Tie Rod End + Boot replacements
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Senior User
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 291
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From: Austin, TX area
@Willigaf
It's going to be hard to destroy these boots any further than they are already.
Tie Rod End Boots are blown
It's going to be hard to destroy these boots any further than they are already.
Tie Rod End Boots are blown
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 291
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From: Austin, TX area
Yeah, they are all caked with road crud + grease remnants. Some of it is rock hard and finally crumbles when I chip it off. Others are still wet like the center one was. I think they're just really old and terribly neglected. I'll find out on Thursday since I have the day off.
Lead Driver
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 8,476
Likes: 37
From: Madison, WI
My favorite tool for tie rods - https://www.harborfreight.com/3-4-qu...tor-99849.html - not as cheaply made as a lot of HF stuff, and it works. I even used it as a makeshift press, to press out a buggered lug stud from a half-ton bed trailer.
Day late and a dollar short I know, but you don't even need to jack up the truck, and certainly don't need to remove the wheels, for this job. My favorite method is to get new sleeves (see post #7 ^^^^^), and put the whole thing together on the floor. Take crude distance measurements of the existing setup on the truck, and then set the sleeves to match those measurements as close as possible. Then just pop the joints off at the pitman and the knuckles, and remove the whole kaboodle, and install the replacement. Do it all with the truck on the ground. Two purposes served - (1) you're at least in the ball park wrt alignment, and (2) If you have to back out, you have the original setup still intact to reinstall.
Day late and a dollar short I know, but you don't even need to jack up the truck, and certainly don't need to remove the wheels, for this job. My favorite method is to get new sleeves (see post #7 ^^^^^), and put the whole thing together on the floor. Take crude distance measurements of the existing setup on the truck, and then set the sleeves to match those measurements as close as possible. Then just pop the joints off at the pitman and the knuckles, and remove the whole kaboodle, and install the replacement. Do it all with the truck on the ground. Two purposes served - (1) you're at least in the ball park wrt alignment, and (2) If you have to back out, you have the original setup still intact to reinstall.
Elder User
Joined: Sep 2012
Posts: 505
Likes: 7
+1 on the harbor freight tool. I used it to separate an OE ball joint in my 1995. I had tried a pickle fork & air hammer but it wouldn't budge it.
I put the HF separator on, tightened it down, hit the knuckle with a 4lb sledge, and it popped right out.
Good tool.
I put the HF separator on, tightened it down, hit the knuckle with a 4lb sledge, and it popped right out.
Good tool.
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 291
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From: Austin, TX area
I had a look at the rod ends today. I didn't look at ALL of them - I focused on the one attached to the Pitman arm. I know the outers typically wear faster than the inners, so I thought I'll check that and see if everything needs to be swapped.
Tie Rod End finally loose
I used the pickle fork that arrived earlier this week on this one. It took some banging but I got it separated. The inner rod end is no longer crazy stiff, as it moves by hand and is crunchy / sticky when I move it. It might have some life left, but I can tell there's all sorts of grit inside there. I'm going to need to replace them all.
The boot was thoroughly destroyed already, but I had to rip out the carcass of the old rubber with pliers. It came out in pieces.
Leftover Tie Rod Boot scraps
The top portion came off pretty easily. The bottom was a royal pain. Going back to the first photo above, you can see the scallop shaped holes at the back of the rod end. The top has what appears to be a washer in the center. Is there supposed to be one of those for the bottom, above the holes I just mentioned?
Here's a shot of the new boot, freshly greased and back secured in.
Pitman arm steering rod
Tie Rod End finally loose
I used the pickle fork that arrived earlier this week on this one. It took some banging but I got it separated. The inner rod end is no longer crazy stiff, as it moves by hand and is crunchy / sticky when I move it. It might have some life left, but I can tell there's all sorts of grit inside there. I'm going to need to replace them all.
The boot was thoroughly destroyed already, but I had to rip out the carcass of the old rubber with pliers. It came out in pieces.
Leftover Tie Rod Boot scraps
The top portion came off pretty easily. The bottom was a royal pain. Going back to the first photo above, you can see the scallop shaped holes at the back of the rod end. The top has what appears to be a washer in the center. Is there supposed to be one of those for the bottom, above the holes I just mentioned?
Here's a shot of the new boot, freshly greased and back secured in.
Pitman arm steering rod
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