Hi all , I've searched and can't really find the answer , I'm gonna attempt to change my drivers side inner tie rod complete later tonight , I haven't got a crow foot spanner , however I have a large pair of grips .. How is the access for the drivers side ?? Shall I attempt it with gripe or order up a tool ?? 34mm crow foot seems mega expensive thou !!

Regards Tony

A good pair of mole grips and a hammer to give it a knock to get started will do if you don't want to buy the tool.

Mine was about £15 and works a treat.

I have brought a universal tie rod tool .. But it prob won't be here in time .. 32mm crow foot is cheap but a 34mm is mega expensive .. I will attempt with grips 1st

Thanks

Are you sure 34mm is right? I bought an  aftermarket tie-rod recently and it needs a 32mm spanner, not sure what the one on the car is, 'cos I found out that I'd mis-diagnosed the problem before I got to unbolting the old one.  Access looked 'orrible to me, TBH.  My thread here FWIW.

I have a lemforder one in front of me and it measures 33.7 across the flats . So 34mm I recon .. I'm hoping the drivers side one has more room the passenger one ..

Also hutchy what tool do you have ??

I have a lemforder one in front of me and it measures 33.7 across the flats . So 34mm I recon .. I'm hoping the drivers side one has more room the passenger one ..

Fair enough.

My impression was that access to the nearside was easier, but there's more stuff under the bonnet of the vRS than my Polo. The info (Haynes?) I found suggested that the only flats on the rack screw for counterholding while loosening old / tightening new rods is on the nearside. So to do it 'properly', one should get inside both bellows to do the driver's side, and it probably becomes a two-person job.  Not sure how hard/easy it is to take the whole rack out, but that's what Skoda info suggests IIRC.

This is the same as mine. Can't find any UK but I'm sure a quick search will bring one up.

http://www.matcotools.com/catalog/product/WW897/inner-tie-rod-tool/

Thanks for all your help guys . I've just finished changing it .. It undone with grips . A straight forward job .. Just need to get it tracked now . Don't think it has cured my noise though . If you turn the steering from left to right .. Car not running .. U get a knocking sound . Any ideas . It's had new drop links , poly consoles , new wishbones , ball joints , ap 25mm kit , new top mounts , arc bushes .. Both tie rods complete .. I'm stumped .. Also I'm yet to drive it ...

When you say top mounts, was it the mount bush or the bearings?

It was both . Bearings and rubber mounts