Why is my steering not straight?

[Albannach]

How hard is it just to replace the whole tie rod?

At £64 for a pair of the full kits i think it might be worth just replacing them both and then getting tracking done again.

Going to cost me an hours labour for the local garage just to diagnose.

Yes, no? Silly idea?

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO REPAIR THE STEERING YOURSELF.

Buy the bits from RT and get the folk doing the tracking (if it's a proper garage) to change them over. More expensive, but much safer.

[Apache]

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO REPAIR THE STEERING YOURSELF.

OR THE BRAKES!!!!

Seriously though, the track rod ends are very easy to change yourself if you are ok at weilding the spanners and have a splitter (no offence meant to the OP, but judging from your previous posts I'm guessing not?), and you can adjust the tracking good enough using the 'string between the tyres' method to get you to an alignment place to have it done properly.

If you seem to have persistent 'loose' or vague steering, check also the idler arm and the top and bottom wishbone balljoints for play.

[wishbone]

Changing tie rods is easy as pie. Just count the turns it takes to get it off and turn the new one the same number. But the problem you are describing should easily be taken of by an alignment shop. I would suppose they had the torch out to heat up the big bolts to adjust camber. Did they take the skid plates off?

Only if you use the same brand tie rod to replace. Different brands are different lengths.

The torch would have been used to loosen the tie rod adjuster tube.

[puddlesurfer]

Why doesnt he do the swap over himself (one side at a time to make sure he gets it right) and then take it to a garage for re-alinement, they'll have to adjust it and check everything is good

[Apache]

I note how the OP is staying out of this...

Not know ing if he knows one end of a spanner from the other, I would advise caution in telling him to do stuff on safety critical systems on his truck.

Its a bit like me saying to someone who cant replace a plug-top fuse that he'll be fine wiring the three-phase into his workshop. I wouldn't feel happy about it and I'd advise them to seek advice if THEY felt they weren't up to it. I personally wouldn't fiddle with gas pipes as I dont really know what I'm doing on that score, but I'd be happy to fiddle with 3-phase as I understand that stuff.

The OP gave the impression that he wasn't confident to attempt the jobs on the steering himself (thats not a sleight on his ability, I could be wrong) and to just say 'ah to hell with it, give it a go! Nothing can go wrong!' is pretty irresponsible.

I figure you're an ex-member with a new handle trolling though (your posts seem slightly familiar), otherwise you wouldn't be banging away sniping at folk.

[Hokkaido]

Ah...
The other four pages.....are gone? I guess some admin thinks he is GOD? Is that the way things work in the UK?

[Apache]

Dont believe in God.

I think the Mods are just trying to get the place back on track after weeding out an A-hole infestation which took over not long back. It was before you joined, so you wont know what I'm talking about - trust me it was cringe-worthy.

It got so every thread contained a fight at some stage, so this thread opened up some old wounds. The place is only being heavily moderated until things return to a nice chilled 'normal' again - I hope.

[Koi]

Ah...
The other four pages.....are gone? I guess some admin thinks he is GOD? Is that the way things work in the UK?

No I dont think I am god.

This thread is in the technical section (read the rules for posting in this section).

The thread had got side tracked from what the OP had originally asked and the info he required or answers he got were watered down by irrelevant posts.
Posts in the tech section are as much as possible kept to the subject in hand to save people wading through sensless posts to find the info they actually need.
Like any post in a technical section it has been cleaned up.

So I suggest before you jump in feet first and accuse people or the admins of being god you appraise yourself of the rules, its the way it works on the forum.

[Hokkaido]

Hide behind the "read the rules" BS. Makes you quite the man. Truth is you can't handle it when someone disagrees with you or your little buddies.

Jumping in feet first? What's wrong with that? No answer needed as I am done with this forum. There are much better ones around than this hokey-pokey bullsh1t.
I had just typed a nice long thread about how surfs get to you, and the odometer tampering that goes on, the parts you don't seem to have there, such as the factory front e-locker, and how you are actually buying these things from arabs. I guess it will be appreciated elsewhere.

Difference of opinion is not allowed here, and when it happens the almighty KOI steps in and erases it. WTF?

Just so you all know, Koi, by the way, means "DENSE" is Japanese. It also means "BLACK CARP" and a strain of "HERPES". From the little I know of him, it seems to be a perfect representation!

You can stuff your "good riddance" remarks as they won't be read.

[wiggy]

Finally had enough time to catch up with this thread between work and about what to say after the original question had been answered.... thought about an eloquent response but all i can say now is .....That will be that then......... bye.................... what an pillock...

[gwh200]

Koi.... I don't think the septic likes you.

By the way Hokkaido in best middle englandese, has no definite meaning.
It pertains to marrying your sister though.... What state are you from?

[Apache]

Dont waste your ascii characters Gra, it appears he's 'done' with this forum as, as per the stereotype it seems, he's much better, bigger etc etc than us Brits.

Not sure why he's still logged in mind you... unless of course I was right.

<oh, he's gone now>

[TonyN]

Wow, first post to banned in two weeks, you really are 'da man'.



Bye....

[biosurf]

No, no don't go.

Not when you've just started to make friends.


If you do ever log on to have a look at the responses then I could recommend a forum that will probably welcome you with open arms...




p.s. thanks for letting us know that 'Koi' was a name for carp. Who knew?

[Apache]

Even though Rich has sorted out the OP now, this is how we did mine last time which accounts for different length adjuster tubes.

Before you take your old ones off, measure between the bolt centres of the TREs, then assemble your new one on the bench, adjusting til approx the same length. Then you can remove the old one and replace with the new one without jacking up / removing wheels or anything.

Once you've done both sides you can run the truck back and forth 10 yards or so, and use the 'measure between the front and rear edges of the wheel rims' method to roughly align before driving to the alignment place for fine tuning.

As I think I stated before the yap lost it, it IS technically easy, and well within the capability of a confident and careful DIYer, but there are people I know who I'd recommend they took it to a garage to have it done!

(I know someone who hung a door upside down )