Front end rebuild and tie rod troubles
 

So I started the front end rebuild on my '82 this weekend. It's going to be a painful process.................

Nothing quite like bashing away with a hammer and burning out cobalt drill bits trying to get 20+ year old seized suspension parts apart!

Had to drill out the wedge bolt, dremel the ball joint castle nut, bash the tie rod end out, partly drill (*&^$@#$ spring steel) and hammer out the roll pin (and broke my pin punch to boot), bottle jack the strut out of the housing, and finally come to a standstill with the old tie rod.

I have a turbo tie rod kit to go in, and I can't seem to get the old one out. I've levered it as much as possible. I checked the forums, and apparently the large cad-plated washer type thing (great description....) acts as a locknut?? Which way does it loosen? Opposite or the same direction that I turn the tie rod for removal (counterclockwise).

Kirk

Both sides remove counter clockwise, like most threaded parts. did you soak / spray everything with a PB Blaster type penetrating oil? That may work on being able to take apart old hardware (obviously not he pin).

Doug

Heat is your friend, but I guess you're past that stage. The old rods come out of the steering rack CCW. Hit the "lock" ring with a chisel on the edge driving it CCW.

The lock ring serves to orintate the fork with the rubber bushing. The Turbo unit is universal in orientation, so it goes in until it stops threading against its own washer/spacer. Just cinch it up good, no need to go crazy on torque once it's snugged home.

Agreed, some heat will often loosen that stuck inner end. You can also use the inner nut as a point to run an impact on as it is reverse threaded. Basically, tightening the inner nut in turn loosens the inner tie rod end. Sometimes it helps to remove the rest of the tie rod and then get something like a pipe wrench, channel locks etc on that inner end to break it free..


-Chris

Thanks guys, I'll try whacking the ring with a chisel tonight, and maybe throw the propane torch on it for fun.

Kirk

If you have a big enough set of vice grips you can latch the grips onto two of the notches in the lock ring and whack on the vice grips with a BFH. Has always worked for me.

It's pretty tight getting in there with the sway bar in the way. Maybe that should come off too?

I don't want to drop the rack if I don't have to.

I put a pair of vice grips on the tie rod shaft and started turning, it eventually started loosening the shaft near one of the nuts, but not at the rubber bushing/locknut area. So much for that idea......

This whole suspension rebuild has been an ordeal, I hope it pays off.