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tie rod end wont budge

W

WOTFTW

New member
so i need some help... im trying to pop off my tie rod end and its not going anywhere. its not corroded because its almost brand new, maybe 8k miles on it? other side popped off after a few wacks with a mallet. ive been battling this thing for hours. ive used a mallet, used a blow torch, mallet again, and even applied pressure from the bottom with a jack while hitting it with a mallet but im getting no luck. the castle nut is off and i broke the locking nut loose. any ideas what else i could do?
 


one of these will work. hammer it in, it will kill the boot though.

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Fork that. If it's still stuck in the knuckle, then just screw the castle nut back onto it just until the end of the tie rod is even w/ the top of the castle, and then back it off one turn. Get a Ford wrench and smack the castle nut directly upwards and it will pop. I don't even own one of those fancy fork thingys and I've done tie-rods for years this way. Have yet to have one not come out. If not, then get a bigger hammer and jack the car up higher so you can get a good CENTERED swing on it. Pop goes the weasel.
 
ya idc if i got to buy another tie rod end at this point. i was thinking about cutting the thing off anyway. and if i wanted a bigger hammer, i would literally need a sledge hammer. the one im using is already about 10 pounds haha. ill look into the tool. probably see about renting one. thanks for the suggestions guys
 
Or you can heat up the outside of the knuckle w/ a torch to get it to expand and then smack the tie rod. Done that a few times too.
 
2 decent weight hammers, swing both at opposite sides of the arm, this temporarily deforms the taper and releases the grip.
 
already had tried a torch. got the removing tool and it popped out no problem. best part is, the boot still lives (:
 


I dislike the tool, they should have named it boot killer.

If you don't mind us asking...why are you taking off the tie rod end?
 
BillBoost37 said:
I dislike the tool, they should have named it boot killer.

If you don't mind us asking...why are you taking off the tie rod end?
Click to expand...

I agree, I use mine only when replacing the Tie Rod/ Ball Joint, And Of Course for the tool's Obvious intended use...My Wife was skeptical even after I showed her the box it came in, Clearly labeled "Pickle Fork". (You earn a Gold Star if you know what kind of pickle I'm about to nosh on).



P1010339.jpg
 
im pulling off the tie rod because im also replacing the rack and pinion while i have the motor out

and my boot came out fine. maybe i just got lucky
 
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that's not the tools he's talking about its the one that is like a c shape that has a bolt that runs through it to push the tierod out right?
 


dsmuts said:
that's not the tools he's talking about its the one that is like a c shape that has a bolt that runs through it to push the tierod out right?
Click to expand...


I think what you are talking about is a pitman arm puller, C shaped with a drive bolt.



the ad i got it from says pitman/tie rod puller.

2TVL3_AS01
 
Good luck with a pitman arm puller. The whole concept of the taper is that it stretches ~6 thousandths of an inch when torqued, so pushing down on the top-or hammering on the top of the stud only serves to "bulge" the male element of the taper, thereby making it tighter still. Not to say you won't get lucky once in a while, but if the taper was originally assembled with oil or grease (BIG NO NO), you're in for a fight. 14 degrees of included (7 per side) or less will lock, steel on steel. Somewhere around 16 or 17 degrees and above will free release. I may be off a bit, but I'm too lazy to look it up in the Machinerys' Handbook right now...and nobody thought my pickle fork was funny :C
 
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