Siezed tie rod ends

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XVar
Joined: Thu 24 Mar, 2011 17:58
Posts: 475

  Z3 roadster 2.8
Location: Derby

Siezed tie rod ends

Post by XVar »

This weekend I planned to replace the front end suspension on my Z3, including new coilovers - it hasn't exactly gone to plan though. After 2 days I've got the control arms and the struts off - this was a LOT more work than I anticipated, those 22mm nuts on the centre ball joints are a complete pain in the arse to remove. Now I need to remove the track rod ends, however they're completely seized on, the locking nuts just won't budge on either side. Does anyone have any tips on how to free them? I now realise that I should have tried to break them free before removing the rest of the suspension, but unfortunately that ship has sailed :dunce:
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1997 2.8 Z3 | Gallery Thread
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Brian H
Joined: Tue 16 Dec, 2008 19:55
Posts: 2505

  Z3 roadster 3.0i

Re: Siezed tie rod ends

Post by Brian H »

XVar,

Undo the gaiters on the steering rack and you can release the whole track rod and tie rod from there. I replaced the whole lot, alot easier than trying to release the track rod. :wink:

Brian

Edit: at the top of the picture below you can see the screwed connector that goes in to the steering rack.

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steveclews
Joined: Mon 22 Apr, 2013 06:48
Posts: 6

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: Siezed tie rod ends

Post by steveclews »

hi,i always apply a little heat via a blowlamp if pen oil has failed.
steve
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XVar
Joined: Thu 24 Mar, 2011 17:58
Posts: 475

  Z3 roadster 2.8
Location: Derby

Re: Siezed tie rod ends

Post by XVar »

Thanks for the tips, I think I'll go with replacing the entire tie rod as per Brian's suggestion though as a) I don't have a blow torch and b) they really are rusted good, probably worth replacing any way. I've read somewhere that you need a special spanner for the connection from the tie rod to the steering rack, is that correct? If so what's it called/what size is it?
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1997 2.8 Z3 | Gallery Thread
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Brian H
Joined: Tue 16 Dec, 2008 19:55
Posts: 2505

  Z3 roadster 3.0i

Re: Siezed tie rod ends

Post by Brian H »

No special tools needed, Sorry I cannot remember the size of the spanner. I think the only thing I was careful with was not to twist the arm coming out of the steering rack.

You will need a couple of suitable tie wraps for the gaiters when you put everything back together.
siwilson
Joined: Fri 19 Jun, 2009 09:54
Posts: 790

  M roadster S54
Location: Horley

Re: Siezed tie rod ends

Post by siwilson »

I have found that penetrating fluid and patience (lots of patience) are the answer to the most stubborn couplings.
2001 M roadster S54 Laguna Seca Blue
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Alfie
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Joined: Thu 29 Apr, 2004 14:28
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  M roadster S54
Location: Broadchurch....

Re: Siezed tie rod ends

Post by Alfie »

siwilson wrote:I have found that penetrating fluid and patience (lots of patience) are the answer to the most stubborn couplings.
:shock: WOW... I didn't know we were doing relationship advice on here now....!

A.
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aceman
Joined: Sun 01 Jun, 2008 11:16
Posts: 1479

  M roadster S50
Location: Wakefield

Re: Siezed tie rod ends

Post by aceman »

With regard to the inner ball joint nuts, access is alot easier from above by using extra long socket extensions or even snapping a few together to get around 1m in length. If you peer down the side of the engine from above you can clearly see the ball joint nuts and doing it this way allows you to torque them up correctly when reassembling them.

There is an old saying that "a mechanic is only as good as his tools" which are wise words you only find out about after struggling for hours doing a job that could have been done in minutes given the correct tool at hand. :D
Aceman

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XVar
Joined: Thu 24 Mar, 2011 17:58
Posts: 475

  Z3 roadster 2.8
Location: Derby

Re: Siezed tie rod ends

Post by XVar »

aceman wrote:With regard to the inner ball joint nuts, access is alot easier from above by using extra long socket extensions or even snapping a few together to get around 1m in length. If you peer down the side of the engine from above you can clearly see the ball joint nuts and doing it this way allows you to torque them up correctly when reassembling them.

There is an old saying that "a mechanic is only as good as his tools" which are wise words you only find out about after struggling for hours doing a job that could have been done in minutes given the correct tool at hand. :D
Yep definitely found that, I already had a decent socket set but there's been quite a few trips to Halfords this weekend for various tools I didn't have. 18mm deep socket, 2x 10" extension bars, 22mm spanner etc. The extension bars were for undoing the inner ball joints as you say, but on the drivers side it's obscured by an engine mount making it impossible to use a socket once the nut has undone a few mm. Cue an hour of using a 22mm spanner 1/8th of a turn at a time with an extension bar through the loop end for leverage. God I hate those nylon locking nuts, you get to the end of the thread then have to turn them about 100 times to free them. They've got a hex hole on the end for an allen key because of this, which was conveniently so rusted it was no longer hex shaped on every single one of these.
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Del
Joined: Sat 19 Nov, 2011 18:35
Posts: 2136

  Z3 roadster 1.9

Re: Siezed tie rod ends

Post by Del »

aceman wrote:With regard to the inner ball joint nuts, access is alot easier from above by using extra long socket extensions or even snapping a few together
I agree - from memory I clipped together 2 X 10 inch extensions and a flexi-joint. Undoing those two inner nuts was then the easiest part of the job. Once those nuts were off I found the inner ball joints split apart (from below) with a fork tool, much easier than the outer ball joints. In fact I think I read another old tip from Aceman (obviously a bit of a mechanical guru) that ideally the splitter tool should have long, gradual taper on the forks so that plenty of vertical (rather than lateral) force is applied to the ball joint - he was right. :P
fish
Joined: Thu 07 Feb, 2013 17:04
Posts: 177

  Z3 roadster 2.2i
Location: Sandbach, Cheshire

Re: Siezed tie rod ends

Post by fish »

Brian H wrote:XVar,

Undo the gaiters on the steering rack and you can release the whole track rod and tie rod from there. I replaced the whole lot, alot easier than trying to release the track rod. :wink:

Brian

Edit: at the top of the picture below you can see the screwed connector that goes in to the steering rack.

Image
I am just at this stage now…i.e. needing to remove arms…..does it just unscrew from the ball joint (i.e. the whole thing), or does it need a spanner to go around that big nut that goes into the power steering rack? The gap around the nut at the power steering pump end is very narrow….looks like a special tool job?
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fish
Joined: Thu 07 Feb, 2013 17:04
Posts: 177

  Z3 roadster 2.2i
Location: Sandbach, Cheshire

Re: Siezed tie rod ends

Post by fish »

Brian H wrote:XVar,

Undo the gaiters on the steering rack and you can release the whole track rod and tie rod from there. I replaced the whole lot, alot easier than trying to release the track rod. :wink:

Brian

Edit: at the top of the picture below you can see the screwed connector that goes in to the steering rack.

Image
I am just at this stage now…i.e. needing to remove arms…..does it just unscrew from the ball joint (i.e. the whole thing), or does it need a spanner to go around that big nut that goes into the power steering rack? The gap around the nut at the power steering pump end is very narrow….looks like a special tool job?
Image
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XVar
Joined: Thu 24 Mar, 2011 17:58
Posts: 475

  Z3 roadster 2.8
Location: Derby

Re: Siezed tie rod ends

Post by XVar »

You need to unscrew the big (32mm) nut at the steering rack, I just used a regular 32mm spanner - I tried a specialist thin 32mm bike spanner and it wasn't strong enough at all. It shouldn't be very difficult to undo with a 32mm spanner as it's over a foot long and provides a lot of torque. If your tie rods are anything like mine were you don't stand a chance in hell of undoing the inner to outer tie rod nuts, at least without a blow torch.
Last edited by XVar on Mon 24 Feb, 2014 19:53, edited 1 time in total.
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1997 2.8 Z3 | Gallery Thread
Kornknarr
Joined: Fri 05 Aug, 2011 19:07
Posts: 169

  M roadster S50
Location: Uppsala, Sweden
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Re: Siezed tie rod ends

Post by Kornknarr »

You don't need a blow torch. I used one of those nifty little things that you buy to caramelize the top of your Crème Brûlée... It did the job. :P
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fish
Joined: Thu 07 Feb, 2013 17:04
Posts: 177

  Z3 roadster 2.2i
Location: Sandbach, Cheshire

Re: Siezed tie rod ends

Post by fish »

fish wrote:
Brian H wrote:XVar,

Undo the gaiters on the steering rack and you can release the whole track rod and tie rod from there. I replaced the whole lot, alot easier than trying to release the track rod. :wink:

Brian

Edit: at the top of the picture below you can see the screwed connector that goes in to the steering rack.

Image
I am just at this stage now…i.e. needing to remove arms…..does it just unscrew from the ball joint (i.e. the whole thing), or does it need a spanner to go around that big nut that goes into the power steering rack? The gap around the nut at the power steering pump end is very narrow….looks like a special tool job?
:head: Ok, flapjack of the day award goes to me…

1) you cant spin the track rod cos its on a ball joint
2) The gap was narrow as I had not moved the steering accross…

Easily got on a 32mm spanner. Then put bags over the end and taped them over to keep dirt out…..so easy compared to undoing the adjustment nuts... :P
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fish
Joined: Thu 07 Feb, 2013 17:04
Posts: 177

  Z3 roadster 2.2i
Location: Sandbach, Cheshire

Re: Siezed tie rod ends

Post by fish »

fish wrote:
fish wrote:
Brian H wrote:XVar,

Undo the gaiters on the steering rack and you can release the whole track rod and tie rod from there. I replaced the whole lot, alot easier than trying to release the track rod. :wink:

Brian

Edit: at the top of the picture below you can see the screwed connector that goes in to the steering rack.

Image
I am just at this stage now…i.e. needing to remove arms…..does it just unscrew from the ball joint (i.e. the whole thing), or does it need a spanner to go around that big nut that goes into the power steering rack? The gap around the nut at the power steering pump end is very narrow….looks like a special tool job?
:head: Ok, flapjack of the day award goes to me…

1) you cant spin the track rod cos its on a ball joint
2) The gap was narrow as I had not moved the steering accross…

Easily got on a 32mm spanner. Then put bags over the end and taped them over to keep dirt out…..so easy compared to undoing the adjustment nuts... :P


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