Tie Rod Disconnects from steering rack

[chipahoy]

About two months ago, i changed the steering rack, stabilizer links, and tie rod ends on my 1999 Q45t. I wouldn't recommend it as one of my favorite jobs, especially the steering rack which is messy, greasy, and hard to get in place - especially when you're on your back and don't have a lift. BTW, maintenance tip. Change the rack, change the starter. Anyway, it took me two weekends to do the job as i am slow and like to take my time. After the rack and other parts were in, man it drove like a dream - super smooth. Nothing like hydraulic steering. Last night, i am on the way home from my cigar store; fortunately i was in the parking lot and not driving down the road at 70mph. Somehow, I lost steering control, the front end was buckling, and got this awful screeching noise from the right front side (passenger). Upon investigation, i discovered the right side (passenger) tie rod end was disconnected from the inner tie rod! I my 30+ years of servicing vehicles I have never seen this happen. The steering rack and tie rod ends were installed correctly and secured with the nut on the inner tie rod shaft. However, as i process what happened this scenario becomes plausible. Any fasteners (Bolts/screws) installed on the passenger side FROM THE INSIDE can loosen as you drive. Get a mental picture of this and you will see what i mean. The inertia and energy of the car moving forward places a constant loosening force on the inside bolts. Another example of how this can happen. I had a friend who called me to help him with his car that had broken down on the side of the road; he was less than a mile from where i live. In any event, after looking at his car, the right side (passenger) brake caliper had lost one of it's large retaining bolts allowing the caliper to swing forward into the inner side of the wheel, disabling right side braking and gouging a gorge on the inside of the rim. In this scenario, there were two large caliper bolts mounted INSIDE tightening to the right (rear of the car) which are subject to the kinetic energy created as the car moves forward. There is a constant loosening pressure on the bots. Revised maintenance plan should include using Loctite 242 on inner caliper bolts, as well as inner tie rod ends. I also put two nuts on the inner tie rod ends and tightened them against each other with Loctite, Dude, you dont want this to happen to you! Mechanics, if you are not doing this, change your maintenance process to include these steps!