dsmith

i didn't have what i would call difficulty removing it. i pounded one way with a rubber mallet until the end popped out. to reinstall, i used a 2x4 and pry bar to guide it and another person to pound it back in. of course, like a lot of things on the car, i sat there for a second and thought of several ways to improve it.
David

jester911

When I did my tie rods last fall I did not remove the sway bar at all. The tie rod is threaded into the end of the steering rack. It simple needs to be backed out. The rubber bushing allows you to turn the rod close to 90 deg with the rack and you turn counterclockwise. Where the bar came around and hit the sway bar I used a large adjustable (crescent wrench) and turned it until I could again use the bar as the lever. Place the wrench up where the rod attaches to the rack. It is tedious and takes patience but it is totally doable. The key is to get it to turn initially.

And it does not get any easier as it backs out. I assume you are going to turbo tie rods. You really should.
Pay attention when installing the new ones to get the spacers on correctly. Another thing that is really important is to measure the old tie rods exactly from where the attach at the spindle to the end of the rack before you twist the rod and change its length. You need to match up the new rods in length to ensure you don't throw off your alignment so bad that you cannot drive it.
You will need an alignment after your done anyway but you don't want to drastically change the steering geometry.
Hope this helps.

jester911

I found that more of a pita than getting the old tie rods out was getting the spring retainers back on the rubber boots. Now that was a royal beotch.

Oshin11

Ok so I still havent been able to get the sway bar off so that I can put the tie rod at a 90 degree angle to torque it off. Whats even worse is that I also cant get the other tie rod off the arm, its much more snug than the last one. I tried pounding on the end of the beveled pitchfork tie rod removal tool to see if that would get the tie rod out of the arm and no luck. I've also tried torquing the end of the tool up and down to see if that will pry it apart but no luck. I've really gone to town on this tie rod and I am scared ill damage the arm at this point.

Oshin11

Oh and Jester I don't know how in the world you got the tie rod to go 90 degrees without removing the sway bar, impossible.

jester911

On the the side you can't get loose from the spindle try this. Take a large adjustable wrench and adjust it down so it will just go around the spindle where the rubber boot is. Drive it with a hammer or rubber mallet basically right through the rubber boot. You don't care if it tears because you are not reusing it. The spindle is tapered so once it moves just a little it is loose. If driving it in doesn't get it then once you have it in snug use a cheater pipe around the wrench and it should break loose.

As for the 90 deg. I said close. You should be able to get it close enough to perpendicular with the rack to use it as a lever. The rubber bushing inside the forked end attached to the rack should allow this movement. If you could take a pic or two of what you have maybe we can help you find the problem..

Oshin11

Jester, I can barely get it to 160 degrees before it hits the bar, let me take a picture.

Oshin11

Here are the pictures with captions. I hope I can get this done myself, its turning into a big mess

jester911

Okay, On the tie rod you can't turn place a large adjustable wrench at least 12' around the forked end at the rack and see if you can turn it a little. The other thing is to try a bar into the forked section and lever it around.
One thing you need to do is jack the car up higher. No way you can get under it and get the leverage you need as low as it is. Also I forgot about the brace that is bolted just above the tie rod in the second pic.
You need to remove that and once you get the tie rod to turn a bit you will be able to pull it back closer to perpendicular.

On the other side that you can't get the spindle loose if you put a cheater pipe on the tool it might help. If not then make sure you remove the rubber boot and then use a little heat. If you have a propane torch you can try that. Hang in there. You can do this.

jester911

The brace you need to remove is in the second pic running horizontally in the picture and it is above the sway bar.

Oshin11

With regard to getting the tie rod out of the spindle arm, more leverage is not the answer.....when I torque down on the end of the pitchforck the boot of the rod end just bends. When I torque up I lift the whole brake assembly because the front shocks of the car compress. I will try a little cigarette lighter to warm up the spindle arm, maybe the rod will be pryed out much easier. Wish I had a torch

Amber Gramps

oshin, you are not trying to "pry" with the pickle fork, you are trying to "wedge" the fork in between. don't push down, but in. hit the end of the fork with a hammer and jam it in deep. it's like splitting wood with an ax. call me will ya.

Oshin11

Ok this project is officially failing. I cant even get the other tie rod off, and if I could there is still the sway bar issue. I even tried a 3 foot breaker bar over the pitchfork.....all that happens is the brake assembly moves upward and the shock compresses.

Oshin11

Actually I am going to try one last thing.....go to sears and buy a small butane torch.

Amber Gramps

call me! you are making me crazy