How Do I Install a Tie Rod on a 1995 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera?
- 1). Block the rear wheel opposite of the wheel with the faulty tie-rod end with wheel chocks. Raise and support the front wheel that has the faulty tie-rod end using a floor jack and jack stand positioned under the lower control arm. Remove the wheel using a lug wrench and place the wheel out of the way of the work area.
- 2). Remove the cotter pin outer tie rod end nut using a pair of wire cutters to straighten it and pull it from the locking nut. Remove the tie-rod end locking nut using a 19 mm wrench. Loosen the jam nut that secures the outer tie-rod to the inner tie rod.
- 3). Strike the steering arm that the outer tie-rod end is attached to with a hammer until the tie-rod drops from the arm. Unscrew the outer tie-rod from the inner tie-rod while counting the number of turns it takes to fully unscrew it and remove it.
- 4). Remove the jam nut from the inner tie-rod. Remove the small spring clamp from the bellows boot that covers the inner tie-rod socket using a pair of wire cutters. Loosen the clamp that attaches the boot to the rack-and-pinion unit with a screwdriver and slide the bellows boot off the inner tie-rod.
- 5). Select the adapter supplied with the tie-rod tool that fits snugly on the flats of the inner tie-rod joint. Slip the adapter onto the inner joint and attach the tie-rod tool to the adapter according to the instructions supplied with the tool. Turn the tool counterclockwise with a ratchet to unscrew the tie-rod from the rack and pinion.
- 6). Apply a small amount of thread-locking compound, supplied with the new tie-rod, to the threads of the new inner tie-rod. Screw the new tie rod onto the rack and pinion. Tighten the new tie-rod securely with the tie-rod tool Slip the bellows boot back onto the tie-rod and secure it to the rack and pinion with a new clamp or zip tie.
- 7). Install the outer bellows boot clamp and screw the jamb nut onto the inner tie rod. Screw the new outer tie rod onto the inner tie-rod the same number of turns as were needed to remove the old one. Install the new grease fitting into the back of the new outer tie-rod using an 8 mm wrench.
- 8). Slip the tie-rod into the steering arm and tighten the locking nut securely. Install a new cotter pin into the nut and bend it to prevent the nut from unscrewing. Reinstall the wheel and remove the jack stand. Lower the car to the ground and remove the floor jack. Drive to an auto-repair shop and have a four-wheel alignment done.
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