So I have the brackets loosened and PB blastered the things, and have even had the torch on them for a bit. I just have a pipe wrench in the middle of the bar trying to twist the thing. Am I doing it wrong? Should I be twisting it at the ends? Do I need counter pressure at the end of the rods? Currently soaking in PB, any other pointers?
Tie rod won't spin (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter racevws
- Start date
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Come and do mine after you get yours done, I tried moving mine too PB and BFP and no luck
Well, if I'm picturing it right your trying to turn the tie rod. So it's like your trying to turn both tie rod ends at once. Twice as hard obviously.
You should remove the whole rod, get it on a vice and turn one side by the end. You may need to really friggin crank it. Big pipe wrench with a cheater bar and another pipe wrench to keep it from spinning in the vice. More heat and more penetrate but mostly just much more force.
You should remove the whole rod, get it on a vice and turn one side by the end. You may need to really friggin crank it. Big pipe wrench with a cheater bar and another pipe wrench to keep it from spinning in the vice. More heat and more penetrate but mostly just much more force.
I once busted a pipe wrench trying to undo tie rod ends. Had soaked it, heated it
, bashed it with a hammer, eventually had it out of the truck on the garage floor, wrench on the rod end, 18" pipe wrench on the tie rod, me jumping on the end of thewrench.
280lb gorilla 1
Pipe wrench 0
Had to get a 24" wrench to break it loose.
Try bashing around the threaded part of the tie rod simultaneously on opposing sides with a pair of large hammers
Or, buy a new one
, bashed it with a hammer, eventually had it out of the truck on the garage floor, wrench on the rod end, 18" pipe wrench on the tie rod, me jumping on the end of thewrench.
280lb gorilla 1
Pipe wrench 0
Had to get a 24" wrench to break it loose.
Try bashing around the threaded part of the tie rod simultaneously on opposing sides with a pair of large hammers
Or, buy a new one
I finally gave up and took it to the tire shop. Some young mechanic finally broke it free. I had tried off and on for a couple of years.
Two hammers.
One on each side of the threaded area.
Smack them together on the exterior of the tie rod over the threaded area at the SAME TIME. Do this all the way around the rod end.
At least hold one solid and smack the opposite side with the other.
This causes compression / flexing of the thread and CAN break free the rust.
Do it on both ends.
It took me 4 hours of heat / hammering / spraying with PB Blaster to get both end. I had mine pulled and was in the vice and it STILL took that long. Yes they CAN be a PITA.
When going back together, clean the threads interior, use anti-seize liberally. When installed and adjusted, pump the "slit" full of grease to keep water intrusion to a minimum.
One on each side of the threaded area.
Smack them together on the exterior of the tie rod over the threaded area at the SAME TIME. Do this all the way around the rod end.
At least hold one solid and smack the opposite side with the other.
This causes compression / flexing of the thread and CAN break free the rust.
Do it on both ends.
It took me 4 hours of heat / hammering / spraying with PB Blaster to get both end. I had mine pulled and was in the vice and it STILL took that long. Yes they CAN be a PITA.
When going back together, clean the threads interior, use anti-seize liberally. When installed and adjusted, pump the "slit" full of grease to keep water intrusion to a minimum.
Heat it
1973Guppie
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it really depends on where the rig has spent it's time. I have had ones that have come fairly easily and some other ones on fj40's that are basically seized and rusted together and won't come no matter what. Best bet is to heat is alot with map gas and then hit it with pb blaster while still hot, then try to walk it back and forth to see if the threads will move. If it is rusted together badly it might be easier to purchase a new complete unit from trail gear or another vendor. Have any pics? another tip before taking them off is to mark the tie rod with the edge of a file so you know how far in it went when placing the new ones in. This way if the car was aligned properly you can get almost exactly the same distance and you won't have to re align the truck. Best of luck.
Spent 2 hours trying and cursing at my inability to remove tie rod ends. Took it to a shop that put a torch on it but could only remove one side. Mechanic I have used for years was apologetic but said it was just too rusted. I went online and found the tie rod for $34 and the drag link bar for $16! Took a week to receive but now it's all working like a charm. $50 plus shipping was well worth it. Only wish I had thought it sooner.
- Thread starter
- #10
Finally got one end heated enough to stabilize with a 15mm and had a pipe wrench on the bar, wedged a lever in between and rotated it maybe 45 degrees.
I repeated the process on the other side and got another few degrees, went back to the first side, and had to do it again! Finally got bothe sides to line up, more or less, and of course one of the boots clamps (the small one) came off. All said and done, the toe in is just over 0 now, was 1/8 th inch out.
So now that tie rod end will wear prematurely and will have to replace within the next year anyway.
Sigh.
I repeated the process on the other side and got another few degrees, went back to the first side, and had to do it again! Finally got bothe sides to line up, more or less, and of course one of the boots clamps (the small one) came off. All said and done, the toe in is just over 0 now, was 1/8 th inch out.
So now that tie rod end will wear prematurely and will have to replace within the next year anyway.
Sigh.
LINUS
Waiting for the Great Pumpkin
Yup. Heat it hot enough & it'll move.
If you're just on portable tools & don't have a oxy/acetylene rig, a good BTU torch-head & a MAP gas bottle will handle 90% the automotive jobs.
A $50 head & $10 MAP bottle is a heavy hitter. Esp if you price Victor torch rigs.
Soak w/ whatever fluid you have (PB is my fav) & heat, it'll creep in even with whatever you burn off - just keep doing, it'll really creep when hot but below auto-ignite temps.
Need to torch it. Get it nice and red but not melting. Then break free. Common practice in new england
mine was so seized on, that it bent the rod when i tried to adjust the ends. I finally ordered a new rod and ends, so now it's smooth.
When i put the new one together, i put some anti-seize on the threads and hope this will keep that from happening again.
When i put the new one together, i put some anti-seize on the threads and hope this will keep that from happening again.
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Glad we don't deal with rust buckets! When loose or replaced, be generous with the anti-seize, may save work next time.
LINUS
Waiting for the Great Pumpkin
+1 - working in a sulfuric acid refinery where pipes are 416ss but studs/nuts at gasketed flanges are carbon steel, it's amazing what protection Nvr-Sieze gives, either the silver or copper flavors. Acid is generally ~170* in process pipes, at decent pressure as well - when leaks spray it'll eat metal quick, but N-S protected threads hold up enough to wrench rather than burn out bolts w/ the torch.
I'm with you, thank god for rust free trucks from the desert southwest.
+1 for the use of never seize, every time i take my exhaust system apart i thank god for the stuff.
