I recently got my first oil change on my 2001 tj and they said the drivers side outer tie rod bushing has worn and some grease was coming out. I was wondering if this is hard to fix. And would the tie rod effect the drive in the sense of a wobble will driving above 40 mph?
How hard is a tie rod end to fix?
- Thread starter RAC02
- Start date
Honestly, I could fix it in probably an hour tops, maybe even less. The majority of the time would literally just be spent aligning the vehicle afterwards and making sure the toe-in is set correctly.
This is one of those things you don't want to do unless you have the toe-in aligned immediately afterwards.
A bad tie rod end could cause a sense of wobble at higher speeds, yes.
This is one of those things you don't want to do unless you have the toe-in aligned immediately afterwards.
A bad tie rod end could cause a sense of wobble at higher speeds, yes.
I assume you mean the boot? It's a simple part to inspect yourself, lay down and look at the ends of the steering linkages and see what you find. It can be normal for them to be coated in grease especially if whoever greased them hasn't been wiping them clean.
All you need is the new part, a hammer, basic socket set, torque wrench (if you're not comfortable setting torque by hand), and a pair of pliers. For the alignment you'll need 2 straight items (I use aluminum L channel) that you can clamp onto the rotors and a tape measure. If you're thinking about starting to do your own Jeep work it's a good safe first project with little to accidentally break or mess up.
There's plenty of tutorials on this site and on YouTube for the replacement and alignment.
That’s one of my shortcomings, I forget not everyone has the same life experiences. Do you have a link or you gonna make me look.
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OP, here’s a link that explains how to perform a dry steering test. You need two people to perform it.
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/can-anyone-explain-a-dry-steering-test.14163/
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/can-anyone-explain-a-dry-steering-test.14163/
Very simple to replace the grease boot if the tie rod is still good, very simple to replace the tie rod if it is worn. There are pickle forks which work great for removal but generally tear the boots (already torn), and there are small presses that can pop one out and save the boot. BFH is always handy during either application. When I replace a tie rod I measure carefully to make sure I can get the distances the same as before. Always check toe-in when finished (it could have been wrong before). You will find tons of instructions for the procedure here and on youtube. Fun and satisfying repair. Check out the how to section for the ZJ upgrade. In for a penny in for a pound. Definitely check the ball joints as well. A great learning experience changing them and the procedure will teach you more about your front end, brakes, axles, and differential. You can get a seal and bearing kit and do it at the same time. Videos help, instructions are good, having a friend there who knows how is best.
A piece of duct tape can get you by if you are worried
. A torn boot can be glued back with a bit of silicone.
I know people that had a ripped CV axle joint that have put over 50,000 mi with the rip.
It isn't an emergency fix. But the proper repair is very easy to do.
. A torn boot can be glued back with a bit of silicone. I know people that had a ripped CV axle joint that have put over 50,000 mi with the rip. It isn't an emergency fix. But the proper repair is very easy to do.Similar threads
