tie rods?

[hockeyhelmet0727]

so i was getting new tires today and the guy comes out and tells me my "outer tie rods" have a "fair bit of play". Im a rookie, i figured out i need new ones, but what does this exactly mean for my car? all i know is its bad

[95silvia14]

it means that your knuckle is constently changeing toe very slightly as you drive its an alingment thing

[adrianfromthecastle]

tie rods are what move the wheels left to right. Inner tie rods connect to the steering rack, outer tie rods connect to the wheel knuckles.

tie rod play is NOT good, lol. Most likely from a worn bushing... new tie rod ends would be a great place to start.

[hockeyhelmet0727]

would just new tie rod ends be the solution and have my car totally in correct working order, or would there still be more work to be done.

[Philipio]

Depends on your goals. Do you care at all about performance/upgrading or do you just want stuff to work? If it's the latter, you should be fine with just replacing outer. Your inner should be fine, only real reason to replace those is if you're upgrading and need something beefier.

When I upgraded mine the rubber practically fell apart after removal.

[adrianfromthecastle]

would just new tie rod ends be the solution and have my car totally in correct working order, or would there still be more work to be done.

I want to say yes... but its hard to diagnose completely without really seeing it. Theres a possibility of other factors as well, but tie rod ends come to mind.

I suggest downloading a FSM for you 240. It has trouble shooting.

[hockeyhelmet0727]

the mechanic said that everything else was fine. So if i just want "stuff to work" then i should just replace the outer. and if i do replace all four i know i need a realignment, how much does something like that cost? I think i remember seeing a sign at the shop for like 50billz i think

[adrianfromthecastle]

replacing the outer tie rod is cake. You can probably do it yourself with regular tools. Its the inner tie rod that usually kicks my butt.

any kind of changes to the tie rods, whether it be just one piece, or all four (inner & outer) will need a proper alignment, otherwise you'll be losing tire and your steering wheel will be off. Alignments are usually around $60 for all 4 wheels, but you really only need the front 2.