Warned about tie rod needing replacement
Joe
I recently went for a realignment (got a deal from Firestone for a
lifetime alignment for $150) because when I went to get my tires
rotated, there was uneven wear on a tire. Not too worried about the
uneven wear, I've had the Yokohama Avid Touring 4 on my Camry for the
last 100K miles and the tires still have about 15K or so life left on
them. The car was starting to pull to the right slightly too.
Anyways, when the mechanic had my car up, he told me that I needed to
consider getting my tie rod replaced. I did watch him move the tire,
and I also was able to shake the tire a bit, but it was less than a
quarter inch of movement in and out from the side of the car. To the
point, they did the alignment, but I was wondering if this is
something that I should consider doing on my own? I was quoted the
price of $350 from the Firestone people to have it done. I don't know
the labor involved in doing this, as for the prices of the part. It's
about $30 for an outer and $15 for an inner. Here are my questions:
1. I have changed my brakes (front disc and rear drums) on my own,
but was wondering if I should just take this in. Is it very labor
intensive? Or were they just exaggerating the price?
2. Do I need specialized tools ... a tie rod puller? etc. I've got
a generic puller.
3. Should I do both tie rods on both sides of the car for the front
wheels?
4. How often should I check the movement of the tire? I'd prefer to
wait until summer when the weather is warmer for me to do it myself if
I can do it. Otherwise, no preference, I'll get it done when/right
before I get a new set of tires.
Thanks for the info guys.
Joe
john...@hotmail.com
the joints from them, check to see if they'll be able to print out a
professional instruction sheet by their AllData subsidiary. They
advertised on TV about this new service (shown doing brake pads).
You can order the ball joints from rockauto.com. For instance, Spicer
(Dana Corp) service grade lower joint is about $17 (5051178B). The
excellent Moog K9499 is about $37. These are for 96 as I don't see
what year your Camry is. You can borrow (for free) the necessary tools
from Autozone (or your other local parts stores, terms may vary).
Good luck!
Lower ball joint:
http://www.autozone.com/az/cds/en_us/0900823d/80/13/f8/5b/0900823d8013f85b/repairInfoPages.htm
Tie rod end:
http://www.autozone.com/az/cds/en_us/0900823d/80/13/f7/66/0900823d8013f766/repairInfoPages.htm
Joe
> The following is from the free online guide at Autozone. If you buy
> the joints from them, check to see if they'll be able to print out a
> professional instruction sheet by their AllData subsidiary. They
> advertised on TV about this new service (shown doing brake pads).
>
> You can order the ball joints from rockauto.com. For instance, Spicer
> (Dana Corp) service grade lower joint is about $17 (5051178B). The
> excellent Moog K9499 is about $37. These are for 96 as I don't see
> what year your Camry is. You can borrow (for free) the necessary tools
> from Autozone (or your other local parts stores, terms may vary).
>
> Good luck!
>
> Lower ball joint:
>
>
> Tie rod end:
>
> http://www.autozone.com/az/cds/en_us/0900823d/80/13/f7/66/0900823d801...
The year is 2000. Thanks for the info on the pricing. Can anyone
talk about the other questions 1 thru 4 that I've mentioned above?
norm46
I own a 1999 Camry CE. I was told that it needed new tie rods at about
135000 to pass the state inspection by the local VIP dealer here in
Maine. I did not have the money so I took it off the lift and started
for home. On a hunch I stopped at a local repair shop. The Camry
passed the state inspection and now has 168000 miles with the original
tie rods. The same VIP store also told my daughter that her 2002
Dodge Caravan with 80000 miles need tie rods the very next week. Guess
what, she went to the other garage and passed the inspection. VIP
threatened to call the State Police if she did not replace them as the
van was unsafe. She told them to go head, in fact she would call them
herself. They relented. Be care who you believe.
Norm
Justa Lurker
>
> I own a 1999 Camry CE. I was told that it needed new tie rods at about
> 135000 to pass the state inspection by the local VIP dealer here in
> Maine. I did not have the money so I took it off the lift and started
> for home. On a hunch I stopped at a local repair shop. The Camry
> passed the state inspection and now has 168000 miles with the original
> tie rods. The same VIP store also told my daughter that her 2002
> Dodge Caravan with 80000 miles need tie rods the very next week. Guess
> what, she went to the other garage and passed the inspection. VIP
> threatened to call the State Police if she did not replace them as the
> van was unsafe. She told them to go head, in fact she would call them
> herself. They relented. Be care who you believe.
> Norm
Just curious, what is "VIP" ? (I don't live in Maine) Is it some sort
of auto dealership or repair chain of shops ?
Otherwise, your story & your daughter's sound all too familiar.
Many times people on this group lament how no one seems to maintain
their automobiles anymore. After people have this sort of experience
once or twice at the Toyota dealer (or wherever but the dealers seem to
be the worst offenders), it's no wonder car owners go out of their way
to defer repairs.
I'm glad you were able to keep 'em honest (in your case, at least).
john...@hotmail.com
ends) are really worn out. Going back to the questions:
1. IMO, it's pretty easy stuff if you can pull rotors and clean anchor
pins etc, so do check the Autozone guide and decide for yourself. The
specific procedure for your 2000 is similar and the lower ball joint
is really an assembly as priced. But you should check the ball joints
first and make sure they really are the culprit.
The only thing these two ball joints aren't going to fix is the
looseness in the inner tie rod end. A worn PS rack is going to be a
bit loose. For that it would be better to replaec the PS rack with a
rebuilt (for example, Cardone). It's quicker and cleaner with a good
warranty.
2. Autozone or your other local parts store should have the needed
special tools. Terms may vary, from free to a few dollars a day.
3. Hopefully you replace these things before they go bad, but not too
long before that you waste money. And mark the threads so you can get
it back without disturbing the alignment (much).
4. Specified ball joint check intervals vary. Your service schedule
should tell you. For me it's a once a year thing with brake cleaning/
fluid flush. But with each tire rotation (6000 miles or so) it would
be a good time to check these.
If ball joints are determined to be bad, then replacement is
warranted, not more frequent inspections.
Joe
pleasure to deal with you folks on here. :)
Joe
of the gain is proportioned to the certainty of the stake according to the
proportion of the chances of gain and loss. Hence it comes that, if there
are as many risks on one side as on the other, the course is to play even;
and then the certainty of the stake is equal to the uncertainty of the gain,
so far is it from fact that there is an infinite distance between them. And
so our proposition is of infinite force, when there is the finite to stake
in a game where there are equal risks of gain and of loss, and the infinite
to gain. This is demonstrable; and if men are capable of any truths, this is
one.
"I confess it, I admit it. But, still, is there no means of seeing the faces
of the cards?" Yes, Scripture and the rest, etc. "Yes, but I have my hands
tied and my mouth closed; I am forced to wager, and am not free. I am not
released, and am so made that I cannot believe. What, then, would you have
me do?"
True. But at least learn your inability to believe, since reason brings you
to this, and yet you cannot believe. Endeavour, then, to convince yourself,
not by increase of proofs of God, but by the abatement of your passions. You
would like to attain faith and do not know the way; you would like to cure
yourself of unbelief and ask the remedy for it. Learn of those who have been
bound like you, and who now stake all their possessions. These are people
who know the way which you would follow, and who are cured of an ill of
which you would be cured. Follow the way by which they began; by acting as
if they believed, taking the holy water, having masses said, etc. Even this
will naturally make you believe, and deaden your acuteness. "But this is
what I am afraid of." And why? What have you to lose?
But to show you that this leads you there, it is this which will lessen the
passions, which are
StephenW
If you have 1/4 inch of play it needs to be fixed. Did they tell you if it
was the inner or outer?
Do you live in a rust prone area? If so, let a shop do it. You could end up
needing torches and stuff.
If it is the outer tie rod end you can do it at home, inner useally needs a
specific tool.
Remove wheel.
Break the locknut loose on the tie rod end shaft.
Break the inner shaft loose from the outer tie rod.
If you can't get these two parts loose, do not press on.
Remove cotter key and nut from steering knuckle.
A: use a tie rod sepreating tool (pickle fork) to seperate the tie rod
end from the steering knuckle
B: or use a large hammer and give several hard hits on the knuckle wher
the tie rod goes through. Often it poppes loose.
Remove tie rod end. COUNT how many turnes it takes to get the old one off.
Place new one on and COUNT the same amount of turnes putting it on.
put on new boot and zerk fitting, Put nut, cotter key in, lock the lock bold
down and drive back to Firestone and have the alighnment reset.
--
Steve
ASE Master Tech
L1 Diag
Currently residing at a Subaru Shop
4.5 years doing tires and alighnments
"Joe" <sin...@gmail.com> wrote in message
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