Replacing inner tie rods .. are rhey extremely tight or am i going wrong way with spanner ?

[allthingspossible]

Hey guys.. I have a 2012 ford mondeo and im replacing the inner and outer tie rods.. I dont have the actual tool so using a 36 ml spanner that fits perfectly but it means i am doing the majority from the top unddr bonnet for good access although it meant removing a whole bunch of stuff from engine bay ..


I did the passenger side and put the spanner on the nut and I always dtruggle as I have dyspraxia i wasn't sure if I should go up or down with spanner but on passenger side down was to loosen



Now im on driver side and again I had to remove a whole bunch of stuff under bonnet to get good access .. now I am really really struggling to loosen it.. is it pull down again on spanner or is it up this time with it being on opposite side?



The photo was of the passenger side where I have spanner on and it was oull doen for that one
Tia

 

[Burnerman]

Track rods have a conventional RH thread (as far as I have experienced.......there's no need for anything else) so in the picture the spanner is turned anti clockwise - or down from there, if you will.
They are always very tight and may have locking compound on....can you extend the spanner with a length of tubing maybe? You really need the car up on a ramp for this one!
John

 

[Avocet]

Nearly always locking compound, in my experience, but it softens around 120 degrees C. You could try getting a blow torch on the old one, maybe?

 

[allthingspossible]

Track rods have a conventional RH thread (as far as I have experienced.......there's no need for anything else) so in the picture the spanner is turned anti clockwise - or down from there, if you will.
They are always very tight and may have locking compound on....can you extend the spanner with a length of tubing maybe? You really need the car up on a ramp for this one!
John

Hi.. I finally got it off it turned out the driver side I had to push up on the spanner and the passenger side was push it down ..

They were very tight but what I am concerned about is how they dont seem to tighten back up much at all ..

Like after screwing it back on handtight and then I put spanner on and get a small turn and then I out the jack bar on for leverage and get another small turn it springs back like it unwinds the turn same with any further turns after that.. and when I undo it to see how tight it is it un dos after one spanner turn and is then finger tight .. there is no play on tie rod in and out but a little side to side .. it doesn't feel particularly loose but it has some play side to side.. I dont know if this is normal but it dont seem it to me ? I hope the steering rack ain't ****ed cos that moves too when I put spanner on it


Any advice is greatly appreciated thanks

 

[allthingspossible]

Nearly always locking compound, in my experience, but it softens around 120 degrees C. You could try getting a blow torch on the old one, maybe?

Please see my above post.. and should I use loctite when installing new one? Thank you

 

[Avocet]

Yes, put Loctite on it - having degreased the threads first.

I don't think there's any problem with them being finger tight, once the Loctite has been broken.

Some inner balljoints have springs behind them, so they might not feel like they have play when you just move them with your fingers. Who told you that they were worn out? (Or what made you think they were worn out)?

I'm not sure about the play in the rack. Clearly, the rack bar is round, with a flat on it where the teeth are. really, you're supposed to hold the rack bar when tightening up the inner balljjoints, otherwise you're going to be trying to twist it against the pinion, but it's usually very hard to hold the rack bar while it's on the car, and lots of people do seem to tighten them up that way.

 

[allthingspossible]

Yes, put Loctite on it - having degreased the threads first.

I don't think there's any problem with them being finger tight, once the Loctite has been broken.

Some inner balljoints have springs behind them, so they might not feel like they have play when you just move them with your fingers. Who told you that they were worn out? (Or what made you think they were worn out)?

I'm not sure about the play in the rack. Clearly, the rack bar is round, with a flat on it where the teeth are. really, you're supposed to hold the rack bar when tightening up the inner balljjoints, otherwise you're going to be trying to twist it against the pinion, but it's usually very hard to hold the rack bar while it's on the car, and lots of people do seem to tighten them up that way.

Ill go car shop tomorrow see if I can get loctite

I mean the new inner tie rods after I screw them on fingertips they dont seem to tighten anything more than one turn with a spanner after that every other turn seems to unwind .. I dont feel movement in and out on the new tie rods but i do slightly side to side.. I just wanna make sure its safe to put back together before I put everything back in on the engine bay as I had to remove loads under the bonnet so that I could gain access.

Is 1 turn with a spanner adequate as in tight enough cos that's the most it's allowing


Tia