1G performance tie rod ends?

[wcpierson]

my tie rod ends are shot the bushings have an extreme amount of play in them....so my first question is does anyone make a performance upgrade for me to replace them with and is this something i can do myself in my garage with hand tools and also if im replacing the tie rod ends what else would you suggest i replace at the same time..thanks in advance

my car is a 1g fwd if that makes any difference

 

[tom04841]

There are no performance tie rods that i know of. Just make sure that the replacements are greasable and you grease them at every oil change. They are very easy to replace. After you replace them, you will need an alignment so you don't chew up your tires.....TOE will be out of adjustment.

Lossen the jam nut that locks the outer tie rod end in place first. Just break it free, thats it. Then take the nut off the tie rod end. Next, smack the piss out of the knuckle where the tie rod end connects. A few good hits should pop it out. Don't be scared, give it to her. Once out, spin off the old and on with the new. Thread it right up to the jam nut. Connect the end back to the knuckle, then tighten the jam nut. Your done. Should only take about 10 minutes per side including jacking the car and removing the wheel.

 

[sonicnofadz]

I am not sure what kind of benefits a "performance" set of tied rods would have, but I'm afraid no one manufactures anything like this on the market (correct me if I'm wrong). It is actually more beneficial to alter the geometry of the entire steering rack to decrease bump steer rather than just changing the tie rods.

 

[Locke]

i dont know about the 1g's, but the 2g's have virtually no bump steer. And setting a bump steer correct kit takes a bit of time, it is very boring.

Just get a high quality tie-rod end. I usually purchase steering components from the dealership. They cost a lot more, but they are probably about the best.

 

[sonicnofadz]

Everything about the 1G suspension is horrible (including bump steer), especially for 1G FWD (solid axle rear).

i dont know about the 1g's, but the 2g's have virtually no bump steer. And setting a bump steer correct kit takes a bit of time, it is very boring.

Just get a high quality tie-rod end. I usually purchase steering components from the dealership. They cost a lot more, but they are probably about the best.

 

[wcpierson]

autozone shows an inner tie rod end and an outter whats the difference? and how do i know im ordering the right one?

 

[tom04841]

autozone shows an inner tie rod end and an outter whats the difference?

Inner connects to steering rack, outer connects to inner and knuckle.

how do i know im ordering the right one?

Have someone wiggle the tire while you watch the outer that connects to the steering knuckle. If it moves, its bad. If it doesn't move, grab the shaft of the inner tie rod. If you feel it "clicking" , it is bad.

But really, if you are asking these questions, you either NEED a shop manual, or should have a mechanic do it for you

 

[pagosa dsm]

i built a rod end tie rod end. it help bump steer a little bit . i will write a dty article in the future

 

[sonicnofadz]

i built a rod end tie rod end. it help bump steer a little bit . i will write a dty article in the future

Please do, that sounds pretty awesome!

 

[pagosa dsm]

i got the idea from baer brakes. www.baer.com. look at the baer tracker.i took a cold rolled 7/8 by 2" stock. drilled and tap 5/8 fine and 14mmby ? i forgot . the rod end had to be shortend to fit in the sleve. the theads were about 1" long. get a very thin 5/8 lock nut.next you must shorten the inner tie rod end that is part of the rack. i cut 5 or 6 theads off it. that gave me a correct toe in. use a thin lock nut on it. if the rod end was as close to the spindel the bump steer improved. get a 5/8 by 3" grade bolt and drill the spindel with a 5/8 drill. i used 2 nuts to tighten the bolt. i use rod end dust covers on them. i got them from speedway motors.com. you can look at my photos. i have rod end on the rear end also. i hope this might give you an idea

 

[vintagemuscle]

my tie rod ends are shot the bushings have an extreme amount of play in them....so my first question is does anyone make a performance upgrade for me to replace them with and is this something i can do myself in my garage with hand tools and also if im replacing the tie rod ends what else would you suggest i replace at the same time..thanks in advance

my car is a 1g fwd if that makes any difference

Yes they do make a performance upgrade outer tie rod. They are called polygraphite tie rods and I have them on my car. I believe I bought them out of a catalog called PST but I can't remember. They sell a kit for the 1g dsm that includes polygraphite tie rods, ball joints, control arm and sway bar bushings for about $200.

 

[pnishr]

I can't find it now, but there's a link for a company that makes all sorts of sperical bearings. They make tie-rod ends; LOTS of them. You'd surely be able to find something that fit. I don't know if that's an improvement or "performance" but, I would think it would have its benefits. Just put the properly sized/threaded bolt through the top and into the spindle. I'll keep looking for the link. It's in here somewhere in one of the threads concerning the lower control arm bushing (the one from prothane that you're not supposed to use)

Just another possible option. at least no boot to rot or replace, and less grease concerns.

-Jeff

 

[Charlie90GST]

Thanks vintagemuscle, I did some googling and found the site, www.p-s-t.com .
Don't mean to ask a dumb question, but what is bump steer?

 

[pagosa dsm]

do a google seach on bump steer.there are a number of articles on bump steer

 

[fhudsonjr]

Here's a company I found that sells spherical bearings and rod ends.
http://mdmetric.com/rodend/fluro/index.htm?gclid=CIfz3KLIu4gCFRRLOAodqzI_0w

Fred

 

[pagosa dsm]

the companies i bought from are www.qa1.net and www.speedwaymotors.com

 

[AndrewD5418]

I don't feel like creating a new thread for this so sorry for resurrecting a dead one; but what is the thread size to get for the heim? Or do you have any clearer pictures of yours pagosa? Sorry if it's too much of a pain.