Is There A Guide For Changing Track Rod Ends?

[McCann87]

I've been told by garage that there is play in the LH track rod end

With a quote of £110 to change both sides including tracking.

Is it easy to do yourself?

If it is, is there a guide?

 

[McCann87]

Anyone?

I've found the parts i need & theres a video on youtube on how to change them

Parts come to £50, was just thinking is this worth it as i'll no doubt need to go get the car tracking aligned anyway so i'm only saving what, £30?

 

[dtmwelburn]

Ill be completely honest mate £50 for parts is very high your average track rod end or tie rod end wouldnt really exceed £15 in a motor factor, and as replacing them theyre not too difficult, get yourself a ball joint seperator (not too expensive), and soak the nut on the track rod and the nut on the ball joint in good ol' WD, but most importanty make sure you count the turns it takes to take the track rod end off and make sure you put new one on exactly the same amount of turns, this should give you pretty much same tracking as before, but your steering will be a lot tighter with no play or vagueness

Hope this helps mate

Dan

 

[McCann87]

Found the parts for £36 instead now!

Will give it a bash and see how it goes, cheers

 

[McCann87]

Just had a look at ball joint seperator....£22.... but looking at it how the hell does it work

Do i just take the nut off with a rachet, count the turns it takes, use the seperator to seperate it, grease the rod up (ahem ) put new one on, put nut on using same amount of turns to take old one off?

 

[dtmwelburn]

Sorry mate should of been clearer, you loosen the nut, then use the fork end of seperator and put it just under the rubber boot of the balljoint and use a good hammer to hit it a few times that should seperate the track rod, take the nut off (no need to count the turns on the nut) the track rod itself twists off the steering rod/arm, thats what you need to count the turns on, if you look on the arm you'll see a bit with a straight edge either side for you to use a spanner to keep it in one place while you turn the rod end off. once youve done it once you wont hesitate to do it again, since ive been diy'ing ive done quite a few, even came across ball joints ive had to cut off with grinder, but generally speaking track rod ends ive found to be straight forward.

 

[csd_19]

Forget the WD40, get PlusGas if you can, works much better at releasing rusted bits.

 

[Doogie]

Hi
If you dont have a ball joint splitter,
take off the nut as mentioned,then smack the end of the trackrod end hard with a lump or similar hammer(NOT THE THREAD where you have removed the nut) the shock very often makes them drop staight out!

 

[Fuelwatcher]

How did ou get on McCann87. I had an MOT advisory about my offside front track rod ball end joint need ing replacing. My normal mechanic has said £13.02 for the part and then £50-60 labour which I guess is about an hour. Then on top £25-30 for the wheel alignment. That's nigh on £100 just for on side. I am always nervous of taking these jobs on as we only have one car. Am I just safest pushing it to him or is it pretty easy. I've not got a ball joint splitter either.

 

[McCann87]

from what i remember it was pretty easy to do, the only pain is the tracking afterwards as mine was way way out!! (have to count how many times you have turned the rod end when taking it off) so had to take it to get aligned. I would advise doing both sides aswell, no point doing one side and having the other not done