Tie Rod End Question

[EddieC]

I disconnected a tie rod end from the steering knuckle and when reinstalling it the nut went in to a certain point drawing the end to the kuckle but then the bolt (stud ?) out of the end was turning with the nut. It snugged up a bit and then that happened.
Is there an engagement for the what I presume is a head of the bolt hidden inside the rubber cover or could the bolt be snapped in there?

 

[JoeBlobs]

The bolt in question is actually the "ball joint" inside the tie rod, if you will. If the end of the stud is smooth with no threads, you can get a vice grip on there to keep it from spinning while you tighten the nut with a wrench.

If you need to you can also use a c-clamp on the tie rod and knuckle to compress it, or jack the knuckle up as well.

 

[strutaeng]

You may need an alignment also if you removed that tie rod end?

Where you replacing steering or suspension components?

 

[OR VietVet]

I disconnected a tie rod end from the steering knuckle and when reinstalling it the nut went in to a certain point drawing the end to the kuckle but then the bolt (stud ?) out of the end was turning with the nut. It snugged up a bit and then that happened.
Is there an engagement for the what I presume is a head of the bolt hidden inside the rubber cover or could the bolt be snapped in there?

You likely scuffed the threads in that area, where the nut tightens to. You can disassemble and drop the tie rod threads out and look. You can clean the threads up with a correct thread file or a correct thread die. Or you can reinstall and because the bottom of that threaded area is tapered, where it bottoms out in the hole of the steering knuckle, you can use a floor jack and jack under the tie rod end, may need to remove and reinstall grease zerk so it does not get damaged, and when you jack it up tight, it will seize in there and hopefully allow for enough bind to override the thread scuff and the nut tightens on down. The nut will clean the threads as it goes down.

 

[EddieC]

The bolt in question is actually the "ball joint" inside the tie rod, if you will. If the end of the stud is smooth with no threads, you can get a vice grip on there to keep it from spinning while you tighten the nut with a wrench.

If you need to you can also use a c-clamp on the tie rod and knuckle to compress it, or jack the knuckle up as well.

Thanks for that.
I previously tried a clamp and then a jack and they didn't help.
I gave vice grips a shot on the unthreaded projecting end of the stud before getting back here and the nut tightened and torqued alright, so you confirmed that approach.

I never opened one up so I didn't know if I have broken the shaft. Seems not.

 

[EddieC]

You may need an alignment also if you removed that tie rod end?

Where you replacing steering or suspension components?

I didn't remove the tie rod end, just freed it from the steering knuckle.
I replaced a cv axle (driver's side) and one thing led to another to get room to remove the axle.

Anyone interested, despite some claims (internet!!) to not need to do anything but unbolt it at ends and remove it, I had to remove the sway bar link, unattach the shock/spring assembly enough to swing it out of the way (both bottom bolts and two top nuts) and unattach the tie rod end from the steering knuckle. It just seemed like one thing interfered with movement of the other and it took all of them to make enough room to get the axle out.

The first step of unbolting the axle was not enough to swing it down despite what a repair manual claimed. It would not clear the flange stubbed out of the differential.

I know a bit of what to expect on the passenger's side now except for the additional adventure to address the leaky axle seal in the differential housing that I think needs getting inside the housing.

 

[EddieC]

You likely scuffed the threads in that area, where the nut tightens to. You can disassemble and drop the tie rod threads out and look. You can clean the threads up with a correct thread file or a correct thread die. Or you can reinstall and because the bottom of that threaded area is tapered, where it bottoms out in the hole of the steering knuckle, you can use a floor jack and jack under the tie rod end, may need to remove and reinstall grease zerk so it does not get damaged, and when you jack it up tight, it will seize in there and hopefully allow for enough bind to override the thread scuff and the nut tightens on down. The nut will clean the threads as it goes down.

Thanks for the reply.
I must have a backwards truck. Stud and nut are on the bottom of the joint and zerk on top.
Vice grips to hold the unthreaded portion of the stud seemed to get through it.

 

[OR VietVet]

Thanks for the reply.
I must have a backwards truck. Stud and nut are on the bottom of the joint and zerk on top.
Vice grips to hold the unthreaded portion of the stud seemed to get through it.

At that point, I would have thought a C-Clamp would bind it enough. If it didn't work with a C-Clamp, then there was not enough clamping force or the tie rod threads were boogered up pretty bad.

 

[EddieC]

At that point, I would have thought a C-Clamp would bind it enough. If it didn't work with a C-Clamp, then there was not enough clamping force or the tie rod threads were boogered up pretty bad.

My C clamp wasn't quite the right geometry to get a good grip. The throat was too small to get in off of the sloping surfaces so it was less than effective.
The threads are ok. The nut was left covering them while breaking the grip.
Using the vice grips to hold the stud the nut torqued up to specs.

 

[RET423]

You boogered the threads so the nut hits resistance before the tapered tie rod end seats in the hole; so it just spins

A good impact gun with a jack under the tie tod end to set the taper might work but not if the threads were beat up really bad

So I would remove the nut before you try to power it on & clean the threads really well so you determine how damaged they are before trying to hammer it home

A new tie rod end is cheap, getting the nut off the old one if you tried to power it through but didn't quite get there can be a long day

Good luck!

 

[EddieC]

You boogered the threads so the nut hits resistance before the tapered tie rod end seats in the hole; so it just spins

A good impact gun with a jack under the tie tod end to set the taper might work but not if the threads were beat up really bad

So I would remove the nut before you try to power it on & clean the threads really well so you determine how damaged they are before trying to hammer it home

A new tie rod end is cheap, getting the nut off the old one if you tried to power it through but didn't quite get there can be a long day

Good luck!

Got it on and torqued. Not a problem. Thanks for the input though.