Tie Rod Ball Joint Question Options

[kenshapiro2002]

The bellows on my left side tie rod end ball joint is shot (obviously). I'm assuming the downside is loss of grease...ingestion of dirt, and premature wear? Anyway, what's the fix? Do I need to replace the whole joint or can the bellows be replaced. Hand tools? Ease of repair on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being changing a tire and 10 being rebuilding the trans.?

[Cap'n Krusty]

If you beat on the threaded end, you'll likely never get it loose. The ball joint is a tapered fit into the arm on the spindle. You have to literally shock it loose unless you have the correct removal tool. "Pickle forks" don't really work all that well, and penetrating oil won't affect it as it's a press fit. We use a large ball peen hammer. Be sure you hit the "ring" at a right angle and really hard. Usually they come loose in 2-3 whacks, but sometimes they let go on the first attempt. If you don't even have to hit it, the nut was never tightened properly. When you install the new one, you may have to apply vertical pressure on the top of the tie rod end to get the stud to stop turning. Air tools are your friend in this case.

The Cap'n