Changing track rod ends, Easy job Yes/No ????

[David 8]

I bought new ones a while back for my mate to fit FOC.

Said mate has now lost garage business (tit).

So I was wondering how easy/hard is it to fit them myself.

I've been getting quietly confident at fitting bits and pieces myself over the past few months (oil changes, pads and disks etc)

It looks quite straight forward but will I need a splitter or is it just the nut on the end holding it on the hub ??

Obviously marking the arm will help before getting it check afterwards

Any help, ideas, pi55 taking will be great

[Babs]

They *should* be quite simple mate

[David 8]

Thats what I was thinking but you never know.

Are you going to the VAG meet sunday ???

I may try an escape for an hour and call in !!!

[piv34uk]

Hi m8, undo the locking nut on the rack arm, just need to loosen it slightly as this will be a guide for you to put the new one up against....then undo the nut that goes through the steering hub:) hit the side of this (hub) and the track rod end should pop free...Refitting the end onto the rack then place back in hub arm before tightening....remember its worth getting the tracking checked

HTH

Phil;)

[ScoobyChris]

Agree with Phil on the tracking. My local main dealer changed the track rod end and convinced me the tracking didn't need doing as their technician had "lined it up by eye" and "tightened with as many turns as he loosened it with". A couple of months later I was replacing a tyre that had worn completely on the inside edge. Had the tracking checked and it was miles out :(

Funnily enough, the Skoda dealer didn't get any of my business after that incident!

Chris

[David 8]

hit the side of this (hub)

Can you explain this for me a little better

Without sounding like a tard.......wheres the best place to hit it without damaging it

[piv34uk]

Once the wheel is off you will see where the threaded part of the T/R end goes through... hit the side of this "loop" so to speak and the TRE will (should) jump out, it is slightly tapered and is a interference fit for want of a better word:thumbup:

HTH

Phil........if you get stuck i have PM`d you my mobile number;)

[David 8]

Once the wheel is off you will see where the threaded part of the T/R end goes through... hit the side of this "loop" so to speak and the TRE will (should) jump out, it is slightly tapered and is a interference fit for want of a better word:thumbup:

HTH

Phil........if you get stuck i have PM`d you my mobile number;)

Excellent I should (fingers crossed) be okay

Cheers for that and your number, thats over and above the call of duty :thumbup:

Not sure when I'm gonna attempt this yet !!! (sunday looks good)

[fordfan]

Remove the nut completely before you break the taper. In the end of the thread there is a socket for an allen key this can be used to stop the threaded part from turning when removing the nut.

[David 8]

Finally got an hour yesterday to attempt this job.

I couldn't get the locking nut undone it was a tight as a gnats chuff and it was starting to look like rounding the nut off. So I left it before I broke it. Oh well up to my mates in the next few days. He said he'll do it for me.

[JohnRS]

I done one of these on a 12 year old car and this was the worst bit.

We sprayed WD40 on it, left it a while, the used a 6ft length of scaffold tube, on the end of the spanner to lever it off. worked a treat. Failing that a bit of heat would do the trick.

[KenONeill]

"PlusGas" is your friend. Seriously, I spent 2 hours trying to shift a clutch adjuster with WD40, bought a can of PlusGas, and finished the job 15 minutes later.

[David 8]

"PlusGas" is your friend. Seriously, I spent 2 hours trying to shift a clutch adjuster with WD40, bought a can of PlusGas, and finished the job 15 minutes later.

Where can I buy Plus gas ????

Never seen it on my travels

[KenONeill]

Where can I buy Plus gas ????

Never seen it on my travels

I got it in a local ironmonger. That would be some trip from Cardiff to the place I got it, but I'd try ironmongers, independant car accessory shops, tool or motor factors, over the likes of Halfrauds and DIY "supermarkets".

If cost me about £8 for a can about ths same size as a WD40 can, but I reckon it paid for itself in time saved on that first job. Oh yeah, and note the spelling and punctuation; it's a trade name.

[David 8]

Cheers Ken

[VRSPhil]

You can borrow my angle grinder if you want, mate