BajaRunner

My tie-rods are screwed...they are just super loose...

Are they easy enough for me to replace? I would like to do it myself so I dont have to pay a million dollars.

What exactly do I need to replace? The bushings or what?

BTW I have a 3rd gen, I can take pictures too.

Designsbyme

Autozone will have what you need. However, I have found that the finish sucks so you may want to paint them before you put'em on. Also, spray them with some PB something something Forgot what that stuff is called. They can be tricky to remove. Don't pay anyone to do this for you. It's too easy. Make sure to mark how far the old ones were screwed on. Good luck!

Flamedx4

You can buy tie rod end pullers for under 10 bucks (try Harbor Freight) and it's super easy. When the new ones are in you'll need to get your toe-in setting right and the steering wheel straight again. It's not hard but requires a little thought. You can get your toe-in right with a simple tape measure. Then check the steering wheel and adjust both tie rods the same till it's straight. Then double check your toe-in - etc... not hard at all, but take the time to get it adjusted right. If you're not sure, you can always ask a shop just to do your toe-in and center the wheel for a nominal fee.

Pretacopower

I was searching through the old tie rod threads and found this one so, I'm digging it up

Long story short, my tie rods are loose and I've been told I need new ones. Problem is, I was quoted $200 PER TIE ROD. Reading this has made me realize that this means 1 of 3 things.
1) I need more than just the tie rods. (Dont know what else is involved)

2) I'm getting screwed.

3) The tie rods I've been quoted on are hand made by the Pope out of pure gold and laced with diamonds.

Anyway, I haven't given my mechanic the go-ahead just yet, I'm going to get a second opinion tomorrow. Has anyone replaced their tie rods themselves? Is it fairly simple? Any light anyone can shed on this subject would be great since I'm not familiar with tie rods at all.

Flamedx4

Those Vatican tie rods are the shizzle!

The tie rods themselves can't wear out. The ends are the things that wear out. You can tell which ones by having someone turn the wheel back and forth while you put your fingertip against the tie rod joint (the rubber dust seal) and feel for play. Take out the cotter pin, remove the nut, get a puller or a picklefork and pop it loose, undo the clamp on the tie rod and unscrew the rod end and replace with a new one. (DO NOT PAINT the tapered 'hole' where the shaft goes in, or the shaft - you want metal to metal contact or it will work loose as the paint in there deteriorates...) The same goes for the idler arm end or the steering arm end, (if yours has those) all easy to replace. After you're done you'll need to set the toe-in again. That's easy too.

mt_goat

I just got my new tie rods. You can get the whole assembly for about the same price as just the ends, so why not replace the rusted center piece and clamps too. Plus with the assemblies you can keep the old ones for spares and they will still be adjusted for your truck just mark which side was which. From an online Toyota dealer the whole OEM tie rod assembly was $72.02 each side. You can borrow the pullers from any major auto parts store. I put some anti-seize on the full lengh of the threads before the install.

Pretacopower

Thanks! So maybe I was quoted on the tie rods themselves, not just the ends? If all I need is the ends then hot damn, imma gonna save a few hundreds bucks
The installation doesn't sound too difficult...I'll find out for sure exactly what I need and see if maybe I can do it myself. Thanks for the reply!

toy283

In all likelyhood, they're quoting for both the tie rod and the ends. Most shops will simply replace both as one unit as it it generally easier and most customers don't know/care enough to know the difference. OTOH, while you may save a little on parts by replacing just the ends, they may charge a little more in labor because it can be a little more difficult.

mt_goat

Dude, I just bought some this week and you can get the whole assembly for roughly the same price as just the ends. The main part of the tie rods is the ends. The center part is just that little short threaded sleave with the clamps on it and it hardly adds any to the price. If you want to save some money order them through an online Toyota dealer like this one: http://www.toyota-parts.com/

Pretacopower

Thanks!

BruceTS

Guys, he's got a 3rd gen, they have a rack & pinoin steering unit, so the only thing he needs to replace are the rod ends. I'd check to see which one is bad or if it's the rack bushings themselves. Usually the rack bushings go bad, making you think the rod ends are giving you trouble.

mt_goat

Oh I didn't see that, sorry my mistake (egg on face and running now). That changes everything, forget what I said then.

MTL_4runner

How often do these go on a 3rd gen (inner or outers)?

Has anyone had to replace one and how much were the parts?

Anyone got any pics of this?

Watrout88

I just had my inner tie rod replaced and it costed me around $220 and Midas. I hope I didn't get screwed on this. Let me know.

Adam F

Put the truck on jackstands, and have a buddy grab each tire at 3 and 9 o'clock, wiggling it left to right. There should be no play, if there is, closely look at the tie rod ends to see if they are moving, it should be obvious.

outdoorfever

isn't there a tierod rebuild kit??