Tie Rod Replacement ?s

[Schmo]

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!

[maddmike]

sorry joe i was too lazy to read your whole post but i know what you are looking for.

PM me your address and I can come by your house and help you install it this weekend. i'll bring everything we will need. you have a flat surface to work on the vehicle? this is very important otherwise we won't be able to align it.

Black & Tan TJ has passed on his knowledge of "how to do your own alignment", and we can do that as well (thanks tom ).

[Schmo]

That would be awesome . . . Thanks Mike! I'll PM you my address/phone#. Let me know what poison you prefer and I'll be sure to have some in the fridge getting frosty! Based on your avatar, I'm thinking Corona, but it's hard to tell with the angle of the bottles. Let me know if you'd like to hit some trails after . . . there's a little play area not too far away that David (Highway420) showed me the other day and of course Rowher and even Miller aren't too far or long.

[blkTJ]

sorry joe i was too lazy to read your whole post but i know what you are looking for.

PM me your address and I can come by your house and help you install it this weekend. i'll bring everything we will need. you have a flat surface to work on the vehicle? this is very important otherwise we won't be able to align it.

Black & Tan TJ has passed on his knowledge of "how to do your own alignment", and we can do that as well (thanks tom ).

don't !!!! it up!!! :yay:

j/k... kinda...

[Black & Tan TJ]

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!

BAMM, the magic words.
Sound like you have more pieces then you need, nuts, plugs... It's not really that tough of a job but it's good to ask them assume. MaddMike will see you through, they you'll say "and I was gonna pay someone for this".

Cheers, B&T TJ

Forget about BlkTJ sorta

[Mtbikbob]

Good for you Joe. If we dont ask, we dont know.

See you out there.
BobO

[Schmo]

Good for you Joe. If we dont ask, we dont know.

See you out there.
BobO

Thanks everyone . . . Looking forward to gettin my hands dirty and learning more about my Jeep. I'll be sure to have plenty of beer on hand (Black & Tan TJ) so feel free to stop by if you'd like to share some wisdom or laugh at my ignorance . . . might hit up some local trails after!

Hey BobO . . . where ya been? You've got to join us for a run one of these days . . . it'd be great to wheel with you again!

[maddmike]

don't !!!! it up!!! :yay:

j/k... kinda...

should'a figured i'd get that from you.



better drive around on the 5 freeway up by your house to look for the broken jeep on the side of the road ha!

[Schmo]

Will I still need to get my Jeep to an alignment shop afterwards? I had done some research online while I was waiting for the tie rod to be delivered and the info I came across talked about doing the rough alignment to get it as close as possible to get the Jeep to an alignment shop safely. Seeing that this is my daily driver, I want to make sure it's safe!!!

[blkTJ]

set it to 3/16ths toe in and you'll be golden.

[Black & Tan TJ]

MaddMike will take you through all this, we just aligned his. Getting the steering wheel straight may take some time (you have to test drive then adjust) but once you do use that as a sign if & when it's not centered after wheeling... that your alignment got bumped,(it happens) like a quick reference. I think I'm at 1/4" toe-in, seem to work best for my 10.5x33' BFG A/T's stock rims (street use, DD) and 3/16 for the 12.5x33 MTR's on Black steelies (different backspacing too).
Sorry I can't make it out there for some of that 12 pack, thanks for the invite. After this you'll have the knowledge and will save $$ for the stuff you really want.

Cheers, B&T TJ

[Schmo]

Thanks agian MaddMike for helping me out with the tie rod install and alignment. We put on over 100 miles with about 35 miles in the mud and the tires are still pointing in the right direction, so I figure we did something right!!! My stock tie rod looks even more tweaked now that it's off the Jeep, so I'm really glad to have the beefier one on there now and a trail spare just in case! Thanks for passing on the knowledge Black & Tan TJ! Didn't make much of a dent on the beer situation though . . . Happy Hour at Schmo's after the next run anyone???