Should I hammer out my tie end rod?
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Miami Beach, FL
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Car: '88 Camaro IROC-Z
Engine: 5.0 TPI
Transmission: 700r4
Should I hammer out my tie end rod?
Not sure if the tie end rod is under tension.
So I'm having a bit of an alignment problem. I've done an alignment already and the problem is still there. So next I'm I've decided to change the ball joints & idler arm (I'm also doing the caliper because the passenger side isn't closing at all). So, I have to remove the tie end rod to get to the ball joint, problem is the I can't get the tie end rod off without hammering the sucker or buying a tie end rod puller. Ok, so I have 2 questions. #1 is the tie end rod puller even worth the $35? Or should I just un bolt the nut on the inner side and hammer it out? (For $20 at Autozone I think I'll just replace it) #2 is the tie end rod right now (see pic) under any tension? I really don't want any suspension parts flying around. Thanks in advance for your help.
Last edited by stevenr9999; 07-07-2015 at 01:10 AM.
#2
Supreme Member
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 26,051
Received 1,672 Likes
on
1,269 Posts
Car: Yes
Engine: Usually
Transmission: Sometimes
Axle/Gears: Behind me somewhere
Re: Should I hammer out my tie end rod?
Nope, no tension; you can pop it right out of there by any method you choose. A pickle fork often works, or just bonk the threaded stud out if you're not going to re-use it.
I always find it best to swap all 4 TREs, the center link, and the adjusting sleeves, as an assembly. Take it all off together undisturbed, lay it on the floor, assemble the new parts and adjust exactly the same, install.
Looks like you need sway bar end links. Probably bushings as well.
I always find it best to swap all 4 TREs, the center link, and the adjusting sleeves, as an assembly. Take it all off together undisturbed, lay it on the floor, assemble the new parts and adjust exactly the same, install.
Looks like you need sway bar end links. Probably bushings as well.
#3
Moderator
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: 51°N 114°W, 3500'
Posts: 17,110
Likes: 0
Received 120 Likes
on
101 Posts
Car: 87 IROC L98
Engine: 588 Alcohol BBC
Transmission: Powerglide
Axle/Gears: Ford 9"/31 spline spool/4.86
Re: Should I hammer out my tie end rod?
If you're replacing the tie rod end, you can just beat on the threaded end to get it out. If you only need to remove it for better access, use a really big hammer and hit on the side of the steering arm. The tie rod end should pop right out without damaging the threads.
#4
Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Las Vegas,NV
Posts: 176
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Car: 89GTA Black, Black cloth
Engine: LB9 26,000 miles
Transmission: T5
Axle/Gears: 3.45 Australian 9 bolt
Re: Should I hammer out my tie end rod?
thread the nut on a few thread this will protect the threads from a rogue swing and hit the steering arm with a big hammer
#5
Supreme Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Howard Lake, MN
Posts: 1,293
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes
on
4 Posts
Car: 86 Camaro
Engine: 355- hopefully a 5.3 this summer
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: 3.42
Re: Should I hammer out my tie end rod?
thread the nut on so that it's flush with the end of the stud..
grab a real hammer (20oz or bigger)...
hit it like it owes you money and tried to steal your girlfriend..
it should pop right out.
grab a real hammer (20oz or bigger)...
hit it like it owes you money and tried to steal your girlfriend..
it should pop right out.
#6
Supreme Member
iTrader: (7)
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Lexington, SC
Posts: 5,291
Likes: 0
Received 58 Likes
on
52 Posts
Car: 1987 SC/1985 TA
Engine: 350/vortec/fitech
Transmission: T56
Axle/Gears: 3.27 9-bolt
Re: Should I hammer out my tie end rod?
...or 'rent' the puller or fork from autozone through their loan-a-tool program
#7
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Miami Beach, FL
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Car: '88 Camaro IROC-Z
Engine: 5.0 TPI
Transmission: 700r4
Re: Should I hammer out my tie end rod?
OK, so I ran into a bit of a snag. Taking a look at both sides the tie rods seem to be adjusted differently.
Passenger's Side
Driver's Side
So I did a search here & someone posted they were adjusting then to 1/4 inch. Not sure what that means. If I were to guess, I'd say that's how much thread sticks out of the adjustment sleeve. But I don't like making assumptions on my daily driver. Can anyone tell me the exact factory length these things are supposed to be (and from where to start measuring ).
Passenger's Side
Driver's Side
So I did a search here & someone posted they were adjusting then to 1/4 inch. Not sure what that means. If I were to guess, I'd say that's how much thread sticks out of the adjustment sleeve. But I don't like making assumptions on my daily driver. Can anyone tell me the exact factory length these things are supposed to be (and from where to start measuring ).
Trending Topics
#9
Supreme Member
iTrader: (7)
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Lexington, SC
Posts: 5,291
Likes: 0
Received 58 Likes
on
52 Posts
Car: 1987 SC/1985 TA
Engine: 350/vortec/fitech
Transmission: T56
Axle/Gears: 3.27 9-bolt
Re: Should I hammer out my tie end rod?
that's why you take if off as an assembly and put the new stuff together to as close as possible to the original length. Don't want to drive very far before reaching the alignment shop, unless you need new front tires anyway.
#11
Supreme Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Howard Lake, MN
Posts: 1,293
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes
on
4 Posts
Car: 86 Camaro
Engine: 355- hopefully a 5.3 this summer
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: 3.42
Re: Should I hammer out my tie end rod?
in a perfect world, you could set the length of both tie rod assemblies to a specified length, thrown them in the car, and have the alignment be right on...
in the real world, these cars are made out of sheetmetal that was stamped on dies that may have been geting worn out after years of straight use, then put on fixtures that were also starting to wear out after years of use by people that may or may not have shut down the bar the night before to be spotwelded by other people or robots... which means that the cars will vary a lot from one body to the next.. then take that body and use it in the real world for a couple of decades, and the tie rods might need to be adjusted just to keep the wheels straight..
so, yeah, it's rare to get the tie rod assemblies the same from side to side. a little variance is ok- but if you have one side significantly longer than the other, then it's time to figure out why.
on my car, the steering arm on one spindle was bent way in and up, which someone "fixed" by making that tie rod over an inch shorter than the other one. it had obviously been like that for a long, long time before i got it based on the amount of **** caked on it. i fixed it by heating the arm up with a torch and bending it down to as close to the one on the other side as my eyeballs would let me... i must have gotten it pretty close, because i didn't need an alignment when i put new spindles on the car when i did the LS1 brake swap..
in the real world, these cars are made out of sheetmetal that was stamped on dies that may have been geting worn out after years of straight use, then put on fixtures that were also starting to wear out after years of use by people that may or may not have shut down the bar the night before to be spotwelded by other people or robots... which means that the cars will vary a lot from one body to the next.. then take that body and use it in the real world for a couple of decades, and the tie rods might need to be adjusted just to keep the wheels straight..
so, yeah, it's rare to get the tie rod assemblies the same from side to side. a little variance is ok- but if you have one side significantly longer than the other, then it's time to figure out why.
on my car, the steering arm on one spindle was bent way in and up, which someone "fixed" by making that tie rod over an inch shorter than the other one. it had obviously been like that for a long, long time before i got it based on the amount of **** caked on it. i fixed it by heating the arm up with a torch and bending it down to as close to the one on the other side as my eyeballs would let me... i must have gotten it pretty close, because i didn't need an alignment when i put new spindles on the car when i did the LS1 brake swap..
#13
Supreme Member
iTrader: (2)
Re: Should I hammer out my tie end rod?
DO NOT hammer on the threaded end, or on a nut threaded onto it. Yea, people get away with it all the time, but when you mushroom the stud or mess up the threads you'll know why.
Instead grab a heavy hammer and give the knuckle that it's pressed into a solid whack, that will break the tapered seat loose and it will drop right out. Alternatively (or if it's stuck in there so hard that you can't get it to come loose like that), use a picklefork/puller to force it apart, but you'll likely mess up the boot and need to replace it doing that.
Instead grab a heavy hammer and give the knuckle that it's pressed into a solid whack, that will break the tapered seat loose and it will drop right out. Alternatively (or if it's stuck in there so hard that you can't get it to come loose like that), use a picklefork/puller to force it apart, but you'll likely mess up the boot and need to replace it doing that.
#14
Moderator
iTrader: (1)
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Chasing Electrons
Posts: 18,401
Likes: 0
Received 215 Likes
on
201 Posts
Car: check
Engine: check
Transmission: check
Re: Should I hammer out my tie end rod?
I haven't figured out yet why it needs to be removed to access the ball joint...
The sway bar end link, yes, that needs to be removed to allow the a-arm to either come out or drop down far enough.
RBob.
The sway bar end link, yes, that needs to be removed to allow the a-arm to either come out or drop down far enough.
RBob.
#15
Supreme Member
iTrader: (13)
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Bowdon, GA.
Posts: 2,535
Likes: 0
Received 16 Likes
on
14 Posts
Car: 1988 Camaro
Engine: 355, 10.34:1, 249/252 @.050", IK200
Transmission: TH-400, 3500 stall 9.5" converter
Axle/Gears: Ford 9", detroit locker, 3.89 gears
Re: Should I hammer out my tie end rod?
The tie rod end does NOT have to be removed to replace the ball joint. I don't even take the sway bar end links off.
Remove....
Wheel
Brake caliper
Bearing grease cap
Cotter key and castle nut
Rotor and bearings
Put jack or jackstand under A arm
Strut to spindle bolts
Cotter key and castle nut on ball joint.
Turn castle nut upside down and thread it back onto the ball joint until flush with top of stud. Hit that with a 2 lb hammer a time or three and ball joint will pop free.
Swing spindle around with tie rod end still hooked up and rest it on a block or something as you replace the ball joint.
Remove....
Wheel
Brake caliper
Bearing grease cap
Cotter key and castle nut
Rotor and bearings
Put jack or jackstand under A arm
Strut to spindle bolts
Cotter key and castle nut on ball joint.
Turn castle nut upside down and thread it back onto the ball joint until flush with top of stud. Hit that with a 2 lb hammer a time or three and ball joint will pop free.
Swing spindle around with tie rod end still hooked up and rest it on a block or something as you replace the ball joint.
#16
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Miami Beach, FL
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Car: '88 Camaro IROC-Z
Engine: 5.0 TPI
Transmission: 700r4
Re: Should I hammer out my tie end rod?
I hit ANOTHER snag. Check out the stud sizes on the new vs old TER.
This is the second time Autozone has done this to me.
This is the second time Autozone has done this to me.
#17
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Miami Beach, FL
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Car: '88 Camaro IROC-Z
Engine: 5.0 TPI
Transmission: 700r4
Re: Should I hammer out my tie end rod?
Does anyone know the part # for a tie end rod for a 88' Camaro 305TPI on stock suspension? Duralast has shot their silver bullet in my book.
#18
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
Posts: 580
Likes: 0
Received 66 Likes
on
39 Posts
Car: 91 Formula
Engine: 2012 LS9
Transmission: 4L80E
Axle/Gears: Strange 60 3.54:1
Re: Should I hammer out my tie end rod?
Moog ES2226RL outer & ES2227RL inner should be the correct numbers.
Looks like they may have given you the inner instead.
Looks like they may have given you the inner instead.
#21
Supreme Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Howard Lake, MN
Posts: 1,293
Likes: 0
Received 4 Likes
on
4 Posts
Car: 86 Camaro
Engine: 355- hopefully a 5.3 this summer
Transmission: 700r4
Axle/Gears: 3.42
Re: Should I hammer out my tie end rod?
if you buy cheap suspension parts, you get cheap suspension parts..
#22
Senior Member
iTrader: (4)
Re: Should I hammer out my tie end rod?
Just in case anyone is curious, the pitman arm pull that I bought years ago has paid for itself over and over again. It pushes out ball joints, tie rods, etc, with little to no effort.
http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/a...w142/9021191-P
http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/a...w142/9021191-P
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
ambainb
Camaros for Sale
11
04-25-2016 09:21 PM
gixxer92
Engine/Drivetrain/Suspension Parts for Sale
5
09-01-2015 04:32 PM