My 85 F-150 needs new tierod(s). I've never done tierods before. Do I need any special tools? Is it a one man job? Is this gonna be an all day thing? And I've heard that I should "count the turns". Huh?

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by dcassidy

My 85 F-150 needs new tierod(s). I've never done tierods before. Do I need any special tools?

Yeah. Well, they're probably not necessary but would be helpful.

You can rent a thing called a Pickle Fork, it's for separating components held
together with ball joints. Alternatively, install the castle nut upside down and
beat on 'em with a BFH.

You can prolly get at Harbor Freight (home of Chinese-made, single-use tools)
a wrench for removing the adjustable sleeves going between the tie rod & tie
rod end.

Get a Haynes or Chiltons, read, crawl under your truck, look around....

Quote:

Is it a one man job?

Most likely.

Quote:

Is this gonna be an all day thing?

Doesn't have to be, it depends on how much stuff you break during this
process, how late the auto parts store is open and how many times you need to
go there. Look at rockauto.com, I think you can get replacement sleeves from
them, I'd be inclined to just replace the things rather than try to clean the
threads and reuse the existing ones.

Quote:

And I've heard that I should "count the turns". Huh?

Yes, the above-described sleeve between the tie rod & end; this is for adjusting
toe in/out.

You're gonna want to take it to a front end shop for an alignment when you're
finished with this procedure.

Get yourself a book and start reading.

 

FWIW I had to replace my steering box recently, and I knocked the tierod end loose from the pitman arm by just beating on the rounded end of the tierod end with a big hammer, instead of the threads. Took a while, but it came loose soon enough.

 

If I'm understand you correctly ... you were beating on "the body" of the tie rod end itself.

Bad Idea.

Inside the tie rod body ... is a nylon bushing that the ball on the bottom of the tie rod pin rides in. Beating that area of the tie rod can/will distort or break that bushing ... and weaken or ruin the tie rod end for sure.

It might not come apart on you while you're working on it ... but it *just might* pull apart when you're zipping down the highways and byways o' life.

If you gotta beat on something ... old school mechanics (like me) choose to beat on the steering knuckle where the tie rod end bolt passes through ... three or four solid hits on that with a BFH and the tie rod end falls out.

The pickle fork is the best bet. They ain't all that expensive ... and they make the job go quick. This tool works on some balljoints, idler arms and pittman arms too.

Buy one and you'll have it for the rest of your life.


oddshot



BTW ... sometimes you do work on Front Ends ... and have to take components apart ... just to get to the part you're replacing ... I used to HATE the pickle fork because it most times it would TEAR UP grease seals ... which you couldn't get as in individual component for love nor money.

But now most highway parts stores can get replacements or even have them in stock. Bring what's left of the old one to match up for size.

 

Personally the way I like to do tie rod ends is to go out and buy a bottle of whiteout and paint a mark on the old part before I start removing things. I usually replace the adjustment sleeve as well. That way I can line up the new part to the whiteout mark on the old parts as I install it to get the alignment close to correct. Then when I have gotten it that close I can drive it to the alignment shop to have it aligned properly.

 

A tie rod fork to seperate it will be a huge help. You can do it by yourself.It will take you a few hours so take your time (easier said done).

The reason for counting the number of turns that it takes to remove your old tie rod, is that when you install the new one you count the number of turns it takes to screw the new one back to that point.

This will get the alignment as close as possible to the way that it was.You can also mark it wil paint to so that you know where to screw it up to.

 

Now I have people telling me that it's not the tierods! I guess I'll try and take some pictures tomarrow and post them up so maybe I can get a definate answer. BTW I'm a self-taught mechanic so excuse my ignorance on these things. Everything I know about cars are things I have figured out the hard way mostly. Thanks for all your patients.

 

OK, so I got up under the truck and started fidgeting with it, when I discovered that I could adjust the wheel by turning the little "coupler" doo-dad. I just kept turning it until the wheel was straight. Now the truck drives straight! Now, I know that I will DEFINITELY need a front end alignment. Whoever since the truck is driving straight is it ok to drive until I can get enough money for the alignment? I got it up to about 55 (if the spedometer even works correctly), and it seems to do fine.

 

Maybe we could start from the beginning.

Before you made the adjustment you describe ...

What symptoms were you trying to treat?

oddshot

 

You can use a tape measure and measure the distance between the two front rims at the back then compare that to the distance at the front adjust as needed to even it up.
Thats just a ball park until you can make it to an alignment shop.

 

The symptoms that I had to fix were the driver side wheel pointed left while the passenger side was straight.