The sleeves don't want to rotate after 23 years underneath there.

deniss,

Put something sturdy between the idler arm and the floor and whack the tie rod end bolt. Take the nut off first so U won't have any trouble getting it off after U whack the bolt.

If that doesn't work, apply some heat to the idler arm and whack again.

Tie rod end should be easy to get out of the tie rod because the tie rods are split. Just loosen the clamp first. Before U loosen the tie rod end, measure to the center of the tie rod end so U can get the alignment close when U put the new tie rod back in the tie rod.

P E H

I just did this exercise last night.

Smacking got one out. The others wouldn't budge. I used a 12oz ball been and a 1 lb dead blow hitting just like the above thread states.

Bought a $13 tierod/ball joint puller at Autozone, and it popped the tierods out so easily. Fellow at the counter said hed rent the tool to me for $0...I preferred to buy it for inevitable 'next time', but there is a zero cost solution.

A couple of the ends popped out with a LOT of force. I cant imagine how much smacking it would have taken to free them.

dd

__________________
-------------------------------
'85 300D, 'Lance',250k, ... winter beater (100k on franken-Frybrid 3 Valve Kit)
'82 300D, 'Tex', 228k body / 170k engine ... summer car
'83 300TD Cali Wagon 210k, wife's car

I had my car in the shop for something else today, and I told the mechanic about this tie rod end thing. He checked and said that the tie rod ends are actually alright - it's the idler arm that needs to have its bushings replaced.

__________________
84 300SD - bought in April '06 with 237,000 mi