Inner Tie Rod Bushing
BUSHING INNER TIE RODREMOVAL - INNER TIE ROD BUSHING
NOTE: When servicing inner tie rod bushings, replacement of both inner tie rod bushings is recommended.
1. Remove the battery ground cable from the ground stud on the shock tower and isolate the ground cable by installing the cable isolator on the ground stud.
2. Remove caps from both wiper arms at the attachment to the pivots to expose the wiper arm attaching nut. Remove the nut attaching each wiper arm to its pivot.
3. Remove the wiper arms from the pivots. Wiper arms are removed from the pivots by rocking them back and force on the pivots until they can be pulled off the pivots.
4. Remove the wiper module cover and cowl cover from the vehicle.
5. Remove the eight bolts attaching the cowl reinforcement to the strut towers and the one bolt attaching the wiper module to the reinforcement. Remove the reinforcement from the vehicle.
6. Remove the in-line resonator and inlet hose from the throttle body and air let hose coming from the lid of the air cleaner housing.
7. Raise the vehicle on a frame contact hoist until the front tires of the vehicle are just off the floor. See Hoisting in Lubrication And Maintenance.
8. Remove front wheel and tire assembly from side requiring repair (both sides are recommended).
9. Remove the nut attaching the outer tie rod end to the steering arm on the strut.
10. Remove the tie rod end from the steering arm of the strut using Puller, Special Tool C-3894-A.
11. Turn the steering wheel all the way to the full-right position.
12. Bend back the retaining tabs on the mounting plate for the tie rod to steering gear mounting bolts.
13. Remove the bolt fastening the inner tie rod to the steering gear. Be careful not to loose the washer behind the tie rod.
14. Loosen the bolt fastening the opposite inner tie rod to the gear, but do not fully remove it.
15. Rotate the loose end of the mounting plate out of the way.
16. Remove the tie rod assembly from the vehicle through the wheel opening.
17. Mount Receiver, Special tool 8438-1, in a vise as shown.
18. Assemble Special Tool 8438 in the following manner to remove the bushing from the inner tie rod.
a. Place the inner tie rod bushing end in the Receiver as shown.
b. Place Remover/Installer, Special Tool 8438-4, with the small end down on top of the bushing.
c. Insert Screw, Special Tool 8438-3, though the Remover/Installer and tie rod bushing, until it threads into the bottom of the Receiver.
d. Using hand tools, tighten the Screw until it bottoms out. The bushing is now removed from the inner tie rod.
19. Remove the Screw, then remove the Remover/ Installer, tie rod and bushing from the Receiver.
INSTALLATION - INNER TIE ROD BUSHING
NOTE: When servicing inner tie rod bushings, replacement of bushings on both inner tie rods is recommended.
1. Using Mopar Silicone Spray Lubricant, spray bushing, inner tie rod end, and inside of Sizer, Special Tool 8438-2.
CAUTION: Do not use petroleum based rubber bushing installation lubricant. Premature bushing failure may occur.
NOTE: The inner tie rod bushing is symmetrical. There is no designated top or bottom.
2. Place NEW bushing in the bore of Sizer as shown. Slide bushing all the way into the Sizer bore.
3. With the Receiver, Special Tool 8438-1, mounted in the vise as shown, assemble the Special Tool 8438 in the following manner to install the new bushing.
a. Place the inner tie rod end in Receiver as shown.
b. Place the Sizer (with bushing) on top of the tie rod bushing bore with the tapered end facing downward.
c. Place Remover/Installer, Special Tool 8438-4, with the small end down on top of the bushing.
d. Insert Screw, Special Tool 8438-3, through the Remover/Installer, bushing (in Sizer) and tie rod, until it threads into the bottom of the Receiver.
e. Using hand tools, tighten the Screw, pushing the bushing out of Sizer, into the inner tie rod end. Tighten the Screw until it bottoms in the tool. Do not over tighten.
4. Remove the Screw, Remover/Installer and Sizer, then remove the tie rod from the Receiver.
5. Inspect the bushing. It will appear slightly off center in the tie rod. This is a normal condition.
NOTE: Before installing the tie rod assembly back in the vehicle, loosen the tie rod adjustment pinch bolt and verify the adjustment sleeve is freed-up. This will ease toe adjustment which must be set at the end of this procedure.
6. Install the tie rod assembly through the tie rod hole in the wheel opening inner fender.
7. Install the outer tie rod on the steering arm of the strut. Install the tie rod steering arm nut. Do not tighten the nut at this time.
CAUTION: Before installing tie rod on steering gear be sure the tie rod spacer block inside the steering gear bellows (boot) is correctly aligned with the bolt holes in the rack of the steering gear and the steering gear bellows.
8. Align the inner tie rod with the mounting hole in the center take off on steering gear. Rotate the mounting plate into position over the tie rod. Install tie rod attaching bolt through tie rod and washer into steering gear. Be sure washer is installed between tie rod and steering gear as shown.
NOTE: It is recommended that the opposite inner tie rod's bushing be removed and replaced at this time.
9. Tighten both tie rod to steering gear bolts to a torque of 100 Nm (74 ft. lbs.).
10. Bend retaining tabs against heads of tie rod attaching bolts.
11. Place the front wheels in the straight-ahead position.
12. Tighten the outer tie rod steering arm nut to a torque of 37 Nm (27 ft. lbs.).
13. Install the wheel and tire assembly. Install and tighten wheel mounting stud nuts in proper sequence until all nuts are torqued to half specification. Then repeat the tightening sequence to the full specified torque of 135 Nm (100 ft. lbs.).
14. Lower the vehicle.
15. Install the in-line resonator and inlet hose on the throttle body and air inlet hose coming from the lid of the air cleaner housing.
16. Install the reinforcement on the vehicle. Install the eight bolts attaching the cowl reinforcement to the strut towers. Install the bolt attaching the wiper module to the reinforcement.
17. Install the covers over the wiper module and the cowl. Install and securely tighten the attaching screws.
18. Install the wiper arms on the pivots. Install and securely tighten the wiper arm to pivot attaching nuts. Install the caps on the wiper arms covering the pivot nuts.
19. Install the battery ground cable onto the ground stud on the shock tower and install nut.
20. Adjust front toe.