I like the suggestion of comparing old part with new. Maybe that will shed light. Do you have old pic of the boot and if it was squashed. What about height of hole in relation to current part?
Is there an issue with this tie rod end?
- Thread starter rdu-jeep
- Start date
LONGJP2
TJ Expert
Never back off or reduce torque. That's the minimum value to keep it secure. You can always add torque; until it is too much for the application.
In the case of a TRE, adding till the castle nut lines up would not be too much.
As far as it being too high; the taper is what it is. Tightening (or over tightening) is not going to change where the taper finally bottoms out. At least not by much. So if it's sitting too low, then one or the other is cut wrong. IMO, it shouldn't affect the operation; and adding washers to raise the nut will allow the cotter pin to do its job.
Always torque to spec and then tighten to the next slot in the castellated nut. You should not back it off if you like the tapered holes in the knuckle.
Good luck, any of the suggested solutions will be fine the way I see it. I haven't read any bad advice really. The only thing I'd add is don't leave the cotter pin high, use a washer if you end up using that combination so the cotter pin engages with the nut properly.
Well, you most certainly can over torque something. Stretch bolts, wheel bearing nuts, the list goes on and on. I'm not saying back off a lot. I'm saying a few lbs. Most things with castle nuts kind of end up in the ball park. Even the racing forums seem to say get close and when cotter lines up you stop. Wheel bearings are a big one that come to mind, because you tighten, get it to seat then back off just a little until the when spins freely, then pin it. Maybe not every application, but certainly on many.
I agree, I'm not sure i would back off on that necessarily enough to align pin. I might back it off totally and start over. Maybe someone over torqued and stretched that out in the past. One that boot is squashed, two he can't keep it full of grease and then that pin doesn't align. Something is wrong and it's looking like too tight.
Correct.
There always seems to be some confusion over what that job is. I can't find any way for it to do anything except keep the nut from falling off it it works loose and that's it. We get them difficult to pull out of the hole and all I do is trim the ends off so a socket will fit and then unscrew the nut. Barely even slows it down.
If you don't know what it does why are you giving advice about how to install it?
Dumb is a bad look on you, stop it. I know what people think it does, they are not correct.
Well boat props are a big one. Those are built with some 'slip' in them. Hope I'm saying that right. In any case the prop goes on only so tight and the pin is the only real thing holding that nut on the shaft and the prop on the engine. My outboard is a 150hp, my bass boat goes about 65mph. That prop is moving very fast obviously. If i tighten prop too much the cotter pin won't seat in the castle nut.... that would be very bad!
Yes, if you cut the ends i can spin it out because there isn't much material and it'll allow the pin to pull as you twist the nut, that's why you leave the head bubbled out and wrap the other end.
Castle nuts are unsuited to applications that require a specific preload. I'll stop because dumb is my favorite color and I'd hate for you to find out.
OP
35 is from the ZJ service manual, which is funny to me because it's a beefier steering system but requires less torque?
I did 55 for both TRE and for the drag link to pittman arm nut.
I'll stick the old TRE in there and see what it looks like. Could drop that TRE into the other side to see if it pulls up the same but I'm running close to a beach trip so thinking of leaving it.
Any safety concerns here for the short term?
I thought i had read he had gone 55. The zj conversion page says 35 at knuckle(s). I've Googled it for tj and zj and get the conflicting info as well.
I'm going to have to sit down at pc, where is easier to compare threads. But obviously huge difference between 35 and 55. That could be his issue. Not sure why with the larger, ZJ, TRE the torque would be less, but something isn't right here.
Maybe you've said, I'm starting to get lost reading this on cell phone, but what did you torque the passenger/drag link to knuckle to?
OP
Too many variables to predict. If the hole in the knuckle is wallowed, it won't take long for that to get worse. If the pin is out of spec and the wrong taper, it will tear up the hole.
Your dealing with a tapered hole and tapered pin basically. No way 20 lbs more torque on the nut will pull that tie rod in another 1/8 or 3/16 of an inch to miss the cotter hole unless its a case of a screwed up taper or sizing due to crappy parts. Pull the rod end and mic the tapers compared to the old one and check for obvious out of round/wallowed knuckle hole. Im guessin the problem lies in the garbage from China we all are stuck with.
Last edited:
You can torque to 35 ft lbs; IF you want....
I will stay with the factory TJ and Currie spec of 55 ft lbs.
OP
Brand new stock TJ knuckle (Crown Automotive) with a brand new TRE (Moog ES3096L) at 55ft lbs (dry fit before I took anything apart)
This must be a Moog thing. I'm not seeing a difference between this and my setup.
This must be a Moog thing. I'm not seeing a difference between this and my setup.