Yes you guessed it . . . more stupid questions from Schmo! So my new (much beefier) tie rod finally came today . . . for some reason, FedEx thought the best route was from GA to CA to MN to CA . . . so needless to say there was a bit of a delay. But hey, the stock one held up, so that's the end of my bitchin'! I didn't have the $400 bucks for the Currie so I went with:
Heavy-Duty Tie Rod [OMX18050.51]
Manufacturer: Rugged Ridge
Application: 1997-2006 TJ Wrangler
Heavy-Duty Tie Rod End made from 1.25" OD, .25" wall DOM tubing comes with 7/8" tie rod ends with standard Jeep tapers to fit stock knuckles and drag links. No modifications necessary for installation!
Alright, so now what! I figured I'd need to take it to an alignment shop, but thought by installing the new tie rod myself, I'd save some cash that I could then put towards some armor.
A few questions come to mind right off the bat:
***The tie rod end bolts that stick up and attach to the Jeep seem to be at a different angle . . . do they move or which goes where?
***I figured to get me to the alignment shop, I would remove the old one and adjust the new one to the same size and maybe extend it by a couple of turns just to make up for the slight bend in the stock one. Sound like a good idea? Looks like I just remove the 2 old pins and 2 nuts and the tie rod will drop out . . . does it?
***How tight do I tighten the tie rod into place to allow the proper amount of play/grease?
***The new tie rod ends screw into the bar and have two adjustment nuts on each side . . . how tight should I make them? Should I use Lock-Tight?
***Finally, the new rod comes with the 2 zirks/nipples and 2 little bolts that looks like they would also fit the holes and plug where the grease goes . . . am I supposed to remove the zirk/nipple and put the bolt in after greasing or do I leave the zirk/nipple permanently like the stock one? Wouldn't the grease just squirt out? Should I use Lock-Tight if I'm supposed to leave the zirks/nipples in?
I do understand that it took me more time to type this and more time for you to read it than it would have taken many of you to do it, but come on I'm still new at this. For you pro's out there . . . I've got a 12 pack with your name on it if you'd like to cruise by and show me how to do it right!
Heavy-Duty Tie Rod [OMX18050.51]
Manufacturer: Rugged Ridge
Application: 1997-2006 TJ Wrangler
Heavy-Duty Tie Rod End made from 1.25" OD, .25" wall DOM tubing comes with 7/8" tie rod ends with standard Jeep tapers to fit stock knuckles and drag links. No modifications necessary for installation!
Alright, so now what! I figured I'd need to take it to an alignment shop, but thought by installing the new tie rod myself, I'd save some cash that I could then put towards some armor.
A few questions come to mind right off the bat:
***The tie rod end bolts that stick up and attach to the Jeep seem to be at a different angle . . . do they move or which goes where?
***I figured to get me to the alignment shop, I would remove the old one and adjust the new one to the same size and maybe extend it by a couple of turns just to make up for the slight bend in the stock one. Sound like a good idea? Looks like I just remove the 2 old pins and 2 nuts and the tie rod will drop out . . . does it?
***How tight do I tighten the tie rod into place to allow the proper amount of play/grease?
***The new tie rod ends screw into the bar and have two adjustment nuts on each side . . . how tight should I make them? Should I use Lock-Tight?
***Finally, the new rod comes with the 2 zirks/nipples and 2 little bolts that looks like they would also fit the holes and plug where the grease goes . . . am I supposed to remove the zirk/nipple and put the bolt in after greasing or do I leave the zirk/nipple permanently like the stock one? Wouldn't the grease just squirt out? Should I use Lock-Tight if I'm supposed to leave the zirks/nipples in?
I do understand that it took me more time to type this and more time for you to read it than it would have taken many of you to do it, but come on I'm still new at this. For you pro's out there . . . I've got a 12 pack with your name on it if you'd like to cruise by and show me how to do it right!
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