replacing TieRod Ends

[mixmup]

Hi all,
I was reading up on the procedure for vhanging the tirrod ends in the workshop manual the other day, and to do so, it says i must remove the steering box...!
... do i really have to?
anyone done this care to comment?
Cheers, mix.

[balkanac]

If its just the ends that you are replacing i dont think you need to get the box out. You can see them as soon as you take the wheel off. I have never done it on a vw tho so i might be wrong

[Dyldo]

how did this end up?

this is a copy of my Mk4 posting, but keen to change my tie rod ends

spent 5 hours of my Saturday attempting to fit the stage 2 refresh kit and my Weitecs shocks/springs. and you know how far i got? 2 bolts. thats it, 2 bolts. Now i'll be the first to admit i am a noob with a spanner, but thats ridiculous.
what had me stumped was how to undo the upper strut top nut (under the cap) to get the strut to fall off and out. i tried my airgun, but she was dead. i tried my air-spanner, but she too was cactus. so i had given up the ghost on doing my shocks and started on the susp refresh. given that i was already stressed from the hours wasted on the shocks i didn't get very far with trying to get the lower control arm out to press in the bushings.
By the end of the day with light fading i found a forum post that hinted at using a sparkplug socket to undo the top nut as it is hollow and can be levered from the outside rather than as a socket. so i slid a 7mm allen key down the guts to hold the spline and voila! a few turns and off came the nut.
tomorrow shall be a big day i can tell, but i am keen to try and do it all myself and learn - not to mention save about $500 in mech labour.

this site, however, hints that i need another specialty tool to undo the inner tie rod end - http://hubpages.com/hub/How-to-Repla...fGTINew-Beetle - and i'm not sure of how to undo it any other way?
maybe i should post this in the susp section...

[h100vw]

So what have you got with the tie rod? If you are just dong the end all yo need to do is crack the lock nut and wind the joint off the rod after extracting it from the hub. You may need to stop the rod spinning, I reckon there's some flats on the rod to use a spanner on, if not vice grips would do it.

I have never replaced the whole tie rod.

Wind the new joint on up to the lock nut and nip it up. The alignment should be pretty close but as you are doing the suspension, I am sure you will be doing an alignment anyway when you are finished.

[Dyldo]

So what have you got with the tie rod? If you are just dong the end all yo need to do is crack the lock nut and wind the joint off the rod after extracting it from the hub. You may need to stop the rod spinning, I reckon there's some flats on the rod to use a spanner on, if not vice grips would do it.

I have never replaced the whole tie rod.

Wind the new joint on up to the lock nut and nip it up. The alignment should be pretty close but as you are doing the suspension, I am sure you will be doing an alignment anyway when you are finished.

Taken from mk4 thread post:-
well, 9 hours of my sunday gone and i have a bit to report (but not a completed job). so what did i do today to my mk4?
- took both struts out
- compressed new strut assembly ready to go in
- removed and refit pass side tie rod and tie rod end - was a PITA job
- removed pass side LCA and pressed out front and rear bushings - bit of a PITA
- tried to remove driver side tie rod and got stuck at the boot with failing light
- tried to remove driver side LCA but got stuck due to front bushing bolt won't clear sump (Do i really have to take the sump out?)

[Jmac]

So what have you got with the tie rod? If you are just dong the end all yo need to do is crack the lock nut and wind the joint off the rod after extracting it from the hub. You may need to stop the rod spinning, I reckon there's some flats on the rod to use a spanner on, if not vice grips would do it.

I have never replaced the whole tie rod.

Wind the new joint on up to the lock nut and nip it up. The alignment should be pretty close but as you are doing the suspension, I am sure you will be doing an alignment anyway when you are finished.

Replacong the whole tie rod is not a problem, if you are doing wishbone bushes and dogbone and the likes then drop the whole subframe out to do that lot, have it on the floor on 15 mins, for a novice give your self an hr. Dont worry about the gearbox and engine they are on a chassis mount, count yourself lucky the MK3 , 2 and 1 you need to hold the engine and box up , you dont know you are living. The Mk4 came as a relief for the job. when the subframe is out the rack is exposed for the win. Even with the rack in its not too bad, hard lock to fit side for side. Whole rods are common as the ball joint knuckles at the rack are common for wear and cause free play and knocks
Cheers
Jmac

[Dyldo]

Replacong the whole tie rod is not a problem, if you are doing wishbone bushes and dogbone and the likes then drop the whole subframe out to do that lot, have it on the floor on 15 mins, for a novice give your self an hr. Dont worry about the gearbox and engine they are on a chassis mount, count yourself lucky the MK3 , 2 and 1 you need to hold the engine and box up , you dont know you are living. The Mk4 came as a relief for the job. when the subframe is out the rack is exposed for the win. Even with the rack in its not too bad, hard lock to fit side for side. Whole rods are common as the ball joint knuckles at the rack are common for wear and cause free play and knocks
Cheers
Jmac

so you're kinda saying i am wasting my time and should have dumped the whole subframe?

Are we talking the18mm bolts dotted around that area?

[Jmac]

Pretty much mate, if you look up and the whole rods look like they are in the too hard basket then drop the sub and expose the lot, at the same time you can refresh the rest of the stuff in there, wishbones, control arms, drop links etc, your Dub will love you for it
Put it this way, most of the time if i have to do whole rods the rest of the susp is tired anyway and you can take care of the lot
Cheers
Jmac

[Dyldo]

Jmac you're the best. appreciate the helping guidance.

I have access to a soft copy bentley now but haven't opened it yet.

My current stage is i have replaced both tie rods and feel happy with them. i have the pass side control arm out and have pressed out the bushings. I have an OEM HD front one and a TT one for the rear. I am freezing them now but how would i get the front one in? seems to look like a tough gig.

I have both shocks/springs compressed and ready to go in so they're no issue.

I can't seem to drop the driver side control arm as the front nut through the front bushing will hit the sump. Do i need to drop the sump or do i just lower the subframe on that side? if so, how? just the two 18mm nearby?

Is it easier if i take the dogbone off? I have a new one to go in regardless.

As for the balljoints, do you suggest putting them in the control arm and then assembling the control arm on the car? or do you put the control arm in first and then insert the balljoint?

sorry for all the questions mate, just trying to save the workshop fees and learn something on my ride.

[Jmac]

Are you replacing the ball joints?? if not i would take the 3 bolts off each side and slide them out. Replace them afterward though. Ok back to the top, your problem with the control arm bolt hitting the sump - BINGO, exactly the reason i take the whole lot out, nearly every time, if you half way through the job mate just lowere the subframe but you will be wishing you had taken it out. As for the bushes on the control arms fronts and rears hydraulic press is your friend, also the fronts cut the lips off, you are changing them anyway
Cheers
Jmac