I went to get my car aligned, and was told that I needed a new tie rod before it could be aligned.

So, I've got a couple of questions:

Are there any aftermarket ti rods that would be better than stock?

Could I just replace the ends, rather than the whole rod?

Do I sound like a complete fool for asking these questions? Cause I really don't know squat about the details of the steering and suspension systems on our cars.

Thanks,
Brian

 

it's actually the tie rod ends that he's refering to. the OEM replacements r just fine and u may as well do all 4 of them, inner and outter on both sides. going by what they cost for my car, they average $20-21US each. these tie rod ends adjusts the toe-in/out, tires look like this / \ or \ / viewed from above. when the ball joints in these ends r worn, this adjustment changes by a few degrees as the wheels r turned just off center.

 

I actually just had the same thing happen!!! Very good to know

 

Thank you very much.

The guy told me that I needed a tie rod. Not ends. So I wasn't quite sure because like I said I know almost nothing about that system. But he quoted me a price of $30-35 for the tie rod. He never mentioned ends? I wonder if he could be getting a complete rod with ends maybe?

So I guess I'll just go ahead and get it done then if there's no real advantage to anything other than stock.

Thanks again,
Brian

 

I'd guess that when he said tie rod, he means tie rod end. I think you'd expect to pay around $25-30 for each end, with the inners and outers at different prices, and then anouth $10 or so for the sleeve, or the little threaded bit that connects the two ends together.

Each tie rod end has a little ball-joint built into it. Should grit invade those, or the grease gets forced out or whatever, suddenly those ball joints are loose, unpredictable, and, basically, junk. Most likely one of the boots on your tie rods tore, the grease got polluted, and now that little ball joint is trashed. Unfortunately, the ball joint cannot be replaced, so you've got to buy a whole new bit. I would, however, ask to have any tie rod (or control arm ball joint, for that matter) replaced with an aftermarket model that is equipped with a grease fitting. That way, you can shoot a little grease in there from time to time to make sure everything is well-lubricated and not eating itself alive.

 

Thanks for the advise wae, I'll see what I can do about getting a greaseable set.

 

I just did the tie rod ends on My SA they had all split and most had no grease at all. Im pretty sure all tie rod ends these day have grease nipples. There pretty cheap to buy. I live in Australia and they only cost $20. Depending where you go I went to one place and for the same brand they were $70!