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Tie rod end came apart easy - too easy?

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M

MGNoir

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I dove into rebuilding the front suspension last night, starting on one side using https://www.mikeamick.com/76midget/page 1.htm as a reference.

I was prepared to leave off separating the tie rod end until I could borrow the right separator or a pickle fork, but thought I'd just loosen up the top nut and see what it was like. The nut was snug (not loose), and I took it up to the top so I could tap it and not the threaded end. A few light taps with a hammer on the top, and it just sort of popped out of the steering kuckle - no special tools, two hammer tricks, swearing, c-clamps, etc.

I didn't really look at it all that close, but there didn't seem to be any bad wear on it, nor did it seem really wobbly and loose before I popped it off. I'm guessing that in general this wasn't exactly what I should have had happen, nor is it necessarily a good thing. Or is it?

I do have a new pair of tie rod ends I'm going to put on, so if there is something wrong with the originals it's a bit of a moot point - unless of course the problem is the steering knuckle not the tie rod end.

Thoughts? I need to go back and look at it tonight after work to get a sense of if there was some wear in there I missed.
 
Personal opinion only, based on many years of front end work, and not specific to LBC's.....any tension at all means it's probably just fine.
If you couldn't get the nut off because the tapered stud spun, you'd have a potential issue.
Clean the bore, spray cleaner and a round bristle brush. Test fit the new one, push it up, hold it from the ball end, finger on the stud, wobble in all directions. If you feel no movement in the stud, you're okay.
Again, personal opinion based on experience.
Dave
 
Sounds OK to me too.

Generally using two hammers one on each side of the knuckle and giving it a sharp blow with both will loosen a pin.
 
Keoke said:
Sounds OK to me too.

Generally using two hammers one on each side of the knuckle and giving it a sharp blow with both will loosen a pin.
Click to expand...

Yea that's what I was anticipating. In this case it was a very light tap on the top and out it came. I probably could have pushed it out by hand.
 
MGNoir said:
I probably could have pushed it out by hand.
Click to expand...

They either need to be forced out or they fall out. If it would have been able to be pulled out by hand you'd have a problem. Check the shaft and hole for evidence of chafing just in case.
 
kellysguy said:
They either need to be forced out or they fall out. If it would have been able to be pulled out by hand you'd have a problem. Check the shaft and hole for evidence of chafing just in case.
Click to expand...

Gotcha. I had thought that they'd need to be forced out always, so didn't expect it to just come apart so easily.
 
I've had one or two that surprised me before with the ease of removal. The problem with wallowed holes in the sides of the stud no longer carry the load but the threaded part and can be snapped off.
 
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