Hard to Remove Inner Tie Rod End

While trying to sort out my vibration problem, the tire guy told me I needed a lower ball joint, and both inner and outer tie rod ends. I jacked the car up at home and the wheel was so loose in any direction it felt like it was going to fall off! So I went for it...

I've got the JBJ off, and the OEM part from McGeorge Toyota will arrive any minute now. The outer tie rod end was no more trouble to remove that expected, but the inner refuses to come loose. Before I get more aggressive with it (I'm afraid I might bend the rack), I'm wondering if anyone has had a similar problem, and more importantly, a solution.

I expected to find a lock washer staked to the flats, but there is nothing there. Perhaps it's been changed once already? Perhaps it's secured by Loctite? Yeech!

My thanks in advance for your wisdom and advice!

 

Are they right hand thread?? I replaced the whole rack, so did not have to deal with inners.

 

Everything I've seen/read says it's left thread (lefty loosey). The outer ends should be left threaded on the passenger side, and right threaded on the driver side (I haven't removed that one yet, so I stick with "should be" until I do).

 

Check the threads on the new one to see if they are right or left hand thread. And btw left hand thread is lefty tighty righty loosey. Right hand thread is the normal style bolt that is righty tighty lefty loosey. Good luck!

 

Found a FSM...

 

Mine was normal threaded. What are you using to get it off? I used a massive pipe wrench, but O'Reilly's has a tool that fits over it and then multiple different clamps so you can use a socket.

 

^This!

Pipe wrench works very good on inner tie rods for removing and installing. When I changed the ones on my 06 they were super tight and they’d never been changed before.

 

Yeah, the stake washer is not installed. Whoever installed it last didn’t do it right. With that said, I really didn’t have much of a fight in replacing the inner tie rod.

https://www.autozone.com/wrenches-pliers-and-cutters/wrench/duralast-10in-locking-adjustable-wrench/565691_0_0

This product made changing the inner tie rods a breeze on a 17 year old truck from the rust belt. It fits the steering rack portion perfectly with its low profile jaw and I was able to break loose the inner tie rod using a pipe wrench while this held the steering rack in place. For pipe wrench, I went to harbor freight and got their largest one.

I rented the inner tie rod tool from advance auto and it would not fit over my truck’s Inner Tie Rod.

 

I'm using a big ass adjustable crescent wrench. The pipe wrench may be in my future. The truck is on jack stands so I can't really use a long pipe for added leverage. But now that I'm confident of the thread direction I can be a bit more aggressive. Ahh...if only this rain would stop!

 

Are you using two wrenches? One to hold the steering rack stationary and the other to loosen the Tie Rod? If not, you can really cause some damage to the steering rack. As I mentioned, I have a truck from the rust belt and the outer tie rod nut was welded on due to corrosion. I had to remove the inner tie rod and outer tie rod in one piece. It literally took me a few seconds to loosen the inner tie rod once I had both of my wrenches positioned correctly.

 

No, not yet. I haven't really done much yet since it didn't twist off easily. Still gathering info, suggestions, and real life experience. Thanks for sharing yours! I see how two wrenches are called for in the service manual picture above, but the steering rack is polished smooth and has no flats for a second wrench. So I don't understand how to set the wrench on the rack. I'm very concerned about damaging the rack.

Edit:

Hmmm...looks like there might be some flats after all. I'll climb under there again (after the effin rain stops!) and check it out.

 

Yep, that’s the spot where the Duralast wrench went on perfectly. It’s a very narrow area and can be easily missed.

 

Bummer

There are no flats at all! In fact, it looks like the end has been ground to eliminate them? Maybe a refurbished unit? Or even a non-OEM replacement? SFP!

I'll run the rack in all the way to the other side, and see how much shaft still protrudes. Maybe I can get some sort of strap wrench on there.

 

Sounds like a good plan. Then use a pipe wrench on the steering rack as close to the joint as you can. Pipe wrench teeth grab in one direction so make sure you have it orientated correctly. Then sand the teeth marks out.

 

Solved! The problem was (as is so often the case when working on cars) I had too much money! I just needed to spend more!!

I purchased a Lisle 54500 Large Inner Tie Rod Tool ($60 at Rock Auto). The Tundra requires a 42mm claw. With the tool and my 1/2" breaker bar i was able to unloose it and spin it off. I expected that Loctite was involved, but instead I found this funky white stuff all over the threads, mostly on the passenger side.

Installation of the new ends was painless. There were no slots for the claw washer, so I used Loctite and 58 ft/lbs of torque.

 

Excellent! You earned a cold beer after that!

 

Glad you got it solved. Also, pretty sure the white stuff is/was some form of thread locker. That’s probably why it was so tight.

 

So for those of you with a 2014 Tundra and are running into this tie rod issue, here are a few notes, images, and how I got them out. First of all, the tool at the auto store does not work, I (and likely you too for a 2014 Tundra), will need a 46mm. A large pipe wrench will not work, a Swedish pipe wrench, will not work - along with A LOT of other options that simply will not work. Even getting two fancy thin wrenches to hold the steering rack bar and the giant ball nut of the tire rod. I actually had multiple people help, and more making suggestions - and NOTHING. Now, what DID finally work like a charm was drilling and tapping a 1/4-20 bolt into it for sometime to grab on to. The steel used to form this big ball nut, is a very mild steel - and does mar quite easily with that whopping 4mm they give you to put a tool onto it! I did end up buying the same tool I rented at AutoZone because at one point, I had the idea to grind down the 42mm (which is the largest key in the set) to make it a 46mm, but this didn't work either because that tube itself will not completely go over, but it does go on enough to make it work the way I envisioned. Without one of those keys inserted into that tublear tool, it has slots on each "side" of the circle's end to accept the appropriate key size for your tire rod bolt. So after I drilled and tapped, I screwed in the hex-head bolt, I put that tube on, lined up one of those tabs to the inserted bolt, applied my wrench to the other end of the tube tool, and easy peazy! One side took me about 2 weeks with trying all sorts of ideas, and then finally. The other s ide took about 10 minutes - and most of that time was drilling and tapping!

 

Glad you sorted yours out, this is uh, First Gen section though....

 

2014 Tundra is not First Gen? If, not, how and where does this post belong? I could move it, if I have the ability to. Or, it can simply be removed if necessary - just think it's useful.

 

A 2014 Tundra would fall under 2.5 Gen. First Gen is 2000-2006. Second Gen is 2007-2013. Your truck is the first year of the second Gen refresh, so it's a 2.5 Gen for forum purposes, 2014-2021. Third Gens are 2022+

 

How does that tool prevent the steering rack piston from being torqued on?

 

Tie rod is a tie rod.

 

@caryboe Although this isn’t posted in the correct section, what did you do to hold the rack from twisting when taking the inner tie rod off?

 

Yeah, that was my question to @w666 above too. While the tool is slightly different, it appears to work the same way -- applying the same torque as a wrench or pipe wrench -- unless I'm missing something.

 

It does not...

In my case I have an aftermarket rack, that does not have any flats to hold it.

 

I bought 2 "specialty" thin adjustable wrenches thinking I'd use them together, but the available area to put a wrench on the inner tie rod is REALLY then, 4mm thin. Anyway, I used one of those wrenches and propped it with a breaker bar for support. I was easily able to get my 60lbs torque. Also, maybe because I'm in the wrong forum, but mine is definitely 46mm, not the 42mm in another thread.

 

How did you put the new one back on? I’m running to this issue on my 2019 tundra 1794 edition and the autozone tie rod tool doesn’t fit as they’re too small , this drilling should work to get it removed however to put it back on did you drill on the new one as well?

 

I just realized that I was asked this same question before, but my answer was kind of muddled. First and foremost, I said my nut size was 46mm, it's NOT it's 48mm - I just looked up the fan wrench I bought to put the new tie rod back on - really, I bought it to take it off, but it was too thick and I had kept it. If you look at the image with the brake caliper, on the ground (on a mat); you'll see an adjustable wrench. That's a kind of specialty wrench I bought on Amazon - it's a Bahco wrench - never heard of the brand, but it's actually quite a nice wrench. Anyway, I used that wrench for the rack, and the 48mm fan wrench for the rod. And this is the most important piece - with the replacement tie rods, the available area to get a tool on (Moog) is reasonable - I want to say likely twice of that which I took off, so 8mm - ish. The thickness of the one that came off was definitely 4mm, I measured it in disgust! So with the two wrenches, I was easily able to get the torque I needed - which if memory serves me, is not a lot at all - I think it was 60lbs. I guessed as I was not about to buy a 48mm claw wrench to put on my torque wrench! After about 4000 miles, it's driving wonderfully with no issues. Also, both wrenches are about $60 (about $30 each).
https://a.co/d/cdSWxmA

$29 Bahco BAH9031RUS Ergo Big-Mouth Adjustable Wrench with Rubber Handle - 8" - Black Phosphate Finish

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0012Y2EUC