xantia tie rod

davethewheel · Post by **davethewheel** » 04 Jul 2007, 19:41

my 2.1td estate has just failed it's MOT on play in the steering rack on the nearside, the tester told me the play is not in the track rod end but at the other end of the tie rod, i've ordered one from euro car parts, anyone changed one and how easy is it to change

davethewheel · Post by **davethewheel** » 05 Jul 2007, 19:11

got the new tie rod today and the end that screws into the steering rack doesn't have any flats for a spanner, i'm presuming that you just have to tighten it on using a a pipe wrench.

slim123 · Post by **slim123** » 05 Jul 2007, 19:29

Yes there is a special tool, although it is not very easy to use it on the car as there aint enough room to swing it, the pipe wrench will give the same trouble.

Years ago I made up a tool that was I think a 32mm socket welded to a piece of pipe and a half inch square drive welded to the end, this you could smack onto the ball joint and the socket hex would bite into it, then simply turn it, fitting the new one I would bang it into the tool, wind it up tight then wriggle the tool from side to side to get the tool off.

Changing them was a dodle with this tool, if you need to make it I will see if I can dig it out and take a photo for you.

Regards
Slim.

rory_perrett · Post by **rory_perrett** » 05 Jul 2007, 19:34

I'm afraid to say when I had the same thing a couple of years ago it is the one thing I gave up on and took it back to the MOT garage for them to do. Just didn't seem to be able to grip it enough to shift it. They charged about £45 including re-tracking which I would have had to pay for anyway if I'd done it. Other than dented pride if I'd know it was only a £25 job, ie less than an hour, I'd have never attempted it.

Rory

davethewheel · Post by **davethewheel** » 05 Jul 2007, 20:11

i thought there must have been s special tool , i like your idea slim but i don't have the gear to make up a tool, i'm pretty sure i can get the old one off i thought about grinding a couple of flats onto the old one then i can get an adjustable wrench on it ,but i'm not sure that i'll be able to tighten the new one back on using a pipe wrench, i may have to give in and pay a garage to do the work, i hate doing this especially when it seems like such a simple job.

davethewheel · Post by **davethewheel** » 06 Jul 2007, 19:21

looks like i'm going to tackle this job myself, i tried a few garages today and only one said they would tackle the job and quoted me £90.00 +vat for the labour, i had a word with my neighbor who has his own garage and he said he would ring around to see if he could find a tool but no luck, he did however speak to someone who repairs citroens and he said they just use a sharp chisel to knock the old one free, i don't mind paying someone to do the job but at £90.00 +vat just for labour i would be better off just changing the whole rack as they are around £150 , so i think i'll give it a go changing the tie rod failing that a new rack it is.