Tie rod removal tool

[exitwound]

I'm about to do my first tie rod removal myself to avoid a $290 fee to pass inspection. I have never attempted this and have researched this site and others and found that a tie rod removal tool is the best way to remove the tie rod (go figure). However, my local advance auto stocks something called a "tie rod remover" but it looks like a giant tuning fork, and NOT like what I figured it would look like.

This is what I thought the tool I needed should look like:



This is what Advance Auto stocks, a long rod with a fork at the end (with no extensions like the picture shows):



Which should I be getting and is the job really a 20 minute job??

THanks!

[mattdavis11]

Neither? The pickle fork is the proper tool for separating the tie rod ends from the steering arm, and for ball joints. I haven't had a need for one on the 944, or my other cars. Actually I destroyed a pickle fork trying to separate the ball joints on my Land Cruiser. Heat and a BFH gets it done every time.

[my1st911]

Just a good hammer will do.

[many944s]

+1 on the BFH.
There is a tool similar to what you have pictured that is basically a "2 jaw puller". Like any stubborn mating surface, a sharp impact is the best way to separate, a "slow" increasing force will rarely do the job! In fact, I have seen the "2 jaw" style mushroom the stem so much that once it is loose, it needs to be ground down just to pass through the opening.

[hpservertech]

+2 on the BFH. The fork will work too. But sometimes the tie rod ends get stuck in there.

[Techno Duck]

It may not matter, but pickle forks will usually damage the dust boots. I have had very good sucess with this tool available at most chain auto stores.




Just make sure you wear eye protection.

[thekidd]

Yeah, need for the tools, just another way for them to get money. Its a real eay straight forward job, what would you guys say? 15 minuets a side? Last time I did mine, pass. side came right off and on, but the drivers side was rusted on and I had to sawzaw it off, that took a while. And when I put the new one on, the arm was just spining around when I tried to tighten the end on. The drivers side took a long time to do, some cursing, and a few brewskies. Have fun and good luck.

[thekidd]

Whats with the paint techno? So you know where to stop tightening it on, or you repaint the Koni's?

[Techno Duck]

Originally Posted by thekidd

Whats with the paint techno? So you know where to stop tightening it on, or you repaint the Koni's?

The car is my daily driver so i was trying to get the toe back reasonably close with the new tie rod ends. The place i usually goto for wheel alignments didnt have time to do it until a couple days afterwards.

[bazar01]

Originally Posted by Techno Duck

It may not matter, but pickle forks will usually damage the dust boots. I have had very good sucess with this tool available at most chain auto stores.




Just make sure you wear eye protection.

Cheap best tie rod/ball joint extraction tool that will work on most vehicle make, whether Porsche, Japanese and American cars.
To keep the tool from slipping on the tie rod end, I leave the loose castle nut on .