How do you remove the tie rod ends?

Do they just unscrew off the end?

Put a wrench on the tie rods, then loosen the nuts with a wrench that lock on the tie rod ends... While still holding the wrench on the tie rod, use another wrench on the tie rod ends.

If you have trouble getting them apart, a plumbing torch, and some "BLASTER" will do small miracles.

Good idea to count the amount of turns when removing them so you can get the new ones in more or less the same place, either that or make a mark somewhere towards the rack and measure from it to the ends of the track rod ends. If you get them to far out then the car will be just about undrivable, trust me I learnt the hard way

Thanks, I sprayed them with primer which should mark where they were pretty good. Thanks everyone!

In the south you are lucky. Try getting a 12yr old set off that has 200K miles on them. You can slit them lengthwise with a cutting tool in a pinch to get them free.

Torch them up till they glow and remove em. Even if you mark the inner tie rods the cars alignment will be out. I always put grease on the threads when I install new ones

jasonTDI said:

In the south you are lucky. Try getting a 12yr old set off that has 200K miles on them. You can slit them lengthwise with a cutting tool in a pinch to get them free.

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Yes, I'm very happy that I don't have to deal with the salt that you northern guys do.

Keven
when changing the end make sure the inner rod stays in place, if it drops replace inner rod. Rent the inner rod remover at a part store. I bought the whole assembly for mine, very easy to unscrew inner with the rental tool.

good luck

wayne

Torching them until they are read isn't always a good idea. Metals change with extensive heat.....

Of all the methods listed here... Torching is the best idea. Metal will return to normal... Your engine expands also under heat, starts up each time after it cooled off.

You try doing an alignment on a 10+ year old E36 BMW and get er done in book time allowance. I make a living off beating flat rate time, I can't spend days on doing just an alignment on a car and tell the customer he will need new parts because I have to slice the tie rods to make em move.

DasTeknoViking said:

Of all the methods listed here... Torching is the best idea. Metal will return to normal... Your engine expands also under heat, starts up each time after it cooled off.

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If you just torch within reason you'll be fine, from my experience, it does NOT need to get cherry red hot, just good and hot.

Thanks they came apart pretty easy with just a couple wrenches. Does anyone what ft lbs of torque the bolt that connects the tie tod end to the spindle requires?

DasTeknoViking said:

Of all the methods listed here... Torching is the best idea. Metal will return to normal... Your engine expands also under heat, starts up each time after it cooled off.

You try doing an alignment on a 10+ year old E36 BMW and get er done in book time allowance. I make a living off beating flat rate time, I can't spend days on doing just an alignment on a car and tell the customer he will need new parts because I have to slice the tie rods to make em move.

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Fabulous for you. There are plenty of us here that make a living turning wrenches as well.

We were discussing replacement of the parts not the alignment. Torching does not always work. Period.

jasonTDI said:

Fabulous for you. There are plenty of us here that make a living turning wrenches as well.

We were discussing replacement of the parts not the alignment. Torching does not always work. Period.

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This is true. I've had a couple B5 Passats like this. Trying to do an alignment and the tie rods are completely seized, and you can't torch them too much because the threaded rod of the outer is held in place by a rubber bushing. Hell, I've managed to unbond the rod from the bushing just by brute force with a wrench before (Snap-on Flank Drive Plus wrenches are the best thing ever!)

Sell new tie rod ends and while trying to remove the old ones with help from the torch, get the thing glowing cherry red and they still refuse to separate! Except now you have to ruin the inner to separate them since the outer threads INTO the inner rather than the other way around...

So glad I'm out of the rust belt now

Anyone know how tight i need to make the bolt that connects the tie rod end and the spindle?

No one?

50 NM, 37 ft-lbs, from my 1999-2002 Jetta/Golf Bentley manual. This is the nut that locks the outter tie rod threaded end. The inner tie rod is tightened to 75 NM (55 ft-lbs) to the steering rack.

--Nate

I am in the process of doing my bearings. I don't have the special tools, so I was going to just take the steering knuckle to a shop and have them do the R&R and then I would reinstall the knuckle. Was removing the tie rod end to steering knuckle and the bolt is just spinning... Now what ? To clarify, the bolt and nut that comes vertically out of the tie rod end and down into the steering knuckle are both turning. well the nut came out a little before it froze up.

Now how do I remove this ?

So I guess I will need to get a new tie rod as well as a new end after I can get this off.

Ok so after applying some heat to the nut i was able to remove it while holding the back of the nut with a wrench.

Do I need to replace the whole tie rod and end ?

mstar926 said:

Ok so after applying some heat to the nut i was able to remove it while holding the back of the nut with a wrench.

Do I need to replace the whole tie rod and end ?

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Usually you jack up the a arm to create presssure on the conical flange ergo holding it by friction while you ease the nut off...