Tie Rod Nightmare...

iammooks

Active Member
Nov 27, 2018
1,733
1,124
Decided to tackle my tie rods today. First off I couldn't get the wheels off since the refurb meant the lacquer had jammed them on. Managed to get the nearside off (the one without play) and it was easy. Outer tie Rod popped off no trouble, and the inner tie rod tool I got off eBay for £12.99 worked like a dream.

The other side has been a different story. I don't think it's ever been replaced since new - 14 years. The outer rod is seized solid. In the end, I got enough of a gap to be able to saw through the lower part, and was expecting to just pop it off, but it's solid.

Looking at it, there's absolutely nothing that should be stopping it from just popping off, but I've been hitting it with a bloody great mallet for ages and it hasn't budged. I've sprayed Plus Gas in there but nothing is happening.

Has anyone else had this problem? How did you solve it? I can pick up one of the fork style separators tomorrow, but don't know if there's anything else I should be trying. Is it common for them to fuse here?

Thanks in advance - I'm in a proper panic at the moment so any help would be super welcome.
 

iammooks

Active Member
Nov 27, 2018
1,733
1,124
https://www.google.com/amp/s/cars.j.../seat-leon-mk1-front-suspension-overhaul/amp/ little guide here with images for you.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

Thanks for this - though they don't seem to spend much time talking about the outer tie rod. Looking at it, they've got a photo of some vice grips around the seal and then they move on to talking about he control arm, and I don't see anything about how they got the outer tie rod out.

It might be that I just had it really easy on the nearside, but it shouldn't be this hard to knock it out, should it?
 

bruceR

Active Member
Apr 11, 2005
2,538
616
Monifieth, Dundee
I had to use a hacksaw as the nut was turning and I didn’t have a pair of vice-grips, I then used a hammer & punch to tap up the outer tierod
Hope this helps


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
  • Like
Reactions: iammooks

iammooks

Active Member
Nov 27, 2018
1,733
1,124
I'd say get some heat on it mate, if you haven't got a blow torch then try boiling water from a kettle just on the end. The heat should expland it enough to free it.

I think my dad has a blowtorch, so might give that a go before heading out to buy tools. Have you had any luck doing that yourself?
 

iammooks

Active Member
Nov 27, 2018
1,733
1,124
I had to use a hacksaw as the nut was turning and I didn’t have a pair of vice-grips, I then used a hammer & punch to tap up the outer tierod
Hope this helps


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That's why I had to saw it myself. There's a slot for an allen key at the bottom of that bit, but it was so stuck it ended up rounding off the slot. Luckily there was enough space to get the saw in there without damaging the bit it's pushed into (I have no idea what that bit is called).

I've tried tapping it from underneath, but the issue there is just having enough room to actually get enough of a swing of the hammer to knock it through.
 

iammooks

Active Member
Nov 27, 2018
1,733
1,124
Hope you get it sorted mate, be patient


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks - staying calm is probably the hardest thing to do right now, when I've got a car that can't be moved sat on my parents' driveway. It sounds like the 'pickle fork' approach is looking like the best option, as they cost between £10-20 and I can probably use it for other stuff too.

It just seemed really weird - I've never had anything on the car seize like this, and when the old 'hit it with a hammer' doesn't work, it does get panicky. I thought I'd ironed out all of the bodged work that had been done before I got it - at least this is going to teach me something. Hope the rain isn't too bad in the morning...
 

iammooks

Active Member
Nov 27, 2018
1,733
1,124
Success...

Went down to Halfords this morning and picked up a bearing splitter, and having spent the best part of yesterday afternoon pounding at the outer tie rod arm with nothing happening, four or five hits with the splitter and it was out. It only cost £7.99, and for the relief it gave me it was well worth the money.

It's mad how much difference the right tool can make - I've seen a couple of YouTube videos since, where someone's taken a huge great hammer and smacked it over and over and nothing's happened, only to take the fork splitter, tapped it a few times and it pops out.

It was a pain in the arse getting the boot off though. I ended up ripping the boot off to get at the inner rod and take it off so I had more room to work. I'd bought two new boots just in case, so I was fine destroying it. It was pretty weathered, so could probably have done with a change. Wiggled the clip off and then put it all back together. Copper slip on the outer threads.

For anyone wondering, the inner tie rod tool was incredible. I got it for £12.99 on eBay and wasn't sure if it would be able to do the job, but with a couple of socket extenders it took something like a quarter of a turn and it just came unscrewed. I'd seen reviews saying the cheap ones were soft metal and didn't get any grip on the inner tie rod end, but this didn't even show any sign of use after I took it off.

Would I do it again? I probably would actually. I think it would have been easier if for the tricky bits I'd be able to get under the car properly, rather than having it up on jacks, but with the right tools it's not nearly as big an issue. Lots of lessons learnt.

Took it out on the road and while it wasn't new car 'tight', I could tell the difference. It drives straight too. Getting the wheels aligned tomorrow anyway, as it's been a long time, and they'll hopefully pick up on anything I've not done right.

IMG_4645.JPG
IMG_4646.JPG
IMG_4647.JPG
IMG_4649.JPG
 
  • Like
Reactions: Zardoz

Andrewwright

Turbo lover
Aug 16, 2016
1,568
224
Peterborough
Success...

Went down to Halfords this morning and picked up a bearing splitter, and having spent the best part of yesterday afternoon pounding at the outer tie rod arm with nothing happening, four or five hits with the splitter and it was out. It only cost £7.99, and for the relief it gave me it was well worth the money.

It's mad how much difference the right tool can make - I've seen a couple of YouTube videos since, where someone's taken a huge great hammer and smacked it over and over and nothing's happened, only to take the fork splitter, tapped it a few times and it pops out.

It was a pain in the arse getting the boot off though. I ended up ripping the boot off to get at the inner rod and take it off so I had more room to work. I'd bought two new boots just in case, so I was fine destroying it. It was pretty weathered, so could probably have done with a change. Wiggled the clip off and then put it all back together. Copper slip on the outer threads.

For anyone wondering, the inner tie rod tool was incredible. I got it for £12.99 on eBay and wasn't sure if it would be able to do the job, but with a couple of socket extenders it took something like a quarter of a turn and it just came unscrewed. I'd seen reviews saying the cheap ones were soft metal and didn't get any grip on the inner tie rod end, but this didn't even show any sign of use after I took it off.

Would I do it again? I probably would actually. I think it would have been easier if for the tricky bits I'd be able to get under the car properly, rather than having it up on jacks, but with the right tools it's not nearly as big an issue. Lots of lessons learnt.

Took it out on the road and while it wasn't new car 'tight', I could tell the difference. It drives straight too. Getting the wheels aligned tomorrow anyway, as it's been a long time, and they'll hopefully pick up on anything I've not done right.

View attachment 7743 View attachment 7744 View attachment 7745 View attachment 7746
Congratulations mate. Success feels good doesn't it. I couldn't find any guides, tbh I've never changed one myself so I couldn't give any help really. the feed back you have given is very good. Wise man once said about the right tool for the job...so I'm gonna have to go and get one now lol.

Maybe as you have pics and info and tooling prices ect ect you would want to make a guide with a title that's easy to work out on Google to help others in the future?
Maybe it could be added to the site here....just saying as it's bloody handy guide if it's done imo.
And...I know a million people will know how to do it with there eye's closed but I'll bet there is a million that doesn't know.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
 
  • Like
Reactions: iammooks

iammooks

Active Member
Nov 27, 2018
1,733
1,124
Maybe as you have pics and info and tooling prices ect ect you would want to make a guide with a title that's easy to work out on Google to help others in the future?
Maybe it could be added to the site here....just saying as it's bloody handy guide if it's done imo.
And...I know a million people will know how to do it with there eye's closed but I'll bet there is a million that doesn't know.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

I'd be happy to do that - it won't be the most professional one, but it would at least give people an idea how to do it when they don't have all of the tools to hand or what to expect when they do it. Sounds like fun...
 
  • Like
Reactions: Andrewwright
Nimbus hosting - Based solely in the UK.