My car CREEKS really badly when I turn my wheel.. could it be a bad tie rod?

[BoostInsideTSi]

I was looking in my wheel well after noticing the really bad creek, and my friend suggested the outer tie rod might have gone bad. I took a look at it, and it appears there is some sort of ball joint or something on the end of it, and The thing is pretty much smashed together, there is grease coming out all around the boot. The thing obviously got torn to shreds. Would this be a common cause of my problem? I can take a picture of this if needed. My car started creeking really bad after I slammed on my brakes really hard last week. Also -- I replaced the lower control arm a couple of weeks ago with a USED one, however I noticed no problems until recently. Thanks for any replies.
Mike

 

[BoostInsideTSi]

here's some pics:

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[Quik_GSX]

I had the same exact problem with my old Mustang and it turned out in fact to be the tie-rod end. What was happening was that the seal on the joint wasn't holding lubrication and when the lube dried out the car started squeaking really badly when I turned the wheel eaither way. Cheap to replace, so just have that changed out and you should be good to go

 

[Staytuned]

Chances are it is either that or your ball joints. Have someone crank your wheel back and forth with your hand on the tie rods and ball joints. You find your culprit pretty fast. I know I did, and I replaced my lower lateral control arm.

 

[BoostInsideTSi]

I appreciate your reply. Anyway for me to tell which side is doing this? This kind of throws me, because I can swear the sound is coming from the drivers side, but when I took thos pics, the tie rod that appears messed up was on the passenger side. Is this just a standard ball join holding it in place that I can get off with a ball joint removal tool? Thanks again.

 

[Staytuned]

I could feel the ball joint grinding in my hand as the wheel was turned. But you can also hear it while standing near it.


I knocked mine out with a pickel fork I bought from a local auto parts store, it was easy.

 

[BoostInsideTSi]

2 more I just took. These are drivers side. The boot was torn, just not from the angle I saw before. This look bad enough to be my culprate? I started the car just now and turned the wheel left to right, no sound except when the wheels were all the way turned. Also when I sit on the fender and push down and lift up it creeks a bit.

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[BoostInsideTSi]

one more thing.. sorry to overwelm this post. But is the car SAFE to drive? My buddy was saying his friends car had the same problem then BAM the tie rod broke and his front bumper was sitting on the ground. Lastly. is there anything I can put in there / spray on the ball joint (WD-40) for the time being to prevent the noise? Thank you.
Mike

 

[Staytuned]

I would not want to mess with worn ball joints or tie rod ends. The worst case scenario is just too easy to happen. You could try hittin' it with some silicone spray or WD-40 to keep them quiet for awhile.. ..may not work though.

 

[Quik_GSX]

one more thing.. sorry to overwelm this post. But is the car SAFE to drive? My buddy was saying his friends car had the same problem then BAM the tie rod broke and his front bumper was sitting on the ground. Lastly. is there anything I can put in there / spray on the ball joint (WD-40) for the time being to prevent the noise? Thank you.
Mike

If you keep the joint well lubricated it shouldn't be, but I'd replace it ASAP since it's pretty cheap for the part. My silly ass drove for a year before replacing the part - I just had to shoot some lube in there once over the year when it started squeaking. I never tried WD-40 myself, but if you'd like go with either that or silicon spray.

 

[BoostInsideTSi]

I haven't gotten it fixed just yet, this week the new tie rod ends are coming in. However, I was driving it 2 days this past week, and the first day the car was ok , but when I came to a stop it would creek a lot (when the wheel was turned), and it would make CLUNK noises on stopping and turning.

Then yesterday, I took it to work, and on the way there it started to clunk more often. like 2-3 times in a row just when driving straight it would clunk. I started to get worried. I drove home, and the think started clunking like a madhouse. The noise is coming from the drivers side wheel well. It would go CLUNK CLUNK CLUNK CLUNK CLUNK CLUNK like 8 times in a row.. I'd either have to step on the gas pretty hard to get it to stop or hit the brakes pretty hard. So thats how I drove home.. hit gas, hit brakes, hit gas, hit brakes. Definately not taking the car out again till its fixed. What would cause this clunking?
it started occasionally, now it does it NON STOP.
Mike

 

[DevilSperm]

Search Results
Report Date : September 4, 2004 at 12:20 PM
TYPE : VEHICLE
YEAR : 1995
MAKE : EAGLE
MODEL : TALON






Results : 2 | All records displayed
Make : EAGLE Model : TALON Year : 1995
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number : 00V421002 Recall Date : DEC 15, 2000
Component: SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT
Potential Number Of Units Affected : 393796

Check to Request Research. Submit below. Get Summary

Make : EAGLE Model : TALON Year : 1995
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID Number : 99V066003 Recall Date : APR 05, 1999
Component: SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER BALL JOINT
Potential Number Of Units Affected : 165857

Check to Request Research. Submit below.