This is just a rant/vent. Over the weekend I decided to install my new inner tie rods I've had sitting around for a while. I started with the driver side and it went pretty quickly and smoothly. Then i went to do the passenger side and the inner tie rod would not break free... I'm giving it all I got and it will not break free!! I go as far as to even use the car jack to put force against the wrench to break it free and it will not! I cant imagine giving it more force than the jack just did. After stressing over it for a bit and taking a break, I come back to it with fresh eyes and I start to feel around and find out there's a tiny pin on the top side of it holding it in place. Gah! It's a roller pin so it doesnt go all the way through and only sits on the top side. Now I start to try to remove this pin which hardly had any surface area to grab. No luck. I put a flat head screwdriver on it and try to knock it out no luck, in fact, I think I damaged the pin. I'm now worried that the pin is jammed in there for good... I re-assembled and I'll be taking it to a shop to do the install for me. I just cant imagine how they are going to get that pin out... somebody hug me.

 

https://www.rx7club.com/2nd-gen-arch...ics%5D-773735/

 

I replaced the inner tie rods on my S5 about a year ago. It turned off to be a pretty easy job. Here's my write up: https://www.rx7club.com/2nd-generati.../#post12285298

 

Yeah, this is the guide I used. However, I must have over looked the mention of the pin when I first read it, and when I went back to read it when I was having issues removing the pin, I couldn't really understand if the user removed the rod and the pin popped up on its own? It kind of reads that way:

"Also, in the diagram you might notice a little pin that goes into the rack. When you remove the old rods this pin will get pushed up. Just push the pin back in when you thread in the new rods. However, make sure the pin is up enough to allow you to install the new rod ends with out hurting the threads."

There was no way the tie rod unscrewed, I even put an uncomfortable amount of force on it. Really looks like that pin has to come off before I can unscrew the old tie rod. I'm not even sure how a shop will handle this when I take it in. If they try to drill out that pin, there's not enough room for a drill bit... I don't know but I hope they can handle it easily without having to remove the steering rack or anything crazy.

 

The pin sits in a shallow groove that's between the hex nut and the threaded part of the tie rod that screws into the rack. The pin pops out on its own as you unscrew the tie rod. Don't know why your tie rod is so difficult to remove. Mine unscrewed very easily. Maybe it's either overly tight or somebody used Loctite when they last replaced the tie rod. You might need to remove your R&P and clamp the rack in a vice to loosen your tie rod. Don't know what to say except good luck.

 

yeah, I clamped it down with a vice and literally put the wrench on my jack and used the force of the jack against the car. I didn't want to go nuts on it but I probably had like over 500lbs of torque on it and it didn't break free. Just odd that the other end came off real eaily but this side with the pin didn't. If they used loctite on it, I would imagine they would have done it to both sides? though, I don't have any record of the tie rods ever being serviced in the past and I have records of everything that was ever done to the car. These are just originals that wont give. It's good to know that the pin just pops out on its own... no idea why it wasn't going then... I even checked to see if it had like a reverse screw or something where you have to maybe turn it the opposite direction (like tightening) but the threading on the new one looks to be normal... After reading what you said about the pin coming up on it's own, I might consider a second attempt at it sometime next week before I take it in to the shop... but when I say me and my buddy gave it a ton of force.. I can't imagine we can do more force than what we did with the jack... The other thing is that there's a lot of grease on there already so I don't imagine spraying WD-40 there will help it break free any more, will it?

 

It's sealed with the bellows so I doubt that WD-40 would help. Maybe try using a torch?

 

Just advice to use thread locker when installing the new inner tie rods. Had a scary experience of one coming loose, after I noticed the fronts were toed out. Since then, I threadlock everything suspension related.

edit:grammar

 

Thanks for the suggestion. Yes, I used threadlock on the one I was able to remove.

While I'm here, I'll do a quick update on my situation. Been busy with work and haven't had a chance to take it into a shop to get the one with the roll pin removed, but I did do some research and found there's a tool they sell to remove the roll pin. It basically threads into the pin then you pull it out by turning a bolt. Seems simple enough and would save me some money from taking it to the shop and I can do it on my own down time. Should be coming in in a few days so hopefully I can get it done and get it to an alignment shop soon.

 

So I got my roll pin remover today. I was hesitant to get one as some reviews were saying it broke on them but It was worth a try...


So It was very difficult to get a good grip on it but I did my best. After about a half hour of trying to get it just right I start to feel it grab a little bit... I give it a slow turn... then I don't feel it grabbing anymore. Sure enough the tip broke. I take a look at the area from above and it looks like the tip is now logged inside the roll pin, sigh.

I keep making things worse and worse. I really just need to find time to go to a shop and get it done, but I'm curious how they will handle this... Will they end up just drilling it out? Should I try drilling it out?


sigh