Bad driver side tie rod?
It may be the outer tie rod or inner tie rod loose. Will need an alignment after your done. Counting the threads never works, it is still always out. I have counted threads all my life & I have done about 300 outer tie rods & I think out of all of those only 3 were correct. Tire wobble could be from tires out of balance also. If your not feeling it in the steering wheel, it may not be that outer tie rod end. When you wiggle that tire, look at the tie rod end & see if it stays with the wheel when you wiggling it. It will be easy to look at, it will have play in it when your wiggling the tire. But if you actually have looked at the outer tie rod end & its sticking to the wheel with no movement, its more than likely the inner tie rod end which can be a pain to do with the proper tools My 1999 Grand Am has an actual outer right hand tie rod that is loose. I have confirmed it but just haven't replaced it yet. It has a bad vibration when slowing down plus the rotors are warped which doesn't help things either. Sad a master GM technician with a broken down car!!!!!! Yes, I am lazy when it comes to my car. So if you ever buy a car from an actual certified technician, NO not all of us take good care of our cars.
How dangerous is it to drive with a bad tie rod end?
I am just wondering what can happen if we drive with a bad tie rod end? What can happen? I drive a 1996 Ford Windstar minivan. When we went to get the van inspected they first told us we needed a new ball joint so we got that fixed. Then we went back to get it reinspected and they tell us that we need a new outer tie rod end now on the passener's side. Same side we got the ball joint fixed in. If we continue to drive like that until the 1st of the month what can happen?
Is it dangerous to drive with a bad tie rod?
OK. I bought a cheap 2000$ Volkswagen Fox with a bent tie rod. The front wheels were toed in — so the tires would not wear evenly. And the steering was a bit wonky. The car had been in accident.I got a great deal on the car. A new tie rod would have been more expensive that what I paid for the car.So I drove it for six months with it all bent. And then a Mexican mechanic told me he could fix it for 20 dollars.I didn’t believe him. But what did I have to lose?hired!he took a gigantic metal pry bar—braced it against the chassis and bent that tie rod back straight—without removing it! Genuine genius.It took him about 3 minutes.And I drove that car for another 2 years and 20 thousand miles. And then sold it for 2250$ !!! — I did disclose the tie rod repair but the the guy didn’t care at all. It was a great cheap ride.So the tie rod was bent in an accident before I bought it. Bent back straight by a genius mechanic. And it never presented an issue.
How do you tell if you have a bad inner tie rod?
As the driver of the vehicle in most cases you cannot. Sometimes you can hear a faint clunk, but that is rare.The only way to know is to observe the affected tie rod when moving the steering wheel side to side.On rack and pinion systems it is more difficult because, a.) the inner tie rod end joint is hidden by the rack boot/bellows and b.) when you lift the vehicle the suspension drops and pulls the inner tie rod end tight against the contact socket and hide the play. On some models the only sure way is to disconnect the outer tie rod from the spindle and check for play.In either sytem no play is allowed.On some Ford F150 of the late 90 to early 2000 model years the tie rod ends, inner or outers , on worm and gear steering systems, are to be replaced even if there is no play ! Ford recommends lifting of the rubber boot and inspecting for any moisture or grit mixed in with the grease.
What are the symptoms of a bad inner tie rod?
Symptoms of tie rod failure can include clunking or clicking when turning the wheel or while traveling over a bumpy surface, noticeable steering slack (moving the steering wheel left to right when the wheels are straght), vibrations when driving, reduced turning radius either left or right and a simple way of checking for wear is to turn the wheels to the left of checking the left wheel and to grab the tie rod with both hands and to move it about. If it moves freely then it needs replacing, if not fixed soon complete tie rod failure would release either wheel from any steering input leaving you stranded and in a dangerous situation if it fails at higher speeds.
How long can I drive with worn outter tie rod end?
I know its dangerous and I know I shouldn't and I don't want to but am almost out of options. I took my car for an oil change and they recommended new outter/inner tire rod ends on the right side only. When driving there is a little vibration but don't notice any sounds or any irregular alignment yet. I will not have enough money to fix for another 3 weeks. Will I be okay? Edit: If it matters,I only drive to and from work. Its about 6-8 minutes of driving one way at 35-60mph
Bad Cv joint or tie rod?
i have a 2001 chevy impala i recently changed my passenger cv joint as when i would make right turns i would hear loud clunks/pop noises. but 6 months later i hear the noise again on my driver side and when i inspected the inner tie rod boot is torn and the cv joint looks good could the tie rod be making this noise or should i just replace both? either way im going to replace my whole driver side assembly. The clunk noise happens on left turns and when i begin to accelerate from brake. i could also feel it on my steering wheel any opinions?
How dangerous is a bad tie rod end?
My car has been making a knocking sound in the front passenger side tire for a while, maybe a month and a half or two months. The past couple of weeks my steering has been curving to the right when I drive. It feels like I don't have Control of the steering when it does this. I am getting scared because when I drive, it is down the highway, about 65-70 mph (the speed limit is 65) and it is about 30 minutes away, so an hour round trip. This is about 3 times a week. I was told that it is my tie rod end. Unfortunately, I can not afford to get it fixed until the end of the month. Will it be ok to wait until then, or should I try to find a way to get it fixed sooner? I just don't know how dangerous this is. Thanks for your help!
What are the signs of a bad tie rod or ball joint?
If you have a bad tie rod end you’ll have a lot of play in the steering wheel. It will feel like your behind the wheel of a ship, turning the wheel back and forth.A ball joint is a little harder to diagnose. Best way is to jack the car up on the side that you think has a bad ball joint. If the wheel when pull up and down moves more than it should, you probably need a new one. I don’t know how many GM products I have seen with the wheel tucked under or sticking way out from the body of the vehicles. Wander after bumps and bouncy wheel after a bump could be a symptom.You should always have your suspension system checked at least once a year. It will preserve your tires and maybe even your life.
What are some symptoms of bad tie rods?
The biggest symptom of bad tie rods is irregular tire wear on your front tires. The problem is there are other causes of tire wear. If your tie rods are extremely bad you will feel it in the steering wheel when driving, your car will feel really loose and hard to control. If your tie rods are bad enough that you can feel it when driving you need to get that car off the road. My suggestion is if you have any abnormal tire wear you should take your car to a qualified mechanic for a suspension check and get an alignment if everything checks out. However if you want to save yourself some money you can check them your self. The first thing you need to do is jack up the front end of your vehicle so that both tires are off the ground. Then start on one side (you'll do both sides) grab the tire at the 3 and 9 o'clock position and shake you tire back and forth. The tire will move but if it moves very easy then gets a little harder to move you most likely have a loose tie rod. After shaking the tire if you suspect a loose tie rod have some one else shake the tire while you look and what part has excessive movement. Short of a bad idler arm any visible play in your suspension parts means you will need to replace them. If you have any farther questions I suggest you look it on You Tube.