Tie rod removal installation

[surfsnake2]

the front left tie rod on my 260z is rusted over according to les schwab an it can not be alligned they said the tie rods need to be replace, so i guess i need to know how to remove and replace a tie rod fairly close to step by step if possible thanks

[z_boi]

get a tie rod puller. remover the cotter pin and nut from the tie rod that holds it to the steering knucle. Then with the tie rod puller, put tension on the tie rod, take a hammer, and hit the knucle with it a few times, put more tension on the tie rod end, then wack it a few more times, and repeat that till it pops out.

thats to remove it. to put it bak, jus simply tighten it till it seats and the nut line up wit the hole for the cotter pin. dont back it off if the pin doesnt go in. either try to tighten it a bit more to make it reach or back it all the way off then tighten it up again till it lines up.

Oh yeah! and when u put the tie rod end back onto the rack. make sure u try to get it as close to where it originally was other wise ur alignment is gonna be really screwed up. since ur takin it to get allinged n e how, it doesnt have to be exactly.

Hope this helps and not confusing u.

[surfsnake2]

first off what is a tie rod puller, and what might it look like and where do i get it does it look like some kind of fork thing? and how do i use the tie rod puller to put tension on the tie rod.

oh and how long can i expect this to take

[St.stephen]

its generally referred to as a "pickle fork". It basically looks like a tuning fork. you would put the pickle fork in between the tie rod end and steering knuckle and hit the end of the pickle fork until the end drops out. should only take a couple of good whacks with a heavy hammer.

once you drop the tie rod out of the knuckle and begin unscrewing the tie rod end from the steering rack, it helps to keep track and count the number of turns to ensure a relative close match on the reinstall.

[beandip]

If you live near a Harbor Fright they have peckle forks for less than $6.00. Check with midwesz.com for the new tie rods . they are a sponser here and give us a good price on parts. Gary

[surfsnake2]

is this a day long job or how many hours might i be looking at?

ok and i just want to when i went by les schwab this is the quote i got

it says 2 ES2277L TIE ROD END @ $40.30 a piece so $80.60 total

2 TIEROD ENDS/RACK AND PINION INSTALLATION @ $64.75 a piece so a total of $129.50

1 ES2109R TIE ROD END @ $40.86

1 ES2110L TIE ROD END @ $40.96

So is that for all four tie rods? or is that just the front, what exactly do i need to purchase to replace just the front two that are rusted? and do i need the 2 TIEROD ENDS/RACK AND PINION INSTALLATION ? and where is the best place to get them

Thanks

btw i could not find the tie rods and midwestz.com if they are there could i get a direct link?

[St.stephen]

its only a couple of hours. my post may be too late however

1. jack up the car, place jack stand under front mount

2. Remove front tire

3. remove cotter pin in castlelated nut on tie rod

4. insert pickle fork between tie rod and steering knuckle

5. hit back of pickle fork forcing in between spindle and tie rod

6. tie rod will pop out.

7. you'll need to loosen the tie rod from the steering rack. may help to spray with penetrating fluid.

8. installation is the reverse of this process.

hope this helps :classic:

[LanceM]

It shouldn't take long to do, couple of hours at the most, probably more like an hour. There are only 2 tie rod ends on a Z.

www.rockauto.com has them for $22 each, I've bought a lot of parts from them and they ship quick.

[surfsnake2]

i thought there was an inner and outer tie rod on the front

and what about the rack and pinion

so this is the left (outer) tie rod that i assume i am needing to replace in this image...right?

sorry its so big

[St.stephen]

yes that is what needs to be replaced.

[ChrisA]

There is a joint inside the boot in the picture you posted. It's up to you to determine if it need replaced or not. If the boot isn't torn more than likely it's okay unless you have really high mileage and are concerned about wear. You can test for play(looseness) in that joint to see if its bad.

Chris

[surfsnake2]

so do i need the rack and pinion set thing?