Grrr! Tie Rod Removal Tips!?

[deathpunk dan]

I had some time this afternoon and installed new front rotors/pads (zimmerman/mintex) and decided to try to tackle the turbo tie rod upgrade.

The 101 projects book says to use the tie rod assy as a wrench (bent it down, push/pull to loosen), but all this did was spin slightly and the inner nut remained stuck. I'm used to E36 BMWs, where you just need a thin-face wrench on the inner nut, but on the 911 the brake master cylinder and the different design makes getting anything on that notched gold piece...a challenge.

Any ideas? Ended up putting it back to together in defeat/disgust and putting her away.

On the plus side, wedge engineering brackets for my recaro SEs and my euro H4s should be arriving soon.

But I really need to get these tie rods done -the existing ones on the car appear to be the original ones and the steering is NOT super tight.

Any advice welcome!

[jmh61]

I had the same problem. I ended up using a pipe wrench to break them loose. I set the wrench up to hang down, braced myself under the car and used my legs to push on the wrench. It was one frustrating job, but worth the effort.

[john walker's workshop]

a long flat tipped punch and a big hammer. stick the punch in the notch on an angle, hit it with the hammer and turn the nut in the proper direction to loosen it. run the rack almost all the way in for a more solid hit. i use an air hammer and blunt bit, but the hammer/punch method is basically the same.

[Bart_dood]

Originally Posted by jmh61

I had the same problem. I ended up using a pipe wrench to break them loose. I set the wrench up to hang down, braced myself under the car and used my legs to push on the wrench. It was one frustrating job, but worth the effort.

+2 I spent many frustrating hours trying to get the things off; I bought a small and large pipe wrench from walmart and it worked, can't remember which size fit best.

[burgermeister]

If you take the boot off and extend the rack out from the housing, you get a couple of nice flats (on the rack) to put another wrench on. that way you can loosen the tie rods by squeezing 2 wrenches together as opposed to pulling like crazy on one wrench. Probably nicer for the rack internals, too.

[Garp]

Originally Posted by Bart_dood

+2 I spent many frustrating hours trying to get the things off; I bought a small and large pipe wrench from walmart and it worked, can't remember which size fit best.

+3 I remember getting completely soaked in sweat, cursing and effectively yelling at the damn thing. I didn't need to yell for the other side.

[Dixie]

I love the way manuals make it sound like suspension stuff unbolts with ease. I've always found the most important tool for suspension work is a BFH.

Here's how I got the tie rods off my '88. I jambed one of those giant pry-bar screwdrivers in there, and then pulled with all the strength I could muster. That broke it loose. After that, I used a pipe wrench, as it was shorter.

[midnight911]

I remember this. Yep, I added few cursing words to my vocabulary before done with this thing.
I gave up doing it laying on the ground. Went to my friend's shop to borrow the lift but was still not easy. Especially the passenger side. I ended up using torch, punch (prybar in my case), and a sledge hammer. The diver side was easy as i used the tie rod itself to lever the thing to turn.

I remember this and axle replacement (did it at home laying on the ground) being extremely frustrating, exhausting. but have a cold beer wait on the side to get yourself going. it worked for me.

[Green 912]

Originally Posted by burgermeister

If you take the boot off and extend the rack out from the housing, you get a couple of nice flats (on the rack) to put another wrench on. that way you can loosen the tie rods by squeezing 2 wrenches together as opposed to pulling like crazy on one wrench. Probably nicer for the rack internals, too.

Same here. Pipe wrench on the part coming off, adjustable or right size wrench on the flats on the the rack. Line the wrenches up so they are a little off angle from each other and squeeze them together with your hands to loosen. No load on the rack, works while the car is on jack stands for the lift-less folks, tremendous torque and no slip and bust a knuckle or room to swing the BFH issues.

[KNS]

Do these come off the conventional way, that is lefty-loosy..? If you are looking at the tie rod from the drivers side wheel well, then the rod will rotate counter clockwise to loosen - correct? Then counter clockwise from the passenger side as well.. just checking.
Mine were a b*tch and quite honestly I can't recall which way I turned the things to get 'em off.

[SP2]

Lefty loosy when you are looking at it from the wheel well. I also used a very large pipe wrench so that the two handles come very close together. Easier to get a grip on the wrench. They should be loctite-d in so it will be hard. I remember I was on my back under the car and I couldn't get any leverage until I put my foot in the wheel well and used my whole body to get leverage on the tie rod.

Yes, I remember that this particular project sucked...

[jasonmx5]

Mine were so frustrating, I just removed the whole steering rack. After that, 3 minutes and a bench vice had them off. I sometimes go to extremes though . . .

[deathpunk dan]

I got this done today.

Used a big ole pipe wrench on the tie rod as close to the rack as possible and they came free easily. Actually, the hardest part of the job was getting the new rubber boots onto the rack!

Tried to eyeball it the best I could, but still needs to be aligned @ a shop ASAP. Way off. Whoops.

Feels good to keep tackling these projects!

[88911coupe]

Any risk of damage to the steering rack with this much torque? Seems safer to hold the inner part if this is possible.

[Targalid]

I did mine with a pickle fork, the tool used to separate ball joints and tie rod ends. I pushed it onto the yoke of the tie rod from the wheel well then clamped a vice grip onto the handle and it turned right off. As you say, the hard side is the driver side with the brake master cylinder in the way. The passenger side was not too bad.

[RichardM912]

Not sure of the internal design of later racks but the early-ish ones have a metal pressure block to adjust the play between the rack and the pinion. It has a Delrin cap. There have been some posts here, and also on the 912BBS, that warn that putting high torque on the rack to remove or install the tie rods carries the very real risk of splitting the cap.

[88911coupe]

OK...think something is wrong on my situation with my '88. On the driver side I have managed to get the tie rod to rotate about 3/4 of a turn but it has never felt like it "broke loose". It this normal sounding? I was thinking once it broke loose I'd be able to just spin it off. Im worried I'm about to break something. Is there maybe some sort of thread locker that I'm working against?

[zippy_gg]

Originally Posted by 88911coupe

OK...think something is wrong on my situation with my '88. On the driver side I have managed to get the tie rod to rotate about 3/4 of a turn but it has never felt like it "broke loose". It this normal sounding? I was thinking once it broke loose I'd be able to just spin it off. I'm worried I'm about to break something. Is there maybe some sort of thread locker that I'm working against?

Having recently removed my old tie rods to replace with turbo type I can tell you that I had the assembly in a vise and I used each tie rod as leverage to unscrew them. So much gunk in there that they don't come easy.
You won't get that "break loose" feeling but instead it will be gradually easier to unscrew them.

[TargaHenry]

Oh this is reassuring...

I plan to put the Turbo kit on my '84 Monday afternoon.

[rattlsnak]

Guys, make it simple. Cut the end of the tie rod off flush with the nut and use a socket / extension / ratchet on the nut. Works perfect every time. Takes 5 minutes tops..