Tie Rod: Service and Repair

Tie Rod

Special tools, testers and auxiliary items required

• Ball Joint Puller (3287 A)

• Hose Clamp Pliers (V.A.G 1275)

• Torque Wrench 40-200 Nm (V.A.G 1332)

• Open-Jaw Torque Wrench Insert (V.A.G 1923)

• Locking Pliers (VAS 6199)

Removing

- Turn steering wheel into straight ahead position.

- Clean outside of steering gear in area of bellows.

- Loosen nut - 3 -, counterhold on tie rod end - 2 - while doing this.






- Remove front wheel.

- Loosen nut of track rod ball joint, but do not unscrew yet.

To protect thread, screw nut on pin a few turns.

- Press off track rod ball joint from wheel bearing housing using (3287 A) and now unscrew nut.






- Loosen spring clamp - 1 - using (V.A.G 1275) from bellows and slide onto tie rod.






- Remove clamp and pull off bellows from steering gear housing.

- Remove the tie rod from steering gear using (V.A.G 1923).






• If corrosion, damage, wear-out or first signs of soiling on steering rack can be seen, complete steering gear must be replaced.

• If no grease film is visible on steering rack, steering gear must also be replaced completely.

Installing

Before installing, coat the steering rack with the grease (G 052 192 A1) supplied in the repair set.

Do not use other grease under any circumstances.

For this purpose, turn steering to stop toward both sides in succession.

For clearer illustration, steering gear has been removed in the illustration.

- Grease steering rack on toothed side - A - and on thrust piece side with grease (G 052 192 A1).






- Turn steering wheel into straight ahead position.

- Twist tie rod far enough into tie rod end until dimension - a - is obtained.






Dimension - a - = 390 +/- 1 mm

- Guide new clamp and bellows onto tie rod.

- Twist tie rod into steering gear and tighten to tightening specification.

- Slide bellows - 2 - onto tie rod - 1 -, pay attention to correct position when doing this.






- Slide bellows onto steering gear housing until it stops.

- Tighten the new clamp with (VAS 6199) as illustrated.






Install in reverse order of removal.

Tightening specifications, refer to => [ Steering Gear Overview ] Steering Gear Overview

After the installation the vehicle must be measured.

- Perform vehicle alignment => [ Wheel Alignment ] Wheel Alignment.

- Perform basic setting for steering angle sensor (G85) via vehicle diagnostic tester "Guided Fault Finding".

- Perform a basic setting and program the steering on vehicles with Generation II steering gear vehicle diagnostic tester "Guided Fault Finding".