I had my Vette checked on Base at the Auto Shop. The mechanic was very knowledgeable and did a very thorough exam on all four tires. One mechanic *younger guy* played with the wheels and automatically said, bad bearings. The older mechanic took a flash light and watched the movements from under the Vette with a flashlight while the younger mechanic shook the tires at the 12/6 and 3/9 positions. It was nice seeing them take the job seriously and check and recheck each tire and assembly. End conclusions are bad bushings and real bad tie rods. My bearings are in pretty good condition. So much for Midas mechanics and their knowledge on older Vettes. Oh and I need an alignment real bad.

So with that out of the way. What is involved in replacing tie rod ends? I saw some heavy duty ones on Vette Brakes, I think 66.00 for all four. Hard job? Time consuming? Any books I can pick up? I have no idea how to tackle this job but I'm more than willing to get my hands dirty and try.

Thanks in advance!

 

Very easy to do, buy the new ones get under the car and look at the old ones, simply take out the old put in the new.

 

Aw it aint that bad. As for a book, any common Corvette repair guide/manual available at your local auto shop can show you the way.

The hardest part is getting the old tie rod ends removed. You will need a tie rod pickle fork ($10 bucks) and be prepared to so some seriously :smash:

Remove the cotter pin, remove the retaining bolt, put the pickle fork between the ball and the <whatever_it_is_connected_to> and hammer away at the end of the pickle fork to break the ball joint free.

Then, when, I mean if it doesn't come apart... :cuss (if that makes you feel better), have a :cheers: (or other favorite beverage) and :smash: at it some more.

Remove the old tie rod ends from the connecting rod and attach the new ones.

Puttin back on is easy. Simply reverse the steps you followed to take them off (but don't do any hammering this time.)

You'll need a torque wrench to tighten them down. (if you don't have a manual and need to know how tight to make them just do a new post and ask.)

An extra note for what it is worth. On my 73 a normal average household (22 oz ??) hammer did all but one stubborn tie rod. I purchased this 4 lb handheld hammer from Home Depot (less than $10 buck) and the job went much easier. In fact, that hammer has made lots-o-jobs much easier.

Also, if you measure the length of the connecting rod + the tie rod ends then when you reassemble with the new parts and measure the same you can get pretty close to where the alignment was set when you started.

When done, you'll need to get a front end alignment.

Good luck... :cheers:

 

The best book I suggest is the GM Service Manual. Very helpful, I use it 99% of the time. It's very rare that Haynes or Chilton's is better. A bit pricey, but well worth the cost, especially if you'll be doing more than just one job on your vette. And trust me, you'll work on it more than once. ;)

 

As long as you are replacing the rod ends, you might want to replace the rods with the adjuster sleeves as well. That way everything is new and very easy to adjust. The tie rods don't cost very much. You should be able to get your alignment preety close by adjusting the new assemblies exactly the same as the old ones. Be sure to install the adjusters with the bolts in the same position as the old ones. :cheers:

 

Agree with Big Fish. The sleeves and the relay rod are probably rusted tight from the years. If you have to replace the tie rod ends do it all, sleeves and even the relay rod. Also, carefully check out the idler arm under there. The total cost is not that bad and you will be amazed at the difference in steering.

 

Hammer? Ohhhhh, you mean a Ford adjusting tool. :lol: