Hello. How do you replace the inner tie rod? Dose the boot need to comeoff? Do I need to remove whole. Steering rack need to be removed?

Thanks for any help.
Steven (My84)

[This message has been edited by My84 (edited 02-22-2012).]

I've done it with the rack in the car, it's just a little more of a PITA. The boot does need to come off since you need to slide it onto the new tie rod. Once the boot is unclamped, you slide it as far to the outside of the car as possible and then follow the instructions below. Don't forget to hold the steering rack with one wrench while you turn the old inner tie rod off. You may find that to get the old rod off that it's easier to get it turning if you unbend or grind away the part that's been staked to the rack. If you grind them off, be sure to mask the rack so as not to get metal filings in the housing.

Oh boy this is gonna be so much fun. What is the estimated time that this takes? Thanks blooz

Well let's see, depending on your skill and available tools, here's what you have to do:

- Raise car and remove the wheel: 5 - 10 mins
- Remove outer tie rod cotter pin, retaining nut, and pop outer tie rod from knuckle: 5 - 10 mins
- Remove large hose clamp from boot, slide boot to outer end, wipe excess grease from shaft: 2 - 4 mins
- Unscrew inner tie rod from rack (you will need two wrenches and may need to grind or unbend the staked portion of the joint): 5 - 15 mins
- Measure the distance as accurately as possible between the outer tie rod jamb nut and some reference point on the inner tie rod joint and note the measurement: 1 min
- Remove the outer tie rod, jamb nut, and boot from old inner tie rod and reinstall on new tie rod at same measurement as above: 1 min
- Screw the new tie rod assembly to the steering rack and stake in place: 5 - 10 mins
- Regrease the inner tie rod and slip and clamp the boot in place (make sure outer end of boot is in tie rod groove): 2 - 4 mins
- Reinstall the outer tie rod to the knuckle with the nut and new cotter pin - torque to 28 lbft: 2 - 4 mins
- Reinstall the wheel (torque lug nuts to 100 lbft), lower car: 4 - 6 mins
- Check the approximate toe alignment of the wheel with the steering wheel straight ahead and adjust the toe accordingly by using a wrench on the flats of the inner tie rod and twisting the rod: 5 - 10 mins

I think that's everything... so about 40 to 75 mins doing it yourself. But then you must book a professional alignment if you want to save your tires.