"Pop" from tie rod end today - any danger driving?

[bodyart27]

Luck would have it I have hand surgery Friday (to hopefully fix this screwed up tendon once and for all in my thumb), and tonight (Wed), I hit a real rough patch of road and now I have a "pop" from the driver's side tie rod end.

The diagnosis was having the girlfriend turn the wheel about half a turn back and forth and I could see / hear the end "pop" on the pitman arm side. When I grabbed hold of it though, it appears tightly connected.

So the conundrum is that I'm going to be out of commission for a while with this surgery. Is this something that can wait for a couple of weeks or do I just need to suck it up and take it in the shop ($$$) and have it done.

Is this thing going to fail and come apart or just add play in the steering?

thanks everyone!

[leathermang]

Sorry about your hand.. good luck with it...

GOOD GRIEF... do NOT drive the car until you get that fixed !!

Any Questions ?

[bodyart27]

sounds like I'll be making a cannonball run to the dealer for a part in the morning so I can get that knocked out before friday!

thanks for replying

[Mister Byrnzoil]

how does the 'pop' of a tierod differ from the 'pop' of the dozen other things it could have been?

[rdanz]

Stop Do Not Drive Untill Repaired

[t walgamuth]

loose i am at a loss as to how it could pop. if it is not loose i dont see how it can be dangerous.

tom w

[bodyart27]

When I was looking under the car while girlfriend was turning the wheel, it was popping up in the joint and back down. It would pop turning left and right with the front wheel sweeping within about a 20-30* arc (pops at the end of the arc).

I was at Park Place Motorcars first thing this morning grabbing the parts. So hopefully I can bang this out fast tonight. From what I am reading - doesn't look like a harry job.

Thanks everyone!

[barry123400]

Could the tie rod end be totally dry of lubricant? Perhaps under presure it moves suddenly as the rust releases under pressure. (your pop) Still would not be really worn but the iron oxide( rust particals) will eat up the joint even with the addition of new lubricant. Plus the nice smooth surface of the joint inside would be gone.If the joint seems still quite tight that is probably the reason. Yes it should be changed. You can remove the rubber boot after removing the tie rod end to satisfy your curiosity. Just reread your post and sounds more like a worn out joint or the pocket has been stretched more so than a partially seized joint. Good thing you noticed it and checked it out as a lot of people may have driven on it till total failure.

[t walgamuth]

like it is loose but not loose enough to wiggle with just your hand. and prob needs replacing. pronto.

tom w

[leathermang]

The only tedious part is setting the toe-in after you install it....
Did you check the other side ... or are you replacing all of them ?

[rdanz]

If you carefully count the number of turns it takes to remove the Tierod end and install the new one with the same number of turns most likely you can get away without alighning the car.

[t walgamuth]

on counting threads. i have done it several times successfully.

tom w

[bodyart27]

back from surgery... typing one handed

I didn't have time to get that cool tool:

http://www.mytoolstore.com/toolaid/suspn02.html

so i had to use a pickle form to break it loose (yes - I did both sides last night) - I hated banging on that thing - but not too bad of a job fo first time doing this

the pop was the drivers side where it connected to the pitman / steering thingy

the male / threaded part of the tie rod end was secure - it was the ball joint / pivot joint that would pull back a little and snap back (the pop) during the arc of the pitman arm turning

[leathermang]

The physics of the situation is that if the wheels are set a tiny amount pointed IN then when they are turning fast they tend to pull OUT... hopefully that amount will be set just right so they are straight in the pulled out position..

If you take a front end WITH PLAY.... and " count the threads" ... then you have to be sure all the accumulated clearances are in the " pulled tight " towards the outside....

And that is almost impossible to do... so I suggest for the life of the tires... that after the new parts are placed on the front end... that the toe in get set.

Just old fashioned conservative mechanicing....

[tangofox007]

Originally Posted by leathermang

And that is almost impossible to do... so I suggest for the life of the tires... that after the new parts are placed on the front end... that the toe in get set.

Absolutely. Counting threads is okay to get the toe close enough to drive to the alignment shop. But that's about all it's good for.