest way ever
I've used pullers, jacks, pickle forks, torches..... this was the smoothest way ever
- Thread starter
- #7
yeah im not to worried about getting the ends out its getting them off. i had an isuzu rodeo that i just had to buy everything new because the ends would not come off. i think ill look into that. if you could see the rust you would laugh its pretty amazing really.
when ever we get an 80 in the shop that wants new tres or an alignment we always warn the custemer that they mar need the toe bars as well and price them out. if your goiung to try to reuse the old toe bars, lots of heat will be your friend, like an oxy torch. and you might want to get a price on toe bars just to be safe.
I ordered budbuilt heavy duty steering links before tackling this job.
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I wouldn't upgrade the relay rod. Sector shaft's aren't cheap.
Sorry to raise this old thread from the dead, but I figured it might be better than starting a new one.
I am currently doing this same job , replacing all 4 TREs on my HDJ81. Getting the ends out of the pitman arms was EZ with a puller, but where I am stuck now is getting the ends out of the rod/draglink (what is the proper name anyways?). They won't budge. I have soaked both ends in penetrating oil, and am going to leave it overnight. Any suggestions?? I am wondering if any of the threads are reversed on any of the TREs? Don't wanna be reefing on it the wrong way and making things harder on myself. Going to try to get it into a vice and use a pipe wrench, hoping it won't have to come to using a torch as i do not have one..
Alternative option that was suggested was to buy a new rod and replace the assembly altogether, but I can't seem to find that part anywhere. All searches only come up with the ends. Anybody know where i might get one? I live in BC , Canada.
Cheers
I am currently doing this same job , replacing all 4 TREs on my HDJ81. Getting the ends out of the pitman arms was EZ with a puller, but where I am stuck now is getting the ends out of the rod/draglink (what is the proper name anyways?). They won't budge. I have soaked both ends in penetrating oil, and am going to leave it overnight. Any suggestions?? I am wondering if any of the threads are reversed on any of the TREs? Don't wanna be reefing on it the wrong way and making things harder on myself. Going to try to get it into a vice and use a pipe wrench, hoping it won't have to come to using a torch as i do not have one..
Alternative option that was suggested was to buy a new rod and replace the assembly altogether, but I can't seem to find that part anywhere. All searches only come up with the ends. Anybody know where i might get one? I live in BC , Canada.
Cheers
I am in the middle of this project now. This pic is the second TRE, so I knew which way it was supposed to turn to unscrew. None-the-less, the TRE came out, but the treads in the tie rod were damaged.
I had a good bench vice & my small pipe wrench allowed a pipe to be slid over the handle for extra leverage, PB Blaster, and a propane tourch. (Note the bent & Broken handle on the pipe wrench)
Slee & budbuilt both have DOM replacement tie rods, I am sure others as well.
I had a good bench vice & my small pipe wrench allowed a pipe to be slid over the handle for extra leverage, PB Blaster, and a propane tourch. (Note the bent & Broken handle on the pipe wrench)
Slee & budbuilt both have DOM replacement tie rods, I am sure others as well.
Oof. That isn't reassuring.. So did you have to get a whole new assembly or did you make do with the damaged existing rod?
really hoping I don't end up having to drop another $400 on aftermarket tie rod/drag link and waiting several weeks for all this to arrive. But I guess it is to be expected on a 28 year old car that probably has the factory rods & ends on it
really hoping I don't end up having to drop another $400 on aftermarket tie rod/drag link and waiting several weeks for all this to arrive. But I guess it is to be expected on a 28 year old car that probably has the factory rods & ends on it
I could cut 1/2” off the bottom of the new TRE, and reuse mine. But that does not seem preferred with these split & clamped tie rods. There are multiple sources for new DOM tierods with jam nuts, But shipping costs for such an akward shaped parcel to Alaska is killer.
A local shop suggested: “next time, remove the clamps, tap the split ends with a hammer to loosen the threads, works every time”.
There are a handful of rigs being parted out locally. So I plan to use the “trick”, and try to salvage another used tie rod.
A local shop suggested: “next time, remove the clamps, tap the split ends with a hammer to loosen the threads, works every time”.
There are a handful of rigs being parted out locally. So I plan to use the “trick”, and try to salvage another used tie rod.
^ the hammer technique worked with 1 out of 4 ends. The others are proving to be more stubborn.. next step is to torch.
having done the removal process yourself, can you let me know plz which of the threads were left vs right handed? My 80 is RHD so I'm not sure if they would be reversed compared to the LHD model.
having done the removal process yourself, can you let me know plz which of the threads were left vs right handed? My 80 is RHD so I'm not sure if they would be reversed compared to the LHD model.
they are both left and right handed so the length of the rod adjusts, if they were one or the other than the rod would just move side to side when adjusted and not change any toe angles. heat, like glowing red hot kinda heat will be your friend trying to get them off. i would just go with an aftermarket set of toebar and relay rod, itll be easier and quicker than destroying a rod then having to wait even longer to finish the job
Each end of the tie rod has opposing threads, that way you can get an alignment without having to remove the whole assembly. Anyways there should be some thread showing to look at the direction of the thread. Heat and some kind of lube worked, so did having a vice. Since the ends are split you could try soaking in lube or a rust cutter, or maybe prying them apart.
been there, done that, got the torch. fire will be your friend on this one
Update: 3 days later... SUCCESS! All 4 ends out. The answer was LOTS of liquid wrench, a fair bit of hammering and a propane torch. But most crucially : leverage.
I didn't have a mounted vice so what I did was utilize the pushbar on the 80 itself. I wedged a pipe wrench underneath a section of the bumper, used that to hold the rod in place while i had a crescent wrench with a 3 foot pipe on the TRE and reefed on the thing with my entire weight (sounded like a machine gun as the threads broke loose).
One broken wrench later, all 4 ends are out and it looks like the threads are nice and healthy, despite a bit of rust.
Ill upload some pics later.
Thanks everyone for the help!
Now to put it all back together, hopefully with less hassle.
I didn't have a mounted vice so what I did was utilize the pushbar on the 80 itself. I wedged a pipe wrench underneath a section of the bumper, used that to hold the rod in place while i had a crescent wrench with a 3 foot pipe on the TRE and reefed on the thing with my entire weight (sounded like a machine gun as the threads broke loose).
One broken wrench later, all 4 ends are out and it looks like the threads are nice and healthy, despite a bit of rust.
Ill upload some pics later.
Thanks everyone for the help!
Now to put it all back together, hopefully with less hassle.
Wire brush the inside threads, blow out debris, coat well on TRE and inside threads with copper anti seize. Use lots
