Inner tie rod install 04?

[Ferris Bueller]

On my 04 2wd 4 cylinder I replaced lower ball joints, rack bellows, inner/outer tie rods & 1 sway bar link. The inner tie rods screw into the ends of the steering rack shaft. The nut is about 1-7/16" and I don't have a wrench that big so I used a big jaw vise grip on it with a 16" pipe over the end. I tightened until the vise grip slipped. Is there a high torque setting for the inner tie rods? Also the steering rack shaft twisted some as I did this. Is that normal? I deliver pizza with this truck so it gets a lot of use braking and turning. It has 123,000 on it.

 

[Yellowsplash]

Not sure of the torque spec on it, but the inner tie rods that I have bought usually come with red locktite...that will keep them from backing off. Secondly, loose the vice gribs and go buy a 12" adjustable crescent wrench. It will adjust large enough and also allow you to put enough leverage on it to torque it adequately.

 

[Ferris Bueller]

Locktite was in one of the inner tie rod packages but no instructions. I think I'm just going to buy a rebuilt steering rack for it as I drive a lot in town delivering pizza. The parts places that I have called say that inner tie rods come with the steering racks.

 

[Yellowsplash]

Your worrying too much....put some red locktite on it, spin it on, and crank it down with the crescent wrench. Put everything back together, eye the outer tie rod alignment to get it straight as possible and go get an alignment. Done.

 

[Ferris Bueller]

Your worrying too much....put some red locktite on it, spin it on, and crank it down with the crescent wrench. Put everything back together, eye the outer tie rod alignment to get it straight as possible and go get an alignment. Done.

Maybe I am. Last night I ordered a rebuilt rack. Its coming from Des Moines. There was a lot of on center slop in the steering. For the $150 I'm spending on it, its one less thing that might go bad in the middle of the winter that I might have to replace in an unheated shop.