Removal of Tie Rod end help

[BooY]

Hey, All

Just got a quick question on the removal of the rod ends attached to the swivel hub.

I've gotten on side off, but the other one its proving to be a little painful. I've undid the caster nut then put it back on by hand so if i missed with hammer i wouldn't damage the thread, however, its now pop'd off and i cant get the nut back off.

Any tips on how i can get the rod back into place so i can get the nut off, or how to get the nut off. I'm just tring to redo the swivel hub seals and bearings.

Thanks
Dave

[Bigrig]

Got any pictures you could throw up to assist with what you're meaning mate. The tie rod ends themselves should come out easily enough with a bit of hammer persuasion, but not with you on the nut now being stuck on? How hard did you hit it? Question being, not so hard that the thread would have stripped??

[BooY]

I didn't hit the thread/nut as such I hit the knuckle thats part of the swivel hub cast to make it pop out so effectivly the rod is out and free atm. The problem is my old man told me to make sure i put the nut back on just finger tight so that if i missed i wouldn't damage the thread, and now when i go to under that nut, the actual threaded part spins with the nut and so i cant remove the nut

Hope that makes sence, if not i'll go get a picture

[HippoNZ]

Think I know what you mean mate, I hate the same prob when putting it back on, ended up going for a new tie rod as the old one one was buggered. went to tighten the nut but the bolt would keep spinning.

[Ben-e-boy]

give me a few min I'll post a photo

[BooY]

I took a couple of vids uploading them atm

[Ben-e-boy]

you have to hit the tapered bit of the housing. that will loosen the taper lock

[BooY]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtriBuF_iac&feature=g-upl&context=G2ce9981AUAAAAAAABAA Just shows its loose

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8r3QVZ29bA&feature=g-upl&context=G237ac13AUAAAAAAAAAA Tied to show how the thread is just spinning with the nut

[macca86]

hammer angle grinder and gas axe solves my problems and if that doesn't work get a bigger hammer. haha good luck had issues doing that to my commodore after a 6 pack and plenty of curse words then left it for half an hour came back and gave a few taps it came off.

[Bigrig]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtriBuF_iac&feature=g-upl&context=G2ce9981AUAAAAAAABAA Just shows its loose

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8r3QVZ29bA&feature=g-upl&context=G237ac13AUAAAAAAAAAA Tied to show how the thread is just spinning with the nut

Try knocking the top back down so the taper seats and locks again (so the whole thread doesn't spin). Then as Ben started hit the end of the swivel arm end to knock the taper release back out ...

Bloody annoying isn't it!!!

[Robo]

cut the nut and get a new one .
or.
hammer and punch and try to hit the offending claws of castle nut away from thread so as to release tension that binding it but you may damage thread on nut and still need a new nut.
don't hit to hard you don't want to crack/damage tie-rod shaft.
cheers

[Silver]

You'll run into the same issue when you come to reinstall it.

If Bigrig's idea of tapping the tie rod end back down just enough to seat the taper so you can loosen the nut does not work, then Robo's idea of cutting the nut and getting a new one appeals to me. I guess in the Bigrig option, if you wanted to reinstall the castellated nut to protect the thread, just do it up a few turns, and not to the point where the claws of the castellated nut engage with the thread.

I had the same problem made worse by the fact that out of ignorance I had also given the end of the bolt and castellated nut a couple of medium 'taps'. I eased a set of needle nosed vice grip pliers between the seal and the swivel hub 'arm', avoiding catching the seal, and grabbed onto the bolt with just enough tension to hold the bolt section of the tie rod end. This is probably a bad thing, because it may have put marks on the taper, but it worked.

[Robo]

I had a similar problem of the castle nut binding after trying to remove stuck tierod.
but mine was stuck taper and partially un-dun and seized nut
Got impatient and hit castle nut with hammer, this deformed the thread of nut, ( like a vise ), locking nut in place.
As I already had new rod ends sitting on bench, just cut nut and tie rod thread ( under side knuckle ) off completely, was replacing it anyway.
$20 can of lube & freeze sprayed either side of stuck taper and this stuff worked a treat.
It took a couple of sprays and sit for a bit to penetrate.
This was all after the cast iron tool broke trying to get it apart.
Have since used anti seize on all rod ends tapers, don't have this problem anymore.
Cheers

[BooY]

Ended up just cutting the tierod bolt off to get it out, and I'll have to get a new draglink now since its the original stock one that is solid with non changeable tierod ends, It had some previous modification as well from the old owner with a nice bit of angle welded along it.

Looking at just picking up a superior engineering one to replace it, least then next time if there is a problem with the tierod comming off i can just buy a new end and not have to replace the entire link

[Silver]

that sound like a nice solution all round BooY.

[Morton]

use a G-clamp & tighten it down as hard as you can to press the tierod in location & lock it there, spray WD40 on the thread, undo it gently, slowly but firmly & it should come off, use a tap to clean the nut, if you dont have a tap your local Mecho will & should do it for nothing in 2 minutes, when taking off a tierod never ever hit the nut, it is not required ever & puts you in this postion when doing a simple repair, always use 2 hammers & hit either side of the tierod retainer at the same time (at the spot where your red arrow is pointing), it will pop on its own from the impact shock, when replacing tierods save the nuts & pins & throw them in your toolbox for emergencys

[Silver]

lock it up again on the taper as suggested, and then see if you can undo the nut, then pop off again.

Or look for some skinny vice grip pliers and see what you can grab onto, trying to pick a location where the pliers will do minimal damage to threads, tapers or surfaces where seals sit.

At the end of it all, you may need a new tie rod end.