tie rods safe?

THC420 · Apr 12, 2005

my tie rods are worn out. when i put grease in them it lifts up the rubber and some grease comes out the side, not much but some.

my question is, is it safe to drive with them like this?

jrichker · Apr 12, 2005

Loose steering is a serious problem, and I wouldn't drive the car until I knew for sure what was wrong.

Put the car up on jackstands and leave the steering wheel locked. Then try and turn the wheels right and left. Any noticeable slack means there are some parts that need to be replaced. If you have a buddy, have him watch as you wiggle the wheels. He may be able to pinpoint the part that has the slack in it.

88stangmangt · Apr 12, 2005

Are you talking about the rubber grease boot????if so those go bad quicker than a tie rod end and doesnt mean your tie rod is worn or you have to re-palce it. like stated above you can lock the wheel and try to wiggle the wheel or if you lazy like me what i do at work is just turn the wheel left and right and if it has to much travel before it grabs the spindle then i will lift it up to make sure the stud hole isnt rounded out..........

THC420 · Apr 12, 2005

when the car is on jackstands, if i place my hands at 9:00 and 3:00 and wiggle, it moves back and forth, its a small amount, prolly a 1/16 of an inch. is this my tie rods ends?

HISSIN50 · Apr 12, 2005

how much play do you get at 12 and 6 o'clock? one needs to have no play at 12 and 6 to have the 3 and 9 test be valid.

good luck.

89MustangGX · Apr 12, 2005

BTW, some grease coming out of the boot is normal when you fill them up -- most greasable ones are designed that way.

THC420 · Apr 12, 2005

do i do the same test i was doing at 9:00 and 3:00 for the 12 and 6 one?
what if i have play at 12 and 6? what does this mean?

Scorcher2005 · Apr 12, 2005

you guys are missing the point here...he is asking about when he sticks the grease gun on the fitting and pumping the grease in. to answer your question:
Yes, it is fine when grease comes out. Actually, that is what you want. When you regrease them you want all the old black grease out. When i do mine i grease them until i see the new red grease ooze out.

Scorcher2005 · Apr 12, 2005

to see if the tie rods are bad, you can do two checks:
#1 - with wheels on the ground (or lift), go under the car and yank up and down on the tie rod end. if it moves in and out of the socket, its bad.
#2 - with wheels in the air, have a friend hold one wheel steady as possible. You will grab the other wheel at the 3 and 9 oclock positions and wiggle the tire hard like you are trying to turn it. if your tire moves while he is holding the other then your tie rods/steering is messed up. Do this vice versa also.

THC420 · Apr 12, 2005

im gonna go check it right now, keep watching this thread, ill be back in less then 5

THC420 · Apr 12, 2005

ok i just checked it, 6 and 12 there is some play, enough that i wiggle it back and forth i can hear metal clicking, then when i do it and 9 and 3 it moves more then at 6 and 12.

the verdict?

HISSIN50 · Apr 12, 2005

Scorcher2005 said:
#2 - with wheels in the air, have a friend hold one wheel steady as possible. You will grab the other wheel at the 3 and 9 oclock positions and wiggle the tire hard like you are trying to turn it. if your tire moves while he is holding the other then your tie rods/steering is messed up. Do this vice versa also.

of one has wheel bearings that are shot, etc, it can invalidate this test. that is why i like to ensure that the 12 and 6 o'clock test passes first (if you have movement at any point around the circumference, it can be something other than tie rods).

HISSIN50 · Apr 12, 2005

12 and 6 suggests ball joint (though ancillary stuff can also be bad). three and 9 is likely tie rods.

were it me, i would replace a few things (rack- most come with new inner tie rods. 100 bucks at parts stores), outer tie rods, ball joints, check bushings, new wheel bearings as needed, etc. gotta give it a once over.

while i never discourage people, if you have doubts have a shop or known gearhead friend check things and/or help you - you dont want to play games with steering/suspension.

my two cents.
good luck.

THC420 · Apr 12, 2005

its not the wheel bearings, they are practically brand new. what would it cost me with part and labour to get all these things done?

what is ancillary stuff?

Stang8URMPRT · Apr 12, 2005

THC420 said:
its not the wheel bearings, they are practically brand new. what would it cost me with part and labour to get all these things done?

Just because the wheel bearings are new, doesn't mean they weren't adjusted properly. If they are loose, the wheel will be "loose" in all your checks and can cause a metal clicking or thunking sound

THC420 · Apr 12, 2005

they are installed properly, i did them myself, following my manual step by step and using a torque wrench. both front wheels did the same thing before and after the bearing change. thats why i changed them becuase i suspected they were at fault. however it didnt fix it at all. at least i know i have good bearings in there now anyways.

88stangmangt · Apr 13, 2005

good god here come all the experts.....

THC420 · Apr 13, 2005

OK i took the wheel off today and the rotor assembly so i could get a good look what was going on back there. the tie rods are good, they have no play and i greased them both up. both seals look brand new. afer the rotor was off, i was wiggling the spindle and the play is in the ball joints.
no problem tho, the g/f's dad is a mechanic and he said i could do them in his shop with him.

what can ball joints that have a lil play in them do?

how serious is this? i took it for a rip today and the steering is tight, everything seems good, cept for the lil play in the ball joints.

HISSIN50 · Apr 13, 2005

if the ball joint falls apart, you will surf on the frame. it has happened to folks in here before. dont let it go.

and doing the joints is easy - you can leave the arms on the car and press them on and off. in a shop setting, it should be a few mins a side.

good luck.

THC420 · Apr 13, 2005

how much play is considered too much? or is any considered too much?

tie rods safe?

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