TRE removal, help!

[informationjunky]

I'm in the middle of replacing my knuckle bearings and replacing the tie rod ends while I'm at it. But the rods, what a PITA!!! Any tips for removal besides buying a Toyota tool ??? I've tried heat, big hammer with spitting fork.

 

[woody]

pickle fork and a BFH has worked for me....might also try putting the nut back on so it extends just above the threads and whacking that with the BFH.

(BFH = big frickin hammer)
(pickle fork = tie rod fork)

 

[theferg]

I've removed my TREs twice now on my FJ60 and have had no luck getting them separated using a pickle fork. I found a "Tie Rod End Puller" at Autozone and tried it and it worked, but was also difficult to use becuase the ends of the "claw" part of it were too wide (especially when trying to remove the drag link end that's attached to the pitman arm...) I ended up using a couple pieces of small angle iron and wedged them in between the TREs and the puller claws. It worked pretty well, but still a pain in the arse. Maybe there's a better way, but that's how I've done it... My buddy suggested to me to use a pickle fork attached to an air hammer...

 

[Landpimp]

2 BFH's works well. place one hammer agaist the TRE on the back side, hit the front side with another hammer.......they should come off. Don't hit with both hammers

 

[TLCObsession]

What Landpimp said. Put a full sized (8lb) sledge on the backside of the TRE and smack it with a mini sledge.

WHat has worked for me is to put the TRE under tension: TRE puller, pickle fork, even just a jack. Load it up good. Then take a BFH and hit the side of whatever is the TRE is in (In this case the steering arm.


BTW - You do not have to remove the TRE to do the bearings. You can finish the job later.

Jim

 

[Degnol]

I dreaded doing this because it seems like everybody has problems. Fortunately, I had a real mechanic help me and he didn't use a torch, puller or picklefork, just beat the female part with a hammer on the SIDE. Mine were on a '66 that appeared to never have been fritzed with.
HTH
ED

 

[cruiserman]

Get the OTC tie rod end puller. Easy, saves your boot, and no BFH needed.

 

[FJAfrica]

The hammers work, I broke my puller before I heard of the hammer trick.

 

[landcruiser]

The hammer trick works. I've used it for 25 years on everything from MG's to Porsches to Dodge trucks and on the FJ40. Works best if you have access to two sides and put big hammer on one side and whack away on the other side, but will also work if you can just hit it straight on. All you are trying to do is spring the taper and the piece will fall right out.

 

[cruiserdan]

[quote author=cruiserman link=board=1;threadid=4881;start=msg37207#msg37207 date=1062530573]
Get the OTC tie rod end puller. Easy, saves your boot, and no BFH needed.
[/quote]

Agreed, that's all I ever use and it saves the ends from a lot of "blunt trauma".

D-

 

[informationjunky]

Well guys, I tried the hammer trick (2lb and 5lb) but it didn't work. I was going to buy the OTC but the price kind of hurt, I ended up trying
http://www.jcwhitney.com/item.jhtml?ITEMID=19652&BQ=jcw2

and it actually worked great and was $17 plus shipping.

 

[Landpimp]

Speaking of TRE's, if you need a new tie rod for a fj40(any year)they are $100ish for just the rod. However for some wierd reason if you buy a new TRE(at least the pasanger side) from Toyota it comes with a free tie rod, cost is $50, and that gets you $150 worth of TRE AND tie rod. The new rod is the same as the old one, no change in the diameter or threads. Why this is I dunno, but I just got one last week was plesently suprised

John H