TR2/3/3A Removal of tie rod end?

[karls59tr]

Anyone have a good method for removing a tie rod end that is fastened with a Nyloc nut? How do you prevent the nut from just turning with the inner ball and not coming off?:grumpy: I liked the castellated nut and cotter pin set up better.

 

[Frank Canale]

Just a thought, heat the nylon nut up to soften the nylon, tap the ball joint into its socket and hold pressure on the end of the ball joint and loosen the nut. I don't know if it will work but worth a shot. The ball joint is like a morse taper on a drill dress or milling machine it needs a little pressure to make it hold in place, good luck. Frank

 

[bobhustead]

Use a prybar to apply pressure to hold the taper into or against the steering link that the taper goes thru. An air impact wrench on the nut will help. If replacing the tie rod end, just cut off the nut.
Bob

 

[steveg]

Have you tried this and the ball joint stud actually rotates? If the taper is loose enough to rotate by turning the nyloc nut...this is pretty unlikely and implies the nut was too loose for the taper to seat properly. Normally you have to use a ball joint separator to get it apart.

Other ideas:
--clamp together with a C-clamp to keep from rotating (haven't tried)
--with bottle jack, jack the end of the stud up against the suspension spring - this may keep it from rotating. I did this on my Healey while heating the tie rod end with a propane torch. It didn't take much heat before the taper popped loose.

FWIW this <$20 separator from Harbor Freight works very well:

 

[Popeye]

Do you want to re-use the end? Could you just grind off the nut? (Messy and slow... but would get the job done, methinks?)

Edit - just saw that Bobhustead said the same thing already...

 

[CJD]

If the car has been run for any amount of time with a loose nut, you may find the steering arm is wallowed out. Of course, it may already be wallowed of the taper never seated properly.

 

[karls59tr]

If the car has been run for any amount of time with a loose nut, you may find the steering arm is wallowed out. Of course, it may already be wallowed of the taper never seated properly.

That's a good point . I will look into that. Thanks.

 

[Sarastro]

The usual problem in replacing those things is to break the taper loose, so usually you can remove the nut without problems. If the taper came loose too easily, it's likely that it is bunged up, as John suggests.

To install the nut, I just tightened the taper with a C clamp. Clumsy, but it worked, and should work for removal. (I later realized that it would have been easier to tighten the taper with an ordinary nut and then replace it with the Nyloc. Duh!)