rednecking a tierod

[johnunit]

found some pretty significant play in the passenger tierod today. I've seen worse, it's secure, but it's sure as hell part of the sloppy steering and pull to the passenger side the car has had for ages. I have a pair of tierods I bought ages ago, but no adjuster sleeves, and no time or reliable place for an alignment before the 6 hour round trip to STAP.


Here's the question portion:
can I get it close enough to be safe for a while by counting the rotations/threads when I take the old one off and putting the new one on the same number of spins? This is what I was taught to do in shops, but I've never worked somewhere without an alignment rack, so I've never actually driven one right after it being done.
Same question for the technique of just measuring toe by measuring the distance between tires front and rear. Keep in mind the alignment has been off for years anyway.

Also, what are the odds the adjuster will hold through the replacement? it looks a bit crusty, but I don't see how it'd break beyond the very replaceable bolts snapping. I know they're cheap but time is tighter than your sister on prom night so if I can avoid that parts store trip, that's big.

[gadget73]

take a measurement from some reference point on the tie rod and count the turns out. Thread the new one the same number of turns in and confirm your measurement.

If the tie rod itself is really crusty, it may not come loose. The sleeves are like 20 bucks, so if its real shitty, you can just replace the sleeve and the bad tie rod end, and leave the good one alone. May not be able to do the turns counting bit that way, but an end to end measurement on the tie rod assembly will get you plenty close enough.

[P72Ford]

You will be fine.

I changed both outer tie rod ends on my Ram over a year ago, and never had an alignment done. It doesn't pull, or wear the tires funny, in the least.

I indexed and counted the turns, and then measured when I was done. I measured by putting straight edges across the centers of the tires, and measuring the distance on the front and backsides.

[johnunit]

Thanks. That's what I was hoping to hear.

[GM_Guy]

I've always done the tape meausure alignment for mine. I have not put the Grand Marquis on an alignment rack since I got it (back in 1999. Helps when you don't run into things and avoid the big potholes).

Alex.

[86VickyLX]

I did that. It drove straight, but the wheel was turned to the left. That isn't a problem on older ones though. I think '85 and down the wheel can be removed and you can place it however you want.

[GM_Guy]

Don't do that. Your steering gear won't be centered. Odds are it is already out from previous alignments by shops.
Center your steering box (something easiest done when you have the pitman arm off for replacement. Turn the wheel stop to stop a few times counting turns (don't smash it into the stops, as they are internal to the steering box, usually when you hit a steering stop it is the spindle hitting the stop on the control arm), then half that should get you mostly in the center of the travel of the steering box. Mark the input shaft for future reference. This should correspond to the keyway for the pitman arm--if you notice things are out a hair, trust the pitman arm keyway and turn it so it is straight ahead. Reattach your pitman arm in straight ahead position. Then adjust one side out X turns to put that wheel back to straight, then adjust the other side IN the same number of X turns. Put a piece of tape on the steering wheel for its current "straight ahead", go for a test drive. You will need to determine if straight by the tape mark is actually straight down the road. If you need to steer more left to go straight, you need to point both front wheels to the right by adjusting the tie rods on each side equally (passenger wheel tie rod "out", drivers side "in" by the same number of turns). Test drive again. If your tape mark straight ahead is still straight ahead, then and only then reposition your steering wheel.

Steering boxes are not linear all the way across, there is a middle point which is "straight ahead", if you have a variable rate box, turning one way will have you in the faster segment of the box and the other side will have a dead feel before it gets to its faster ratio.

In an exagerated way, the steering gear looks like this /\/\/\/\/\--|--/\/\/\/\/\
/\/\/ = gear the balls ride in. -- = dead zone | = straight ahead.

Without the steering box centered for straight ahead you won't get smooth and equal turning action in either direction.

Alex.

Need to add: If you are checking for center of your steering box with the pitman arm attached, turn the wheel full lock (just hold it in positon, don't try to keep turning the steering wheel). Get out and look to see if the steering stop has hit the lower control arm on the side you turned towards. If it has, good. Now turn the other way. Go check the stop at the control arm there. If it is touching good, proceed as above. IF NOT, you are hitting the internal steering stop in the box. Bad. You got adjusting to do as above. If things are really bad, somebody put the pitman arm on out of phase, and went nuts adjusting everything else becuase they where too lazy to do the above.