The tie rods are actually just a round bar of steel which connects the steering rack to the lever arm on each hub. The outside connection to the lever arm of the hub is a heim joint which is a ball and socket similar to the hip joint. The tie rod end is sealed with a boot, and lubricated. When the seal fails, or the lubrication isn't present the ball and socket become loose and can cause inaccuracy in the steering system allowing each of the hubs to not be solidly tracked by turning the steering. This slop or inaccuracy can wear tires, and cause the car to wander around a bit.

When the tie rod ends are replaced, the joint is renewed, and the slop or inaccuracy between the steering rack and the hubs is removed. After that, the car can get an alignment, and be restored to good steering track. The actual rod is not replaced, but the end with the joint is screwed onto the threaded end of the tie rod, and is a normal wear component. It generally lasts between 60-150,000 miles, depending on road surface, speed, tire condition, shock condition, and load.

 

Tie rod "ends" secure your steering linkage to the wheel knuckles....effectively keeping you moving in the direction you want to go. Yes you will see a major differance for the better between new and worn out tie rod "ends".

Worn tie rod "ends" will cause vibration, vague steering and premature tyre wear and if one side go's then hang onto hat ....after all you will no longer be able to control the direction of the car.

 

Actually, as stated before the "tie rods" are a round hunk of metal and are not a wear component. The end of the tie rod, where the joint is screws onto the "tie rod", attaches to the steering lever arm of the hub and is a replaceable wear component. The tie rod is not replaced, or renewed unless it has suffered damage that causes it to be bent.

 

Have amended post and added "ends" to save confusion.......otherwise known here in UK as Track Rod Ends

 

Ok thanks guys for the help. You each answered my question. So I'm just going to replace the tie rod ends at the same time I do my front end.

I'm replacing all at one time:

Struts/Shocks/ Strut Mounts
Sway Bar End Links
Tie Rod Ends
Power Steering fluid change

Hope front end feels better! I replaced both oxygen sensors, cleaned the maf sensor, new air filter, new fuel filter, new plugs and wires, new pcv valve, fresh oil change with mobil 1 synthetic and mobile 1 synthetic transmission fluid and car runs like a champ! Just got 380 miles out of last tank. I'm thinking after I do the ECU Tuning and highflow cat. converter, I'm hoping to be close to 400 miles on a tank!

 

id10t, go back to school. The ties are replaceable, BOTH INNER AND OUTER. EITHER ONE can wear but outers more common. The outer is the 'end', short part, the inner rod has a balljoint at the end of the rack that can wear too. That portion is covered by the rubber boot on the end of rack unit. Essentially 4 tie rods on a car if you will. More accurate to call inners the rods and outers the ends.

 

Sigh,,,, people and keyboards. Like salt and water sometimes.

In the Focus, as with most other small cars the tie rods are integral to the pinion rack and steering assembly. Since the DOT rules in 10/81 came along and required that the brakes and steering components be 'rated for lifetime service limits under normal operating conditions'. The inner tie rod is encapsulated in the boot of the steering gear, and is a very, very, very, low failure item. Of course, I made allowance for the possibility in my second post on the subject that it can be replaced if it is damaged, but the tie rod falls under the lifetime assembly rules of the DOT, just like brake calipers(minus the friction materials, rubber seals).

I would rate the probability of a failed tie rod at < 0.2% of all steering related issues, with the tie rod end probability of > 80%, the remaining balance of problems are likely with steering rack bushings and lower ball joints.

Here are a few examples for the rant members:

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/d...&make=Ford&model=Focus&vi=1385614&ck=Search_02873_1385614_-1&pt=02873&ppt=C0031

http://www.autozone.com/autozone/pa...Duralast-Rack-Pinion/2007-Ford-Focus/_/N-jp7y2Z8oxk3?itemIdentifier=962856_0_0_

Note that both assemblies contain the tie rods. Can you find tie rods by themselves? Sure, somewhere - possibly. Do they wear out? No, they are a lifetime component of an assembly(rack and pinion). Do they get damaged? Occasionally someone will run over something and it can get bent, but it's very rare. Would anyone with more than 3 brain cells replace them? No, they would replace the tie rod ends, and investigate the steering bushings, because -- one more time with vigor tie rods are a lifetime component of an assembly just like you can replace the caliper of your brakes but no one does it, they just replace the friction lining, and possibly the dust boot(s).

[?|]

 

Really.

I should point out I just finished a nice long stint with the good folks at one of those places. I sold inner tie rods ALL the time despite what you may think. They list them for virtually every vehicle made in the computer and many available right on the spot. Maybe half as many as outer tie ends, but I sold plenty. I should also point out for those who live under rocks that there are 'lifetime warranty' parts that are NOT intended to be lifetime at all excepting lip service only, the cost from China is so low that they plan for you to swap out at least one, they charged you enough to still make good money. I saw MANY lifetime parts come back totally worn out in 1 or 2 years. So-called lifetime racks? Back in as little as one week, leaking or blown seals. 6 months with bad inner tie rods, sorry for that. Now the cheap choice of tie supplier has scrapped the entire rack. You paid top buck for partially cheap part, great deal. Calipers were not too bad, they generally stayed gone. Easy to rebuilt with no brain I guess.

I have NEVER had a need to change a rack bushing in all the years I've maintained my cars, I've done it a time or two on others. Maybe you got your parts mixed up, it was extremely rare to get a request for one and many were not available at all in the parts books. Inner ties always had a higher stocking demand code on them. I have changed several inner ties on my stuff, they were dead and had slack. On two Tempos, both sides inners had to change. 4 in all. I didn't change them because I was stupid or just felt like it. There is no oil supply to them if in a power steering rack, the grease pushes aside and the part dies under the boot. You seem to think any stress felt by the outer end simply disappears right there, nope, it continues to the inner which shares the impact. I used to reset inners back in the days when one could do so, you simply ground out the stake, tightened up more till hitting articulation torque and restaked the outside shell. I've also rebuilt the racks themselves as well as the power units.

If the DOT ruling is so all encompassing, then why is it that Ford insists that any work done on those suspension systems require all nuts and bolts to be changed every time they are loosened? Great, the major parts are lifetime but the nuts and bolts holding them together aren't? Makes one feel so much better................

You need to figure out that the DOT saying the parts need to be lifetime on factory cars has absolutely nothing to do with the aftermarket, no such rule exists for that. Apples and oranges.................someday we should discuss how many of those 'lifetime warranty' parts are bad right out of the box. Hint: you really don't want to know.

One day people will realize that there is no such thing as a lifetime part, it was a way for the marketing guys to push up unit profits while really doing nothing else. On many lines the average part quality has GONE DOWN. I could not find a commercial account mech who didn't think so either. I worked the business in the early '80s and just now and there is no comparison. There are far more brand new part rejects now.

Where's my lecture for lifetime warranty brake linings???? (snicker) They make 'em for people like you that eagerly want to pay 3X what something is worth.

 

so question for both you guys..... any parts counter experience or repair shop experience? just curious because you both bring up good points from what I skimmed through. I have worked both.

Bottom line, in my opinion, just replace what's broken or worn out.

 

Beat me to it, must have been the story I was typing out [giddy]

 

I have to agree with amc on this. I have have changed inners and outers before and let me tell ya, the inners were just has worn has the outters. When holding the worn out inner next to the new part you could feel and see the slop it had. Yes outters are more prone to wear than the inners but not by much. Also yes when you buy a steering rack they come with new rods already on them, that doesn't mean they are not replaceable though.

Now that being said if y'all want to continue on arguing the thread can be closed. Especially since the OP already got the answer he was looking for a few post in. We're not here to argue about DOT and wearable parts.



Oh and the majority of the earth is covered by salt water so.....keyboards and people huh? *sigh* [facepalm]

 

haha yes you're correct.

 

3X.

My bad, sometimes I just don't know when to shut up.

The point is, lifetime warranty parts are a farce, the quality of the parts did not increase in virtually any part now listed under that moniker. I believe it was fostered by good quality made in US companies trying to survive the 'Chinese invasion'. Now it has been warped to fit everything by the big chains, diluting the concept into uselessness. If you have say a balljoint listed at $22 and one at $84 and BOTH are listed as having lifetime warranty, which one are you going to pick? Can you actually think they are the same quality? I saw stuff like this all the time, big guess, the much more commonly bought $22 part came back often in less than 1 year and dead as a doornail. By the visual wear it was clear that the parts were not hardened nearly as well as good quality parts would be.

As far as unitizing of parts, just because a rack comes with ties means nothing except you paid more. Soon they will be adding the outers if enough customers mention it. Next will be buying a whole car to get the rack, or a motor to get spark plugs. They'd do it if they thought they could get away with it. It's all about maximum buck per transaction, anything extra they can talk (or force) you into getting is good regardless of whether necessary to you or not. Need a pair of snap rings? We got 'em, 25 in a package, lifetime warranty too. We were urged to 'sell them the whole car' if they were dumb enough (sorry, but true). The goal was not sell them only what they need but sell them whatever you can. By doing so we were 'taking care of the customer' and giving him whatever he needs. Great brainwashing job there. Problem there though, one person telling another what he needs may not be what the second person wants. Very offputting to someone like me who fixes everything permanently with a minimalist outlook. Fix reliably but with no more than you need I say. Buyer most definitely beware.

I wholeheartedly apologize to anyone I've offended here. I assure you it was not my intent. I'm just a stubborn white boy trying to make it to the end of the race like everybody else.............sometimes I trip and fall.

Yes, I both repaired and sold parts, I also ran and repaired large web printing presses for 35 years in there somewhere. Lots of high perf and dragracing stuff, motorcycle too. I've never paid for car repair my entire life including ATX rebuilds I do myself. I wish I'd gotten into jet aircraft like Dad...........

Lock it if you will, I'm done here.

 

One last point, On setups like the Focus with tie rods running in back of the wheel, a bad tie or end can cause tire shaking when the car's power is neutralled as in a slight coast. The shake can very easily seems to be from axles or out of balance tires. It's easily felt in the steering wheel. It can stop when harder power is applied (tie slack pulls to the front and negates) or when brakes are applied and power drops off (slack pulled to the back and negates). Can shake worst at slight braking if power still on, the power pulls slack to the front, braking pulls it back again and the two do a give and take that makes the front to rear shaking occur.

Jack car up and grab tire at 9 and 3 o'clock, manhandle it back and forth, don't be a little girl about it. If you got play there then something in ties is dead. You can crawl up under car (USE JACKSTAND SAFELY) and work it again to find out just where the looseness is.

 

I went ahead and purchased the tie rod ends on both sides and will be replacing them when I change the axles and front sway bar end links tomm. I'm gonna do all 3.

 

Don't forget you will need a alignment afterwards.

 

here's a tip for you so you dont have to get an alignment (though not a bad idea). When loosening the tie rod end, get it loose from the jam nut and then leave the nut where it is. Take the joint (tie rod end) out of the knuckle and unscrew the rod end. Now when you put the new end on (please check to make sure they're the same length) you can just screw it on all the way to the jam nut and the alignment will be the same.

also amc, did they also teach you to "never say no" ?

 

Also how much play in the joint it self if its real bad i normal turn one full turn out

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

 

which joint, inner or knuckle? I assume knuckle since I called it that as well... never had to do that but then again I'm always up for new tricks to cut time but do a quality job.

 

Did not see this in any of the above comments, but you can also upgrade the tie rods if your replacing the ends. I did that a few years back I think its the 2005 year you can get which has a larger diameter on the Rod

 

They tried. I got tired of being a walking mat for people who didn't know the difference between a spark plug and a taillight. That business is so totally screwed now. Used to love it. Biggest problem is that the business is trapped in a conundrum, while the cars have become much more technically advanced the average knowledge of the person most likely working on the vehicle has not come up at all. The customer cannot be right when he cannot even tell you what part he wants but they sure try. It only leads to bad feeling in many, many cases.

One can count the number of turns the old rod end is backed off before it falls off the tie, use that along with the nut location to get some idea of how accurate the new end is to the old. Different manufacturers, different castings to begin with can change the point in space you need to be at. One can always run car afterwards, pull dead straight, shut off car and shoot a line of string off back tires to front to get an idea of how far off one is. Any difference in pull or position of the steering wheel will be an indicator too. I haven't aligned a car in my entire life, there are things you can do yourself and car will track straighter than an arrow and tires last forever. Splitting degrees in hundreths by computer alignment is worthless, it's only to impress those who don't know any better.