 Replacement Parts Catalog
OEM Replacement Parts Catalog
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What is a tie rod end?
Tie rod ends connect your steering rack to your struts or your wheel hub, and help adjust your steering wheel so that it's prefectly straight. This is done many times during an alignment.
How do I replace my tie rod end? Do you have a How To or DIY?
For your specific application, we recommend you ask in our car forum. Below we have a general overview of what it takes to replace your tie rod end, but please note, this varies from car to car, and requires specific torque specs. For this job, you can use standard tools, except for a puller, which you would need from a local auto parts store, called a "Tie Rod End Puller". Many local auto parts stores will let you borrow these tools so you don't need to pay for it.
Before you begin, we recommend for you to get all torque specs unique to your vehicle. We recommend a service manual to help you. Make sure your steering wheel is not locked before you begin. With the steering wheel unlocked, you will be able to turn the front wheels left or right to give you better access to the tie rod ends. Make sure you jack up your car and secure it with a good set of jack stands.
Remove the front wheels. start on the left side, or the driver side, and turn the steering wheel full right. This will give you easy access to the tie rod end. You will see that the tie rod end is threaded onto the steering rack. You will want to take a marker, or white out, and mark where the current tie rod end is located. This way, when you put the new part on, you will have a good idea of where it was, so it doesn't affect your alignment too much.
Make sure you use the tie rod end intended for the driver side. Depending on your application, these might be slightly different, and you want to make sure you are using the correct side. You will see on the old tie rod end, on top, there is a cotter pin, and a castellated nut. Remove the cotter pin, and if it gets damaged, get a new heavy duty cotter pin to replace it. Remove the nut. Once the tie rod end is not secured anymore, you will want to use the special tie rod puller to free it from the hub or strut. Unscrew the old tie rod end, making sure you marked the location of the old end. If your tie rod end requires grease fittings, now is the time to install it.
Install new rubber boots on the tie rod end, if they are not already installed. The tie rod ends we sell, usually come with everything pre-greased, with new tie rod end boots already installed, and new cotter pins and castellated nuts. Torque everything to factory spec. Do the same on the other side. We highly recommend an alignment after this job.
How can I tell if I need a new tie rod end?
Tie rod ends themselves typically don't go bad. What goes bad is the boot gets cracked or cut open, and the grease spills out. The boot fills with dirt, dust, and grime, and causes the moving parts to wear quickly. Some signs of a bad tie rod end would be front end shaking or vibration, and abnormal noise, especially when steering. After steering, if the vehicle doesn't return back to center aligned properly, has hard steering, wanders, or generally feels unstable, loose or has excessive steering wheel play, you probably need a new tie rod end.
Latest Buick Tie Rod End Applications
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FEQ Tie Rod End
00-05 Buick LeSabre Limited V6 3.8 Inner Tie Rod End |
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FEQ Tie Rod End
86 - Buick LeSabre Custom V6 3.8 Inner Tie Rod End |
Some Buick Tie Rod End Applications (View Full Catalog Above)
| Buick LeSabre Custom |
Buick LeSabre Limited |
More Applications (View Full Catalog Above)
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