Inner Tie Rod w/o special tool

[DCB7]

So I was under the car banging around and noticed something genuinely scary. My inner tie rod is loose.

My question basically is : Can I tighten it without a crow's foot or flashlight tool? Looks like if I slide the boot down I can get to it with a wrench from beneath.

In the video, at about 9:38 with the steering turned, the nut looks like it clears the sub-frame



I need some toe-in also, so my plan is to loosen the lock nut, tighten the inner tie-rod a full turn maybe, then re-tighten the lock nut

[Raf99]

You can tighten it with anything you like, bubble gum, duct tape, wrench. But you'll quickly find that you need a crows foot to get the done proper.

"Use the right tools for the job" <- makes your life a whole lot easier!

I just went and bought these for under $10.
https://www.princessauto.com/en/deta...et/A-p8259541e

[Grumpys93]

Harbor freight is your friend

[DCB7]

You can tighten it with anything you like, bubble gum, duct tape, wrench. But you'll quickly find that you need a crows foot to get the done proper.

ok, to tighten a nut maybe bubble gum and duct tape won't work, but a wrench though. I take it you've done one of these before and there's no way to reach it with a wrench.

"Use the right tools for the job" <- makes your life a whole lot easier!

I just went and bought these for under $10.
https://www.princessauto.com/en/deta...et/A-p8259541e

I'm not trying to come off as cheap or stupid here. They probably have the flashlight tool as a loaner at parts stores also. I just don't get the physics of the crowfoot's rotation. But I may just buy it anyway and find out. Make it rain.

I don't want to use the other tool because I'd have to remove the outer tie rod
just to make a half turn, maybe, on the inner. It's right there when I turn it by hand, but the outer runs out of rotation before it's locked in. Plus I need more than hand tightened grip on the threads.

Harbor freight is your friend

thanks. I do stuff 5 times in my head man, before even jacking up the car, so was looking for a co-sign on my wrench theory. Which would save me driving it to harbor freight, and which I think would provide more torque than twisting a tube, or the off center crowfoot. But, only one way to find out I guess.

[Fleetw00d]

The inner tie rod does not have a lock nut; it has a lock washer. The tie rod is supposed to be torqued to 40 ft-lb into the end of the rack, then the sides of the lock washer are supposed to be bent over the flats on the tie rod to prevent rotation. Loosen the lock nut on the outer tie rod end to allow the inner to rotate relative to the outer while tightening the inner. Any toe adjustments should be made with the outer tie rod end.

This thread has some close up photos of how the inner tie rods are attached: http://www.cb7tuner.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=207857

[DCB7]

I should have asked "Do I need a special tool to change the inner tie rod?"
Short version(edit: just get the damn crowfoot.) But it would facilitate a torque wrench

The inner tie rod does not have a lock nut; it has a lock washer. The tie rod is supposed to be torqued to 40 ft-lb into the end of the rack, then the sides of the lock washer are supposed to be bent over the flats on the tie rod to prevent rotation. Loosen the lock nut on the outer tie rod end to allow the inner to rotate relative to the outer while tightening the inner. Any toe adjustments should be made with the outer tie rod end.

This thread has some close up photos of how the inner tie rods are attached: http://www.cb7tuner.com/vbb/showthread.php?t=207857

thanks. Pretty much what I needed (should have looked up rack also) 40lbs isn't a lot, I thought it would be more like 80 foot pounds.

I moved the boot and mine looks basically like in your pictures w/lock washer in place. Easy rotation of the ball joint though.

Does this mean the inner tie rod is (going) bad?

At about 1:30 in the video is exactly what I'm experiencing. I'm going to get an outer from the store in the morning.



Passenger side is good and tight. With a tape measure I got roughly a half inch difference in distance between the front and back of the wheels. The toe wear is affecting the driver wheel mainly (had a bad wheel bearing also and the tire was shredded when I bought the car) I'll try to get it close with the new one. Just need these tires to last a little longer. I want change some more stuff before alignment

[Fleetw00d]

Easy rotation of the ball joint in the inner tie rod means it is pretty well worn. A new inner tie rod end will support its weight AND that of the outer tie rod end when disconnected from the knuckle. If you can move the inner tie rod end axially relative to the rack, it is really time to replace it.

[DCB7]

Thanks. I went ahead and did just that. I changed the outer first to drive around. When I took it off it dropped like a rock. No resistance.

Old ----------------------------------------------------------------------New




I got a crowfoot set at Harbor Freight for 10bucks.
This is the nut from below. The OEM has only two sides, so I can see a regular wrench running out of rotation maybe. The new ones have full hex nuts. Hardest part was flattening out the lock washer, and bending the new one.

Being my boot was ripped so conveniently, I just sealed it up with some duck tape and a couple zip ties


I got a couple of these for the CB but might not install them, being there are fender clearance issues as well, and they are fixed at -1degrees, so no adjustment allowed.

Steering feels much firmer and precise now