Tie Rod End: Service and Repair

Disassembly

1. Place steering gear assembly into holding fixture T57L-500-B or equivalent. If necessary, drill out the mounting holes on the holding fixture to allow gear assembly mounting bolts to fit.
2. Remove tie rod ends.
3. Remove four clamps attaching bellows to steering gear housing and tie rods.
4. Discard clamps if damaged or excessively corroded.
5. Remove bellows along with breather tube. Do not damage bellows.
6. Using tool D81P-3504-N or equivalent, remove coiled lockpins from inner tie rod ball joints.
7. On models equipped with rivets, using suitable chisel, gently tap around rivet head to lift from ball joint. Do not sheer off center pin, then using suitable side cutters, pry out drive pin.
8. On all models, position rack so that several rack teeth are exposed. Hold rack with an adjustable wrench on end teeth only, while loosening ball joint nuts with tool T74P-3504-U or equivalent.

Assembly

1. Expose several rack teeth and hold rack with an adjustable wrench.
2. Tighten each ball joint assembly separately to specifications, using nut wrench T74P-3504-U or equivalent.
3. Install new coiled pins in tie rod ball housing by tapping lightly with a suitable hammer.
4. Thoroughly clean rack and housing bore. Replenish any grease that may have been removed from rack teeth.
5. Apply grease C3AZ-19578-A or equivalent to groove in rods where bellows clamp to tie rod. This allows for toe-in adjustment without twisting bellows.
6. Install bellows and breather tube. Ensure breather tube is correctly installed.

Fig. 14 Screw Axis Position:

7. Install clamps, then position screw axis, Fig. 14.
8. Install new clamps attaching bellows to tie rods.
9. Apply grease D7AZ-19590-A or equivalent to tie rod threads.
10. Install tie rod outer ends.