Technical > Automotive > Bad tie rod end?

Bad tie rod end?

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Twisting it like that isn't a good test for the tie rod ends. The best way is to check for lateral play. Grab the tire near the tie rod end and push and pull the tire and look for side to side movement in the tie rod. The other check is for vertical movement by trying to compress the tie rod end.
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mbsastronomy.com

Compress it? I can't tell from side to side movement because any side to side movement moves the steering wheel ...
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Where's th' DAFFY DUCK EXHIBIT??

Compress method: Grab the tie rod end and the steering knuckle in your hand and squeeze it. You can also use a large pair of slip joint pliers with one end on the bottom of the tie rod and the other end on the steering knuckle and squeeze the pliers. You don't need to use a lot of force with the pliers.

Using the tire push/pull method, just use quick jerking motions back and forth while looking for play.
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mbsastronomy.com

you're welcome.

reply to clevere1

Steering wheel has a wobble, some funky noise when I was braking HARD on the freeway...

I checked both sides, I get no movement from the outer tie rod ends at all and when I move the wheels back and forth all I hear is the lock of the steering column (the steering wheel is locked). Any movement of the wheels move the steering wheel so I assume the rack and pinion is good.

Moving the wheels up and down (pushing on top, pulling on bottom, etc) doesn't show any play at all. And turning the wheel the only sound I hear is the brake pads on the rotors.

Using a pry bar under the tire to move the wheel up and down I see no movement from the lower ball joint on the drivers side, but on the passenger side I see some play. If I put the pry bar between the ... part that holds the brakes, disc etc assembly and the lower control arm, and pull up and down there is no play on the drivers side but there is on the passenger side.

So I think I just have a bad lower ball joint on the passenger side, one leak from the rack and pinion (I'll let it leak for awhile).

I removed the calipers and checked the brake pads, they look very good and the discs look good as well. One the passenger side one of the metal parts that attach to the brake pad was out of place .. not sure if I did that or not, but I put it back where it goes (I don't think I did, but who knows if it fell out when I removed the caliper.

Both calipers the slides work well with no freezing or hard movement.

I had the tires rotated and balanced not to long ago.. so I don't that is causing the wobble.

What kind of issue would I see with a bad lower ball joint?

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Where's th' DAFFY DUCK EXHIBIT??