joeb Posted March 11, 2004 Report Share Posted March 11, 2004 the outer tie rod on my 96sts is siezed or so the garage says. they can get it off without ruining the inner tie rod. how is that done? torch, nut splitter? the threads on the inner tie rod are pretty rusted. I could just cut my losses and replace both the inner and outer tierod on one side for a lot less than the garage wants. I have done inner GM tie rods before. not fun but doable. is there any trick to replacing the inner tie rod on a seville? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted March 11, 2004 Report Share Posted March 11, 2004 I don't understand how getting the outer tie rod out will ruin the inner tie rod. Unless the threads on the steering rack are totally screwed, but then it won't matter if you take the inner tie rod off anyways, since you'll need a whole new steering rack. Here's a fool proof way to remove outer tie rods. 1. Jack car up. 2. Remove the wheel. 3. Remove the cotter pin and castle nut. 4. Get a block of wood, and place it under the tie rod bolt 5. Lower the car on to the block of wood, it will force the tie rod out. Maybe the dealer used a hammer on the tie rod and mushroomed it out, so it can't be removed. In that case you would have to cut it off, but you could still remove the tie rod by using a "tuning fork" tool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeb Posted March 11, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2004 they cannot adust the toe setting. the inner tie rod has a threaded portion and a hex portion. the hex is for adjusting the toe. the outer tie rod comes off the spindle fine. they say the outer tie rod threaded portion is actually rusted to the inner tie rod shaft. they cannot unscrew the outer tie rod from the inner tie rod. how they can get it off without damaging the inner tie rod is a mystery. if they could unscrew the outer tie rod than they just put on a new outer tie rod. hmm, if they can unscrew it, than they can adjust it. right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted March 12, 2004 Report Share Posted March 12, 2004 The front toe adjustment is done through the inner tie rod. I don't understand how it can be so badly rusted when it is covered by a rubber boot. If it is really rusted then it means you also need new boots since they must be letting water in. The shop could be right, your inner tie rods could be rusted, you can't be sure unless you see them for yourself. As far as the inner tie rods, they are pretty much standard FWD GM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted March 12, 2004 Report Share Posted March 12, 2004 I think they are talking about the threads for the inner tie rod. If it's just the threads you don't need new boots. If it is rusted, I would just take a wire brush to it and clean it with some carb cleaner or WD-40 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAC Posted March 12, 2004 Report Share Posted March 12, 2004 I use propane with a brazing attachment to loosen rusted nuts and bolts. I just make sure that I don’t melt or damage parts I don’t intend to replace or worse end up as a satellite. I would look to see if I could heat the outer rod at approximately the center point where they connect. I take it that the outer is female and inner is male. You may not have to heat it that much to get results. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeb Posted March 12, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2004 mac, sounds like you are familar with tie rods on rack and pinion cars. the shop tried to heat the outer tie rod and turn the adjusting shaft. no good. they wanted to replace it. i guess 8 minnesota winters will eventually rust an exposed threaded shaft. the threads look pretty wasted. yes dan, the inner tie rod is actually covered by the rack bellows. you have to slide off the bellows to remove the inner tie rod. not an easy job. 3hrs labor to R&R the inner tie rod. i have replaced GM racks before. ugh, not a fun job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHE Posted March 12, 2004 Report Share Posted March 12, 2004 If the shop was using an actylene torch, the outer end should have been freed up. If the outer tie rod end has been removed and the tie rod still can't be turned, then there may be an issue with the inner tie rod. Kevin '93 Fleetwood Brougham '05 Deville '04 Deville 2013 Silverado Z71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeb Posted March 12, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 12, 2004 ah details, the shop heated the outer tie rod and tried to turn the adjusting sleeve. no good. they said the outer tie rod was seized and wanted to replace it. i am just a little peeved that they wanted $100 to heat the outer tie rod and unscrew it. than replace it with a new outer tie rod, another $50. seemed like a high price for not much work. i can only assume the inner tie rod is fine in that it would than rotate freely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAC Posted March 13, 2004 Report Share Posted March 13, 2004 Joeb I agree with you that $100 seems a bit steep. If you agreed to pay the costs in advance then that would be a different story. Did it take him over an hour to try to loosen the tie rod? If it did, he’s incompetent and you should go to another mechanic. In New Jersey it's illegal for a mechanic to do any work without the expressed written consent of the customer and the mechanic must provide a statement of the services to be rendered and the costs or a good faith estimate thereof, and provide the customer with a copy. While it’s only fair that the mechanic be paid something for his services, if I were in your position, I might be willing to dispute the charge if I thought is was excessive. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joeb Posted March 13, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2004 I took the car in for an alignment. first off, the mechanic said the wheel bearing was loose. $359 plus install. than he said he could not adjust the toe. frozen tie rod. i suppose i am a little skeptical sometimes on needed parts. anyway, they could not finish the alignment cuz of the tierod. they charged me $70 for basically trying to set the toe. it is a nice shop tho. less than 1 year old. all new building and equipment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHE Posted March 15, 2004 Report Share Posted March 15, 2004 ah details, the shop heated the outer tie rod and tried to turn the adjusting sleeve. no good. they said the outer tie rod was seized and wanted to replace it. i am just a little peeved that they wanted $100 to heat the outer tie rod and unscrew it. than replace it with a new outer tie rod, another $50. seemed like a high price for not much work. i can only assume the inner tie rod is fine in that it would than rotate freely. If it is frozen that bad, the tie rod may break when the outer end is removed. It should unscrew if it is heated up to a cherry-red glow with an acytelene torch. Kevin '93 Fleetwood Brougham '05 Deville '04 Deville 2013 Silverado Z71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomCalliham Posted March 16, 2004 Report Share Posted March 16, 2004 joeb, I am a professional auto tech by trade . It sounds like the northern winters have gotten the best of your tie rods on your Caddy.I live in the south , so I dont get a lot of rusty suspensions and undercarriages in my shop. I'll just ask one question here. How much is your life worth?? A new pair of inner and outer tie rods? If the technician at the shop has heated the parts, then they are no longer safe to keep on your car, especially on your steering system.I think the smart move here would be to reblace both inner and outer tie rods on both sides. It would probably be more feasable for you to go to your local Pep Boys and buy an inner tie rod socket and do the job yourself and then take the car back for proper alignment. Auto Zone also has the laom a tool program. I would check it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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