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914World.com _ 914World Garage _ Turbo Tie Rods
Posted by: Carlitos Way Dec 27 2004, 04:31 PM
Lots of talk about turbo tie rods in the past, so I'm thinking about getting some. These seem like a good price to me...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=7944098461&category=33593
QUestion is... how hard are they to install? and if I get them... what improvements can I expect?
Posted by: Aaron Cox Dec 27 2004, 04:40 PM
real turbo tierods cost more (lemforder) and are better quality......
lemforder all the way 
not auch du lieber
others have bad experiences....etc
Posted by: Carlitos Way Dec 27 2004, 04:47 PM
So.. what's the "right" source for getting the proper ones... and how hard are they to install?
Posted by: Aaron Cox Dec 27 2004, 04:49 PM
either will work,
its up to you...the ebay ones seem to have crappy boots on them.....
i sourced lemforders from Pelican. I believe the ecomm site will be selling them too
Posted by: Aaron Cox Dec 27 2004, 04:50 PM
as to the install.....not that bad.
i bought the special SLIM wrench and that made it easier....
hardest part is getting the old ones off, and getting the new boots seated correctly 
Posted by: Cloudbuster Dec 27 2004, 04:51 PM
| QUOTE (cmolina @ Dec 27 2004, 02:47 PM) |
| So.. what's the "right" source for getting the proper ones... and how hard are they to install? |
Pelican, Paragon, GPR.
The 'right' ones will have a big fat washer. Because either the 914 rack is too narrow, or the threaded shaft of a TT rod is longer than the socket on the 914 rack. I think.
Posted by: Aaron Cox Dec 27 2004, 04:57 PM
| QUOTE (Cloudbuster @ Dec 27 2004, 03:51 PM) | ||
Pelican, Paragon, GPR. The 'right' ones will have a big fat washer. Because either the 914 rack is too narrow, or the threaded shaft of a TT rod is longer than the socket on the 914 rack. I think. |
good point! the Fatty washer is so you dont over extend the rack IIRC, they are "rack stops" if you will, meaning they hit the case of the rack before you "over extend the rack" ....
Posted by: 7391420 Dec 27 2004, 04:58 PM
I did this over the summer, got the tie rods from GPR, they were the cheapest. I agree, the Lemforder's are high quality. Getting the old ones off is a pain, the tie rod removal tool makes it much easier.
BTW, you feel a huge difference with these tie rods. the car definitly feels much more connected to the road, but it also seemed really darty to me at first, and took a while to get used to...so you may want to drive someone's car who has'em before you go ahead with it...
-adam
Posted by: Aaron Cox Dec 27 2004, 04:59 PM
you will LOVE them! NEW balljoints give you a great feel too....
dont forget! get an alignment after you are done!!!!
to minimize tire wear on the way to the alignment place, set your new tie rods to the same length as the ones you took off
Posted by: Mueller Dec 27 2004, 05:05 PM
make sure you don't already have them...it's a common upgrade.....
Posted by: trekkor Dec 27 2004, 05:11 PM
I got mine and had them installed at High Performance House. They are good to me!
These rods are amazing, really wakes up the steering input. Absolutley worth doing just for the fact alone that what you have now are pushing 30 years old.
The upgrade is wonderful. You can, as mentioned before, get a much crisper feel of the road and car.
I also got rack spacers and a competiton negative camber alignment as well
( street legal race car ).
KT
Posted by: Carlitos Way Dec 27 2004, 05:11 PM
| QUOTE (Mueller @ Dec 27 2004, 03:05 PM) |
| make sure you don't already have them...it's a common upgrade..... |
How can I tell if mine are... or aren't Turbo Tie Rods?
Posted by: trekkor Dec 27 2004, 05:15 PM
| QUOTE |
| How can I tell if mine are... or aren't Turbo Tie Rods? |
Look on page 104 of the Haynes Manual.
TTR's have a ball socket instead of the "fork type joint"
part #9 in the exploded diagram.
KT
Posted by: Mueller Dec 27 2004, 05:20 PM
| QUOTE (cmolina @ Dec 27 2004, 04:11 PM) | ||
How can I tell if mine are... or aren't Turbo Tie Rods? |
are you just buying cr@p 'cause you think you need it or you see it for sale???
Posted by: trekkor Dec 27 2004, 05:27 PM
IMO, if you don't have 'em, you need 'em. 
KT
Posted by: Aaron Cox Dec 27 2004, 05:27 PM
| QUOTE (Mueller @ Dec 27 2004, 04:20 PM) | ||||
are you just buying cr@p 'cause you think you need it or you see it for sale??? |
ok mister crankfire EFI guy
Posted by: Cloudbuster Dec 27 2004, 05:31 PM
| QUOTE (Aaron Cox @ Dec 27 2004, 02:57 PM) |
| good point! the Fatty washer is so you dont over extend the rack IIRC, they are "rack stops" if you will, meaning they hit the case of the rack before you "over extend the rack" .... |
Oooooooooppppppssssssssssss....
I thought the washers were only spacers, so I turned mine down so I could use a crescent wrench because I didn't have a thin 30-something-mm wrench to install them. Oh well. I shouldn't get to full-lock on the open road. Much.
Posted by: Mueller Dec 27 2004, 05:34 PM
| QUOTE (Aaron Cox @ Dec 27 2004, 04:27 PM) | ||||||
ok mister crankfire EFI guy |
you got me there
there is a differance between buying stuff you "want" and "need".....I just see some people buying stuff just 'cause they read that someone else has it.....yes, the turbo tie rods are an improvement, but if on a budget there are other places to spend your money on if you don't need them....
Posted by: anthony Dec 27 2004, 07:37 PM
I'd install TT rods if I was doing other suspension work but I wouldn't do them all by themselves. Too much work for not a lot of payoff. Sure they make things tigher and more responsive but do they make the car faster?
I also wonder if anyone has ever compared new regular tie rods to turbo tie rods. All the comparisons I've heard about are old, worn out regular tie rods versus brand new turbo tie rods.
Posted by: Cloudbuster Dec 27 2004, 07:45 PM
I believe turbo tie rods are good for 15 mph on top, 5 seconds at autocross, 3 extra MPG, and made my jokes 10x funnier at the Christmas parties.
Please don't burst my bubble.
Posted by: vsg914 Dec 27 2004, 07:54 PM
If your tie rod ends are in good shape leave them the F--- alone. If they need replacing, replace with the turbo units. If ya don't know how to tell if they are good or bad, then take the car to someone who does. They are not that hard to change, but make sure you use locktite and thighten the shit out of them.
The real advantage to the the turbos is the ease of toe adjustment. 2 minutes to change from track to AX to the street.
Posted by: Carlitos Way Dec 27 2004, 08:06 PM
| QUOTE (Mueller @ Dec 27 2004, 03:20 PM) | ||||
are you just buying cr@p 'cause you think you need it or you see it for sale??? |
Since you asked, I will answer.
I only got the car a couple of months ago. I have been doing some work to make sure the car is SAFE first and foremost. This means I have NOT driven the car more than 20 miles, at best, in 3 months. In the few times I drove it, I thought I noticed the car being a little erratic and almost scary to drive at higher speeds (above 50MPH or so). This gave me the idea that I might need something in the suspension. I've been hearing so much about the turbo tie rods, that I decided to ask about them, to see if this is what I need to make the car safe "at normal speeds."
Now, as to buying "crap"... the reason I asked here is because I wanted to know if it in fact was CRAP or a worthwhile improvement. Keep in mind, I'm only a 3-month-old owner. I have A LOT of questions, and I do need some direction. That's why I joined this club.
Does that answer your question?
Posted by: trekkor Dec 27 2004, 09:16 PM
cmolina, welcome on board!
If I can answer any question you put up, I will try.
Don't hold back...I don't. 
KT
Posted by: Mueller Dec 27 2004, 09:27 PM
| QUOTE (cmolina @ Dec 27 2004, 07:06 PM) | ||||||
Since you asked, I will answer. I only got the car a couple of months ago. I have been doing some work to make sure the car is SAFE first and foremost. This means I have NOT driven the car more than 20 miles, at best, in 3 months. In the few times I drove it, I thought I noticed the car being a little erratic and almost scary to drive at higher speeds (above 50MPH or so). This gave me the idea that I might need something in the suspension. I've been hearing so much about the turbo tie rods, that I decided to ask about them, to see if this is what I need to make the car safe "at normal speeds." Now, as to buying "crap"... the reason I asked here is because I wanted to know if it in fact was CRAP or a worthwhile improvement. Keep in mind, I'm only a 3-month-old owner. I have A LOT of questions, and I do need some direction. That's why I joined this club. Does that answer your question? |
yep..that works
you need to find why the car is shaking...it could be something as simple as a badly imbalanced tire or loose wheel bearings or bad ball joints or something as scary as the front suspension bolts being loose....my point was I don't want to see people just "throwing" money into the car trying to fix it....with the tie-rods, you might be able to just jack the car up and inspect them...look to see if they are sloppy when you grab the wheel or the tie rod itself.....
Posted by: Carlitos Way Dec 27 2004, 09:47 PM
Point well taken. Car is already in the shop waiting for a specialist to go through it tomorrow. Hopefully nothing major, but you never know. I know it needs a good alignment at least. HOpefully the shop next door can fit it in tomorrow. I was trying to figure out "how bad" it could be, depending on wht he found.
C.
Posted by: Aaron Cox Dec 27 2004, 09:48 PM
TTie rods make a GOOD upgrade...how bout that
Posted by: Cap'n Krusty Dec 27 2004, 11:38 PM
| QUOTE (anthony @ Dec 27 2004, 05:37 PM) |
| I'd install TT rods if I was doing other suspension work but I wouldn't do them all by themselves. Too much work for not a lot of payoff. Sure they make things tigher and more responsive but do they make the car faster? I also wonder if anyone has ever compared new regular tie rods to turbo tie rods. All the comparisons I've heard about are old, worn out regular tie rods versus brand new turbo tie rods. |
If I'm not mistaken, the rubber joints are probably NLA, so any direct comparison is out of the question. If you have them, they're old and worn out. If you have to do any kind of suspension work or are experiencing unnecessary tire wear, it's a good idea to replace them. The Cap'n
Posted by: JOHNMAN Dec 27 2004, 11:55 PM
Why are they called "Turbo" tie rods when the turbos used similar rubber tie rods like the 914's had????
I do agree that they are worth the price, but I just don't understand the terminology.
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