Tie rod end questions (pics)

[sean350z]

Installed all of my front suspension components today but the tie rod ends puzzle me. I measured them up to the stock ball joints (height and length) attached the spindle and put the tie rod ends to the stock measurements and came up with this...

http://img436.imageshack.us/img436/52/tieend1qd7.jpg

http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/1010/tieend2da0.jpg

This is the position of the tie end with straight steering wheel and no weight on the car. The angle of the pillowball seems wrong it's not centered...

Did I install these correct? Thanks for your help guys.

[projectRDM]

The pillowball can rotate a little, so it's fine. After an alignment you may find you need to move the spacers around to eliminate bumpsteer but other than that it's cool.

[sean350z]

thanks russ...yea the angle just didn't seem right

[chmercer]

have sombody turn the wheel back and forth while you watch the rod end, if there is no binding, then its good

you should sell thoes and get spl rod ends btw ;)

[sean350z]

it did bind at full left turn on the driverside and full right on the passenger side...

that is like 2.5 full steering wheel turns which i'll never do...i think it'll be fine until i take it to get aligned.

[sean350z]

i just took it off the jack stands and the angle got worse...WTF!!!

i moved the bigger spacer to the top and it seems to have fixed the angle a little bit but it's still bad and would bind at full lock...what the hell am i doing wrong!

[5t341tH]

let me ask u this.
im also changing my tie rod ends. how did u take off the original one? do i juss hammer down on the bolt until the tie rod end comes off? seems i cant screw it out until i get the bolt out.

[ManoNegra]

let me ask u this.
im also changing my tie rod ends. how did u take off the original one? do i juss hammer down on the bolt until the tie rod end comes off? seems i cant screw it out until i get the bolt out.

If you plan to toss them after then go ahead and hammer the bolt.
If you want to preserve them hammer the knuckle till the bolt loosens up slips out.

[Flybert]

Are you sure you are binding? Binding in terms of bearings isn't just when it touches. The definition is when it touches AND the arm has no where to rotate so the shaft and the side of the bearing grind into each other. This will occur on the side of the bearing and shaft that is opposite of the steering rack/inner tie rod when you go full lock with the steering wheel.

If your car is reasonably low and the bearing isn't a high miss type, you should really consider selling them and get some SPL tie rod ends because those cheap kazama's will bind and they most likely will snap or develop play. If that happens with SPL, they will replace it for you. Their current design is really good at preventing binding, even on cars like mine that are slammed with inner tie rod spacers to get more angle.

[drew935]

it will change when it's on the ground compared to it being in the air and load on it. That's normal. Take it to get an alignment at your earliest convenience and git'r done. :D

looks good though