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View Full Version : Jacked up tie rod situation


ch1873857
03-02-2010, 09:00 PM
I'm going to start off by saying. Im trashing these junks and buying spl shits.

due to time and money constraints, i purchase wicked tuning tie rods. qualitys fine. they redid their heims, use the same design as circuit sports, megan, hell even kazama. so i FIGURED theyd be fine and cheap enough that they would one day be paper weights.

my setup is an s13 hatch, coilovers, 17x9 +17 grenades 4 lug front and rear. a 225 45 in the front and a 235 45 in the rear CS tension rods, Wicked tie rods, and Rucas.

i bought these when i first lowered the car because the stock tie rods were completely maxed out. ball joint pointed all the way to the outside. toeing out real bad and eating tires like it was no bodys business :mad:

ive never dealt with these pillowball style before, seemed like the same concept though. used teins on my brothers car..

wasnt sure how it all went. kept saying bumpsteer washer etc.. which was a big gold washer that i put underneath the ball joint incase the heim were to fail. there were 2 thick washers which i assumed were the bump steer spacers.. i initially put it on with no spacers above the balljoint. tested it. no good. i could feel the steering seizing up. hard to turn and absolutely no coutersteer when i let go of the wheel which is weird because my tc rods are maxed out.

tore it off today. noticed the heims had gotten worn into a little bit and the balljoint was extremely hard to move. so i reassembled with both spacers in place and the washer underneath. did a quick eye ball alignment with my tape measure and called it a night. shop was closing. coming home (400 feet) i noticed the front end was all over the place, steering was sloppy. I KNOW i need an alignment but my heims are STILL maxed out. i didnt even think i lowered the car that much.


plan was. since our hobby shop on base has an alignment rack for US to use. i could do my rods put MY car up there and do it MY self. Im stationed in washington dc. i dont trust ANYone down here with my shit. but the rack was occupied so all i got to use was the steering wheel lock.

can somebody give me some kind of guidance as to what i should do to at least make it home, 90 miles away, to my alignment shop that i trust. and i know has worked with aftermarket bs. and get rid of this radical steering angle my tie rods are experiencing? any home grown, diy alignment techniques? gonna order spl as soon as i can. but i need to be able to drive.

MavericStephenc
03-02-2010, 09:17 PM
As far as helping you out I dont know what to say. MA motorsports isn't to far away from dc. (baltimore) but ikeya formula tie rods are beast. and PSM sells em' for like 100 bucks.
g/l dude sorry I couldn't help more.

ch1873857
03-02-2010, 09:44 PM
yeah i might drop by and visit brian. been wanting to talk to him about some knuckles while im messing with the shit. im going to baltimore this weekend anyway. didnt think they had an alignment rack there though. oh wells. i drove it to get some food. seems manage able. just gotta keep my hands on the wheel. ive been driving 240s for about 4 years and been working on them since i was 12, and ive never had to deal with it. thanks man.

MavericStephenc
03-03-2010, 04:45 PM
yeah i might drop by and visit brian. been wanting to talk to him about some knuckles while im messing with the shit. im going to baltimore this weekend anyway. didnt think they had an alignment rack there though. oh wells. i drove it to get some food. seems manage able. just gotta keep my hands on the wheel. ive been driving 240s for about 4 years and been working on them since i was 12, and ive never had to deal with it. thanks man.

No problem man, good luck

ch1873857
03-03-2010, 05:46 PM
so i realised that i wasnt going to make it to baltimore. said fuck it. took it to mr tire right outside the gate, my only option. i specifically told them front toe only. dont go fuckin with my camber plates or my rucas. i knew the rear toe would be out, out of range of the eccentric bolts. so i didnt want them to charge me for a 4 wheel when i knew it wasnt gonna go. he fucked with them a little bit. almost a degree toe out on both sides. i actually went back and watched him. he was able to bring one side to about -.2 but couldnt budge the other side. so now its uneven.. front toe is fine now though. 70 bucks later all they fixed were my tie rods. ripped off. but what really got me was the ganster ass mother fucker who drove my car off the lift. musta thought it was a race car. turned the key and immediately started revving it up. ran outside to pop a cap but he already took off. flyin out of the parking lot. took it around the block. asked the manager, was that necessary. he was like.. about as necessary as his job. he got back said a few words and left. never to come back. that was the first time anyone else has ever touched my car and that made me feel less OCD about other people working on it.

you really have to watch people like a freakin hawk. people dont care about what isnt theres.. totally pissed me off. but hey my car almost drives straight. more links to buy.. and next time im doing the alignment myself..

MavericStephenc
03-04-2010, 07:55 PM
I'm glad it turned semi ok for you dude. better luck for the future!