*PLEASE READ THIS COMMENT AND THE VIDEO DESCRIPTION FOR HELPFUL INFORMATION* In the video you'll see the old inner tie rod joints move much more freely than the new joints. However, there was no actual play in the joints. We don't feel free movement in the joint is a sign that it's bad. If there was actual play in the ball and socket, that would then be an indicator the joint is bad and needs replacing. Replacement OEM inner tie rods are very expensive so I wouldn't suggest replacing these just for the hell of it. **Update 10/14/18 - A subscriber reported you can rent the specialty inner tie rod tool set from Auto Zone for free. Just like most automotive stores that rent tools, you leave them a deposit and you get your deposit back when you return the tool.
Hi Timmy,I didn't feel any in or out play on my inner tie rods either,but I change them any ways and guess what..it actually reduced my steering wheel shaking about 90% at 60+ mph. thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Any tips on loosening up the jack nut on the tierod? Went in for an alignment after having to replace the passenger outer tierod because lower ball joint bolt/tie rod wouldn’t come off. So instead had to break free the OTE and LBJ altogether. Now the tech can’t get the driver side outer tierod jacknut for an alignment because it is seized/frozen or rusted. (Sprayed PB blaster already)
@@RoNBEE1 Get a butane torch and heat up the nut and use more penetrant. I'm not familiar with the term "Jacknut" but I assume you're talking about the lock nut for the outer tie rod. Or, you can tell the alignment tech to throw his purse at it.
@@TimmyTheToolman yeah lock nut lol. The tech was a big dude and it wouldn’t budge. Lol. I’ll try the butane torch approach (they aren’t allowed to use fire)
Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your videos. My son bought a 98 SR5 4runner 4x4 several years ago, and we have done a ton of upgrades and repairs using your videos. His younger sister loves his rig and just bought a 2000 Tacoma SR5 4x4 that we drove 10 hours to Billings, MT to get. Right now, in my two car garage and shop, the two rigs are sitting side by side, and without all your videos, we probably wouldn't be doing all of the repairs ourselves. The 4runner is getting a new radiator and a transmission fluid flush. An ECG bushing, two new CV axles and seals. The Tacoma is getting a new E-locker rear axle with all the wiring needed, new leaf springs, Bilstein shocks front and back, a new CV axle, and seals. Sway bar end links, lower ball joints, and the inner and outer tie rods. I have parts for valve cover gaskets and the "aircabinman" kit for the timing belt, etc. that should have the Tacoma good to go for quite a while. Fun stuff for a newly retired guy.
Hey Victor, that's great to hear you're turning wrenches with your son and daughter and using my videos. Thanks for commenting and sharing this with us. I'm close to retirement myself but I'm going to keep making videos. Happy Wrenching!
The brand "Sankei 555" is an OEM manufacturer of Toyota parts. They are made in Japan and super-high quality. They are more economical than OEM parts as well when sold under their in-house name. They are easy to find via Google. I bought a Maddox Inner Tie Rod service tool kit from Harbor Freight Tools for $59.99. It includes the 42mm claw for Toyota Steering Racks like on the 3rd Gen 4Runner. Thanks for the excellent videos Timmy. I own a 2000 4Runner SR5 with a Manual transmission and Federal emissions (1 Catalytic Converter). It's a unicorn, and I'm keeping it going by watching your videos. I parked it in 2017 because it needed a lot of parts replaced and I couldn't afford to do it. I've always wrenched on my own vehicles, but life happens sometimes. I've owned it since December 2001 when it had 24K miles on it. It's got 222,400 miles on it now. It's been lifted most of its life. I have Bilstein 5100/Tundra TRD springs on the front, OME 891/60027 on the rear. Since the beginning of June, 2022 I've replaced: Rear worn out Downey Off-Road springs with OME 891 - OME 60027 rear shocks are still good Rear Lower Control Arms with SPC Performance heavy duty rear LCA - Part #25945 Rear sway bar bushings and end links. Energy Suspension bushings Front CV axles - Trakmotive "Xtended Travel" Part # TO-8043 Front Sway bar bushings and end links - ES bushings Front Steering Rack bushings - Whiteline Front Lower Ball Joints - Sankei 555 Front Upper Control Arms - JBA - Thanks for the install video on those! I just pulled the front lower control arms today and I'm going to install the Whiteline LCA bushings - Thanks again for your video! I ordered Sankei 555 inner and outer tie rods and will be replacing those as well - Thanks for this video! You guys do a great job. There is a bigger aftermarket parts industry for these 3rd Gen 4Runners than when I was regularly driving it. I didn't see some stuff that appeared during the 2015-2017 timeframe when I knew it needed some TLC. I'm glad the parts and support are there now.
This guy got me through my balljoints today. While I was doing it the tie rod would not let me finish. Thanks Tim you really put out solid advice for us little guys.
We're glad you think so. Thanks for the compliment. We're all about empowering people to do their own work and that's why we put in the extra time to deliver very detailed videos to our viewers. Happy Wrenching!
Thank you so much! To anybody reading this, I would highly recommend NOT keeping the castle nut on when using the ball joint separator like Tim has. I kept the castle nut on to stop the tie rod from flying off when separating and the nut hit the ball joint so hard it mangle the threads on both the tie rod and nut. Original ball joints on 280k so there was a ton of pressure. Had to replace both tie rod and castle nut. Hope this helps and thanks again for the video!
It's twice now that your detailed instructive videos have enabled me to do a job that otherwise would have cost me a small fortune. Thank you very, very much!
Dude that’s HUGE! We are stoked you took the time to comment and share your success with us. That’s the whole reason we are here and we love hearing from our subscribers’! - Sean
Tim, besides being a great mechanic and thinker you’re surely so honest and humble and that is very rare nowadays. I and obviously thousands of other people around the world appreciate what you’re doing for us and for who you are. You’re a great guy and we are lucky to have you. Pls keep it up… Many Tnx from othe other side of the pond!
Thanks for the very nice compliment. I truly appreciate it! I'm very honest with my abilities and I think I have a decent mechanical aptitude. Where I do think I shine is with my willingness to do the necessary research to be successful and then the balls to just go for it. What most don't know about Sean and I, is the videos we make are for the most part us doing the job for the very 1st time. So, we are literally learning and teaching at the same time. I also think I have an above average ability to deliver the subject matter in a clear and organized way so the viewer can follow along without getting lost and thus be successful with the job. Sean possesses all these skills too. He actually has a very sharp mechanical and problem solving mind. Quite often when we hit a stumbling block, Sean comes up with the solution before I do. Again, thank you so much for the kind words. I thrive on people like yourself who take the time to comment. Happy Wrenching!
You're very welcome Louie. Great to hear our videos are saving you time and money. We appreciate you taking the time to comment to share your success stories with us. Happy Wrenching!
After watching your video about replacing the lower ball joints i decided to do the same to my 1st gen Tacoma for peace of mind. It went well until I tried to attach the outer tie rods and discovered that they were shot. After watching this video you made me realize that i could replace them myself. Thanks to your hard work on these videos folks like me that are not mechanically inclined have a chance at doing this. I'm guessing i'm saving money but i know that all of those bolts are the correct torque and all of the proper steps have been taken. Keep filming brother.
It’s comment like these Barry Morton, that reaffirms our efforts & makes us stoked to hear you were successful in your DIY service to your truck. We agree that knowing your bolts are properly torqued is an added bonus considering you know it’s getting done right & you’re saving money at the same time.
@sleepyduck We'll take that as a compliment. You'll find most of our tutorials are steeped in detail, with the reason being that we want people to be successful. Thanks for the comment. Happy Wrenching.
Tim is the man , since we are stuck home I’ve been doing some maintenance on my Tacoma , you have a video for everything ! followed your steps and replaced my inner and outer tie rods today
Just took off my tie rod ends inner and outer and found they were severely worn and the right side inner was actually bent about 10 degrees. Thanks for the video, step by step was spot on. I’m waiting on my kit and a set of rotors and pads. You guys are awesome. Not too bad for a firefighter.
Well Timmy, you just saved me another $100, and got me some free wrenches to boot. I just replaced the inner and outer tie rods and boot on the driver side of my 98' 4Runner, and it all went as expected, just as seen in your video. I spent some time grinding my wrench down in advance, and it fit perfectly. So, all in all... $250 for inner/outer tie rods and a boot. Awesome! Oh, and if it helps anyone else, I have found really good prices on genuine Toyota parts online from McGeorge Toyota out of Virginia. Thanks again, Brent
I've looked at several videos on these Toyota Tundra tie rod ends. Yours is the best I've seen. The inner tie rod end tube type tools with the crows feet usually won't work for this 42mm inner tie rod end. It looks like Toyota upgraded the inner tie rod end and the tool isn't deep enough to latch onto the crows foot. I wasn't aware of the thinner crescent wrenches, so you helped me there. Most of the videos they are spinning the inner tie rod end off without holding the shaft. I also wasn't aware of the 2 different ftlb settings for the inner tie rod end but was very satisfied with your technique and plan to do mine the same.
Look through the comments. There's some guys who have found some more affordable options for slim wrenches to get the inner tie rods off. Thanks for the compliment. I hope the job goes smooth for you.
Just a note from a lifelong bicycle shop mechanic (nice bike stand btw): Park Tool makes a 30mm headset wrench that is flat enough for those tie rods. Think they're about $20. Beer goes a long way at local bike shops too. 🙂
You know what's funny is I own those wrenches. I just forgot that I have them because who works on old school headsets anymore. I have a few bikes with old school headsets still but I haven't worked on them in ages.
@@verissimus45 Good to hear. Thanks for taking the time to comment. I've been working on my own bicycles for 30+ years. I built all my race bicycles and many times laced up my own wheels too. I've got some old cruisers too, the oldest being from 1934, and those are fun to work on too.
@@TimmyTheToolman That's awesome! Hang on to that 1934 for sure! I'm the wheel builder and bike restoration guy at our shop, although these days I don't have too many people asking me to lace wheels. Love working on vehicles too, but bicycles have always been my passion.
@@verissimus45 Yeah, nobody really laces up wheels anymore unless they're old school like you and I. Everyone buys pre-built wheels and carbon is king. I still lace up aluminum rims and it's good enough for me.
just done that job and i took a pipe wrench to remove the inner ti rod wile holding the steering shaft with a 30mm wrench and it went super smooth and also tight the new one with it too no damage at all so yeah thanks for you video guys cheers !!🤘
**Update 10/14/18 - A subscriber reported you can rent the specialty inner tie rod tool set from Auto Zone for free. Just like most automotive stores that rent tools, you leave them a deposit and you get your deposit back when you return the tool.
And O'reilly! Their kit is standard but it includes a 1 and 3/16 (30mm) and a 42mm wrench in it. I''ll be doing this job this weekend. After getting and doing F and R suspension, steering rack bushings, swarbar bushings, I went in for an alignment on to discover these were also shot (should've realized while doing all that other work!)
Another option is a bike headset and bottom bracket tool ($20). Park Tool makes several - some are combo's - I used my 30mm/32mm today on my '05 Sequoia - hadn't busted out an old school headset tool in years but it was the perfect thing! They are pretty much only about 5mm thick - there are others but mine happens to be a Park, Pedro's and others are also fine. HCW-7 Headset Wrench: 30.0mm and 32.0mm www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-HCW-7-Headset-Wrench/dp/B0012Q4EH6/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Park+Tool+HCW-7+Headset+Wrench%3A+30.0mm+and+32.0mm&qid=1598063280&sr=8-1
Yes this is a great option. I just ‘rented’ a slide hammer tool this last weekend. You buy the whole tool $170 for this case and then you use it for up to 45 days and then return it for a full refund. That was at advance auto. I know they sell tie rod tool as well but I’ll be doing next weekend. Thanks for the great video!
Timmy, I literally just came across your channel about an hour ago and have learned more from all of your little details and sidemodes than I have from any other source. I recently changed both inner and outer tie rods on my 2018 4runner and really wished I would have come across the above video beforehand. I used the mentioned Lisle 54500 Large Inner Tie Rod Tool but found it somewhat difficult to get a good grip as the tool didn't fit all that well in the tight space given. I was able to use the Lisle tool to loosen the inner tie rods on both sides of the truck without too much effort, I'm supposing because the truck is only 3 years old, but the previous owner had taken the truck off-roading (evident by the 20lbs of mud and silt packed between the skid plates and undercarriage that neither the previous owner or dealer I purchased from cleaned off the truck, until I made them). My reasoning for replacing both inner and outer tie rods is that the steering had always felt somewhat sloppy and since the truck had been off-road, I did not trust that the previous owner did not cause damage to the steering, as he did bang up the front skid plate and the skid plate over the gas tank also has a large dent in it (most likely caused by large boulder rocks) Anyway, I found that the inner tie rods did have some play to them, once I got them off and the outer tie rod boots were both squeezed and seemed to be starting to leak grease. After replacing both inner and outer tie rods with factory replacements and having the truck aligned, I seem to continue experiencing a slight noise (similar to metal tapping metal) when turning the steering wheel either left or right while parked or moving at slow speeds or fully hitting the brakes at slower speeds. Two quick questions... 1. Any idea what this might be? I'm wondering if I might not have fully tightened the inner tie rods properly or could it be damage caused to the steering rack/steering rack shaft? Seems the 5th generation 4runner also does not have any washers between the inner rods and steering shaft, like the one's in your above video. 2. How can some of us DIY'ers get our hands on a Toyota Factory Service Manual for a newer 5th generation model or are all 5th generation model manuals the same ( meaning a 2012 manual pretty much applies to a 2018 since not much has changed) Thanks again so much for doing what you do and helping all us in the process!!! Looking forward to your continued videos and also going through your library of previous videos!!!!
That noise could possibly be coming from the front sway bar. Take a look at the brackets and the end links and see that the bushings are good and the fasteners are tight. You can't buy the physical Toyota factory service manuals for newer Toyotas but you can access information online via the Toyota Tech Info system. You can pay a fee and access the information. I usually pay $20 for a 2-day description and download the info I require. techinfo.toyota.com At the bottom of that page you can click on a link that describes the minimum system requirements. You basically need a PC computer operating Windows 7 or 8. I bought a used Dell laptop from an Ebay seller just so I could access the Tech Info website. You're very welcome. Great to hear our videos are helping you out. Happy Wrenching!
We're happy to know you appreciate the level of detail and instruction our videos provide. This is what separates us from most DIY Automotive channels. We don't have plans of stopping any time soon. Happy Wrenching!
Thank You Timmy ! The whole process was easier with your detail explanation... far away from bla... bla... those details gave me confidence on what I was doing was done in the proper way. Thanks again.
You're welcome and it's great to hear the level of detail we offer in this video gave you confidence to get this job done right. We appreciate you taking the time to comment. Happy Wrenching!
Excellent video and very helpful. I've just done this replacement on my Landcruiser in the UK. One thing that always amuses me with these videos however is the ease that you remove the old split pin, mine had 22 years worth of rust so I ended up breaking the old one off flush and shearing the rest off with a spanner as I undid the nut, the thread was FUBAR anyway and I was replacing the trackrod end at the same time. Thanks for the videos though. Tim Falce UK
Glad you found our video helpful. Yeah, I've had one cotter pin do what you said and that was on a guys truck who lives near the coast and it was rusted in there. Happy Wrenching my UK Brother! My last name is Watson by the way. My dad's family came from England.
I can’t thank you enough fr all your videos. It really helps for beginner DIYer like me. The way you explain the steps and having all the parts information. Thank you so much.
You're very welcome. Glad you appreciate the detail and information we offer in our videos. We gear our videos to the absolute beginner so everyone can be successful using our videos. We sometimes get criticized for the level of detail we offer, but those people are in the severe minority. Happy Wrenching!
WOW U R AMAZING! You explain everything, absolutely got what I needed to know from this video! Hope you have videos for every mechanical work I end up doing in the future! 😊
@dezerahusted1882 Sean and I pride ourselves in giving people the level of detail they need to be successful performing a job. It's what separates us from most DIY Automotive Channels. We appreciate your compliment of our work. Happy Wrenching!
I have to service the right inner rod end on my rig. There is a tool Harbor Freight makes for this job, I used on my older Forester, had to modify it a bit but it worked great, even allowing you to torque the rod end to service specs. Great video as always!
[Reference 13:00 to 17:43] Or you can take a look at how the TRQ mechanic does it because most likely you have the tools you need if you follow a slightly different different "order of operation". But you're doing good I'm still learning from you. Please continue.
Just got done with this job on my 03 Tacoma and thought I would add some info that I found to be very helpful. When it comes to breaking loose the inner tie rods from the steering rack it requires you to hold the steering rack with a 30 mm the problem is a regular 30 mm wrench is too wide to fit on there and then get another wrench on the inner tire rod. Watch the video if you’re not sure what I’m talking about. After going over some of the options that Tim suggested I ran a cross what are called service wrenches. Tim I think somebody else may have mentioned this already to you as something that you may have used working on bikes. Anyway I found that you can buy a 30 mm service wrench online for pretty cheap or you can go the route I did and buy a service wrench set from Harbor freight. I only really needed the 30 mm but thought it was worthwhile buying it in case I come across some other jobs were the other sizes would come in handy. Overall it saved me money from buying a special narrow jaw adjustable wrench or taking the time and hassle to grind down a regular 30 mm wrench. I just use the 30 MM service wrench to hold the steering rack and a pipe wrench on the inner tie rod made it easy. Also wanted to add a suggestion to those that will be replacing their inner and outer tie rods with all new parts. If you find that the jam/set nut on your outer tire rod is fighting you you can try soaking it in PB blaster heating it up and fighting with it or you can just say the hell with it and take the Inner and outer tie rods out in one piece disconnecting it from the steering rack. Unless you’re planning on reusing your inner tie rods why sit there for possibly hours and fight the damn thing I have seen those things get so rusted on and corroded that hours of penetrating oil and heat and big ass long gear wrenches weren’t even enough to break them loose. Again this is if you plan on Using new parts but I have found that it has saved me a lot of frustration and time and makes job go a lot faster.
hey yall i was able to find 2 Hart brand 12” adjustable wrenches with the super thin end for $20 each at walmart. worked great and i was able to complete the job. steering feels awesome! Thanks Tim! :):):)
Thanks for that.. really like you talk with too much detail. Sometimes it saves you hours of work until knowing such details. Or figure out what is going on or what went wrong Thanks again and wish you the best
Glad you like our style. We would much rather give people too much information than not enough. If the information is too much, people can just fast forward to the part they need clarification on. If there's too little information, we run the risk of leaving people lost on how to successfully finish the job. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Happy Wrenching!
@@TimmyTheToolman Sure agree with you. Especially for DIYs for the first time they can find these details are very much helpful. On the other hand, the more advanced DIYs can skip some as you said. Please don't be intimidated with someone tells you.. oh this is not important to know or that is very easy obvious or so. I speak for myself and consider myself more advanced DIY but also got so much out of your videos. Thanks so much
Thanks! We appreciate the nice compliment. We're glad you found the video informative. Some of these jobs we perform do take a lot of work and a lot of tools to accomplish but we always feel really good when we're done because we learned something, we saved ourselves or somebody else a lot of money and we get a great sense of accomplishment of being successful with the job. It's a WIN on many levels. Happy Wrenching!
I did this job a year or so ago. And of course I ran into the same headache with the wrenches. I ended up grinding down some cheap adjustable wrench. Thankfully I live near a harbor freight. Now, whenever I see that wrench I think about that awkward/frustrating job. Good video Timmy.
Thanks Donovan. Yeah, this job threw me for a loop. I didn't like giving up on this one the first time I was trying to film this job with Tony, but I also wanted to show a way to do it without resorting to grinding down my wrenches and/or resorting to the pipe wrench. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Happy Wrenching!
Would there ever be a situation where the replacement tie rod has a different number of threads and your marking becomes irrelevant (and you’re screwed)? Great job on this video! It’s more comprehensive than many of the other “how to” videos.
Well, you could just take some basic measurements if that's the case and get the new tie rod close to where the other one was. Regardless though, an alignment is suggested after this type of work. You can get it very close and maybe even perfect but you won't know for sure until you get it on an alignment rack at a shop. If money is very tight for someone, I can see them rolling the dice and forgoing an alignment. But, an alignment that is off can cause uneven tire wear and the money saved on the alignment is lost when you have to replace a set of tires sooner than would have been necessary if the alignment was perfect.
@@TimmyTheToolman havent done a lot of front end work. but spent years working as a machinist, the number of threads showing technicaly is irvralent its the length of the tie rod . in a perfect world the alighnment will be perfect by counting exposed thread. but if for some reason (or no reason ) the factory or aftermarket manufacture threaded the rod a few more or less threads it would throw toe in off. I wouldnt expect them to place a lot of emphasis on this aspect of manufacture as it only matters if someone isnt alighning after words Wondering how often this happens? I would think setting toe in is crucial to knowing its right other wise just a guess
@@jeffreyplumber1975 Well, if you're counting threads from the tie rod end, it should be pretty spot on. I would imagine they are machined very similarly. Counting the threads and making match marks gets you very close so you're not driving a rig with the toe way out before you can make it to an alignment shop. Only an alignment shop can get it perfect.
Very professional explanation. These tricks help to expand my vision and give me serenity when replacing parts in my vehicles. Thanks a ton for sharing your wisdom and experience.
Better than even watching South Park too? Now that's a compliment because they are very educational and funny. But in all seriousness, I appreciate the compliment of our channel. Thanks!
I will need to do my outer tie rods. While changing my LBJ, I damaged one of the tie rod boots. Maybe I can just replace the boots but your videos are super helpful. Thank you for recording them.
I don't know if you can buy just a boot for the outer tie rod. You'd have to go to your local Toyota Dealer parts department and ask. I'm guessing they don't.
I used a Harbor Freight #63705 ($36.99) to remove a VW inner tie rod. It has the crow's foot and long rod style Tim was talking about. Looks like the Lisle #LIS46800 ($87.24). I also made a video about the Harbor Freight tool I am mentioning. Hope this helps! Thank you Tim for making this video. I bought a 98 4Runner 4x4 from North Carolina w 231K miles. I have play in the steering wheel 1" side to side. At >68- 70 mph I have a wheel shake! I went out today to check my outer tie rods and they have "twist" play. No clunk but as you know joints should be tight/firm. If the outer moves the inner tie rod must be loose as well just like your video. I am going to replace them both. I'll find the right wrenches to grind down first then the tie rods!!
Hey Frank, thanks for sharing this. I looked at the description for the Harbor Freight tool you linked and it does not come with a 42mm adapter that would work for 3rd Gen 4runners. I wonder if it's possible to buy the 42mm adapter for this kit?
@@TimmyTheToolman Wow. It worked for the VW but looking at the website it states the biggest is 33.6. Oh well, guess wrenches will have to do. On Ebay now looking for the best OEM tie rod prices. lol
Thank you for sharing that counter-holding the non-rotating steering shaft (the one that slides) with a suitable tool while you twist off (or on) the inner tie rod. You are absolutely correct. It may sound like common sense, but i believe i did not counter hold the inner shaft while removing the inner tie rod, on my VW, with the harbor freight tool (long ass socket like 16 inches long).
I honestly don't know how crucial it is to hold the steering shaft when breaking free and tightening the inner tie rod, but that's what it showed in the Toyota factory service manual.
@@TimmyTheToolman I don’t know either however, like you said, if there’s a slot to fit a wrench, then I will put one. Just in case. Haven’t done it yet in 4runner.
Ah! I did mine right around the same time you must’ve done this one. I got stuck with one inner fused to an outer and then one inner fused to the rack. Ended up just needing a bit more coaxing from a pipe wrench and a dead blow for the inner attached to the rack. I wish I’d known you could reuse the larger boot clamps, they’re a pain to try and find, so for now I’ve just got a large zip tie on it which is what I see most aftermarket reboot kits coming with. Also that ball joint puller makes things SO easy! Tried a pickle fork and failed miserably. The puller I added to my toolset.
Hey Rory, well, you got it done and that's what counts. This job did throw me for a loop due to the need for specialty or altered wrenches. Next time you have something really stuck, apply some heat with a small butane torch. I've found a little heat helps a lot for stuck fasteners. We provide the part number for those inner clamps in the video description if you wanted to order a set. Pullers are definitely the way to go. The Big F'ing Hammer or Pickle Fork are not techniques I subscribe to.
Great vid as always, I'd would appreciate you showing a few ways to check the outer tie rods and maybe compare the old inner tie rods with the new ones Btw. I'm on my first year of mechanic school And I like playing your videos for the class, even tho they don't speak English Also nice t shirt
Thanks Hugo. Glad you like the video and even cooler you share my videos at your mechanic school. To check a tie rod to see if it's still good is basically checking for any joint play. Sometimes you can do that my simply grabbing onto the tie rod and push and pull on it trying to detect play. Another way is to use the tire as leverage and push and pull on the tire with one hand while having the other hand on the joint trying to detect if there's any play in the joint.
Great video! Looks like you wrestled the bear on that one. I found at the end of the day when I just did my Seqouia (very similar rack), it was easier and cost effective($229) to replace the whole rack time wise. I also used 555 ($35/ea japan brand) greaseable tie rod ends and a new rack from BuyAutoParts. The new aftermarket rack was EXACTLY the same with the same case markings,good reviews and everything. Super satisfied with it. I have not had to do my 01 4Runner yet. Just the poly bushings on the rack. The rack for the 4Runner is $170 delivered from them also. I would probably go the same route again. Alignment was about $70.
Glad you like the video. It's great that you've had good luck with your aftermarket steering rack but others haven't been so lucky. I've seen enough bad reports on aftermarket steering racks to "steer me clear of them", pun intended. I'm also leery of using aftermarket tie rods. I guess I'm one of those purest who likes to use mostly only OEM Toyota parts when it comes to steering components. So far, the only aftermarket steering component I've used is poly steering rack bushings which seems to be a nice upgrade over OEM.
I'll report back in a year. The wife hits every pothole and small animal she can get to. It literately had the same manufacturer marks and everything as the toyota one that came off. It was tough to do the $700 for the OE when this had a ton of great reviews.
kapple17 i did the same, bit on a 90 series Landcruiser Prado. I like to use genuine Toyota parts but the PS rack is super expensive, replaced the genuine with a complete aftermarket over a year ago no issues.
my 98runner with 150k has drooping/sag and my mechanic said that it was loose but probably safe. I just purchased new lower ball joints oem from ebay bc i dont want to risk my wheel falling off like i have seen in some videos. Would you recommend replacing lower/outer tie rods and control arms as well when replacing ball joints? my front tie rods look very rusty and I hear an odd noise sometimes when my steering is alll the way to the left when leaving a parking spot. I am having my mechanic do the work so I figure I could save some on labor costs to replace all these parts at the same time. thanks agin for your help and great content - has helped me a ton in learning and restoring my 4runner. god bless
A reason to replace tie rods is if there's detectable play in the joint. Control arms only need to be replaced if they are rusted out. Shops suggest replacing the whole control arm to their customers, because they know their high labor rates will make just replacing the bushings not cost effective. It's also an easier money-maker for them to replace the whole arms. If you have the space and time, I suggest getting into doing your own work. You'll save tons of money and learn a new skill. We have videos galore to help you out. Good luck!
Timmy, I was so hopeful this morning because I was going to be changing the lower balljoints and outer tie rod ends because both were loose and one boot was cracked. The drivers side outer tie rod absolutely refuses to come loose from the inner tie rod end. We used adjustable wrenches, PB Blaster, heat, and a pipe wrench to no avail. I had to stop attempting to take it off because I was afraid I was going to damage my steering rack. Now my option as I see it is to try and remove the inner tie rod while still attached to the outer tie rod end. I am ready to push this hope smasher off a cliff and hope it explodes. I don't think I've ever had this much trouble working on a car ever. Talk me off the ledge of mysteriously having a Tacoma in my driveway that catches on fire while I "sleep".
Unfortunately, there are days of wrenching like this for all of us. We get seriously frustrated. We cuss, maybe throw things, and then we walk away losing the battle but planning on coming back the next day to win the war. You will succeed. Use more heat and penetrant and you'll eventually get that MoFo off.
Scrolling through the comments I was thinking I would run into somebody that has had this issue as well before. If I’m understanding this right in this situation the inner tie rod would not screw out from the outer tie rod likely because of a rusted on jam/set nut. I’ve run into this before and thought well if I can break loose the inner tire rod from the steering rack why not just do that and take it all out in one piece. The inner tie rod still connected to the outer tie rod. In my experience this has saved me a lot of time and frustration trying different methods to finally get that set nut to break loose. In my situation I had bought new inner and outer tie rods so I just used them. But with the inner and outer tie rods removed in one piece this would allow you to put it in a bench vise and put a lot more force/torque on that nut to break it loose without risking damaging your steering rack. Curious if others have done it this way. Like I said when I did this job I had bought new parts so I didn’t plan on reusing anything but if that jam/set not gave me any grief I didn’t even bother messing with it I just went directly to breaking loose the inner tire rod from steering rack and called it good.
I used a pipe wrench before seeing this part of the video. Worked fine. Din't need any wrench on the steering rack. Used it by itself to get the new 555 rod back on.
@@Yourrealdad28 Well, I have a suspicion you're probably fine because lots of guys end up doing it the way you did. For us making videos, we want to show the most correct way to perform a job and that usually means following what the factory service manual suggests we do. I wouldn't worry about it. Happy Wrenching!
Timmy The Toolman yeah I watched some other video and they didn’t show that. Got to yours just a little too late. Been using your other videos as I am basically taking apart the whole steering system. Great stuff and I really appreciate the videos. Thank you
I had good luck with "Cal-Van Tools 946 Low Profile Inner Tie Rod Tool" from Amazon ($12) on my 2000 Tundra, it would probably work on 4runner as well. With that you can use a ratchet or even an impact on the inner tie rod. You can also use a torque wrench when reinstalling.
Leave it to the elders... took a chunk of scrap 1/4" steel and cut a notch out matching the rack size, filed it to fit and rounded off the grip end... tada, poor man's rack wrench. Fit like a snug glove. Probably could have done the same for the rod and side, and I guess if you were committed you could even make a half inch drive hole and make a poor man's Crow-foot. Pipe wrench won in the end. Love all these vids Timmy, it's like an encyclopedia rabbit hole lol
Thank you for your excellent videos - real confidence boosters! I chose to buy a 30mm open-end spanner and a cheap 42mm crow foot (£8 on eBay) I ground large chamfers on the crow foot to make it fit the narrow flats of the inner tie rod. Thanks again.
I have a 5th gen 4runner, two independent shops have diagnosed it with a bad right front inner tie rod end. The stupid toyota dealership refuses to admit anything is wrong. trying another toyota dealership soon. Hopefully they fix it otherwise I'll be doing it myself. thanks for the video.
I am prepping to work on my Kia rack. Just about every video I see them greasing the piston shaft. I assumed there is hydraulic fluid inside the rack behind the seals. I understand the inner tie rod ball needs lube but does the piston shaft? I am looking at this like any hydraulic jack or piston. I noticed you did not grease your piston shaft when you replaced the boot. Thanks
@DRDROP-fj4bo Yeah, there's no need to grease the shaft because, like you said, the shaft is lubricated with power steering fluid, which, on a Toyota, is ATF
If there's no detectable play in the joint, it's my opinion they don't need to be replaced. Tony wanted to replace them so we did, but I'm of the opinion that he replaced parts that didn't need to be replaced.
Hey Tim, great video's as usual. Quick question, I'm planning on doing inner and outer tie rod ends and lower ball joints this weekend will I still need to get the tie rod end puller or with having the ball joints loose will i be able to slide it off without? Just wanting to make sure I get all of my eggs in one basket.
Great Tutorial! I have a question and wanted your advise on that. I have 2011 Sienna when I removed inner Tie rod I found there were no tabs on the Pinion rack and not sure how i should use my Claw washer since there are no tabs . Would it be a compromise to not to use claw washer?
@@TimmyTheToolman Greatly appreciated for your swift response. I noticed there is one O ring but it is on the rack and not sure what is the purpose of that. May be that is for rubber boat . Not sure . Another thing do you remember any brand of steering rack that doesn’t have notch. I never saw one . Pls advise . Thanks
@@gemale I don't have that much experience with steering racks. I've taken them off a few different Toyota models, but this is the only one I ever swapped out inner tie rods on.
Great explanation on how to professionally replace tie rods! I recently replaced my tie rod ends on my 2002 4Runner (using OEM parts). When tightening the passenger side tie rod castle nut I noticed that the grease was seeping out and the stud (which the castle nut goes onto) seemed to be pulled too far through the knuckle. I stopped tightening before reaching 67 ft-lbs. If there is any explanation to this that would be great! Thank you. Did I do something incorrectly or could the part be defective?
Thanks Ben. We appreciate the compliment. Maybe the tie rod was filled with too much grease. Maybe the taper of the tie rod was a machined a bit too skinny allowing it to sink deeper into the lower balljoint connection. If you got it pretty tight and the castle nut can be properly backed up with a cotter pin, you're probably ok. If the shaft of the tie rod sunk so deeply that you can't install a cotter pin through the castle nut, that's not good. I would return the tie rod and get a replacement.
@@TimmyTheToolman It turned out that the dealer gave me the wrong lower ball joint and the tapered hole for the tie rod end was too big. This didn't occur to me until I had damaged the tie rod boot by being able to over tighten it due to the larger hole. Someone at the dealer had placed the lower ball joint in the incorrectly labeled bag. Thankfully they replaced the tie rod and ball joint free of charge. Having solved that issue I have moved on to addressing oil leaks. I am currently working on my oil cooler gasket and couldn't find a video of yours for the job. Maybe it could be a future video. Thanks for the previous reply and all of your great videos!
@@benhall8681 Hey Ben, good to hear you got it figured out and the dealer made it right. I've actually replaced the oil cooler seal on a friend's rig but we didn't film it. You can get an idea of how to do it from our 3.4 Swap video series. Start watching this video at the 9 minute and 10 second time stamp: ua-cam.com/video/AvHvk9N-hTA/v-deo.html to see how to get the oil cooler off. Start watching this video at the 30 minute and 30 second time stamp: ua-cam.com/video/_G_zqDC9kFM/v-deo.html to see how to get the oil cooler back on with a new gasket. When doing this job with the engine still in the engine compartment, you'll want to get the alternator out of the way if you plan on replacing the oil cooler hoses as well. You can see how to do that in this video: ua-cam.com/video/71_kBhg6_-A/v-deo.html. Getting the alternator out of the way will give you access to the cooler hose connection at the side of the water pump. If you don't plan on replacing the hoses, you won't have to remove the alternator. You'll want to do most of the work through the driver side wheel well. This means you'll have to disconnect those rubber and plastic mud flaps so you can see the engine through the wheel well. You'll most likely break some of the clips but you can buy replacements at Toyota if you want to get the mud flaps back on securely. This is the best I can do for you. Hope it helps.
Hey James, glad you like the video. A creak from a tie rod? Maybe. I think you should get under the rig and have somebody turning the wheels back and forth lock to lock and see if you can pinpoint the source of the noise. Just choose someone you trust that won't run you over. ;-)
Hey Seydzh, this was the first job that I just decided to quit on because I was stumped on how to get the inner tie rod off properly. Even if I did have a bench grinder, I didn't really want to grind down either my new 30mm Gear Wrench open end wrench or do the same to a crescent wrench. I also wanted to avoid showing the use of a pipe wrench for this job even though I recommend it as an option if money is tight, because I know I would have received a lot of crap about it from people, especially the UA-cam trolls who love to point out when they believe you're techniques are wrong.
I used the 12" Cobra Pliers from Knipex and the jaws are nice and narrow, it is basically a better gripping pipe wrench generally used for gripping objects without flat surfaces like pipes, but it is also 50$ just for those pliers. They come in handy from time to time on stubborn items.
Nobody does Toyota repair better than Timmy! Every time I’m working on my tacquito I always remember when Tim said “you can do a lot with 4 inches; I do everyday” 🤩
@@TimmyTheToolman I am from Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean. I have a JDM 1999 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. The suspension is exactly the same. The ball joints and other parts are the same as well. So these videos really really helps me out with my diy repairs. Thanks so much. Excellent videos. By far the best I have come across. Keep on educating us.
If the outer tie rod threads at the knuckle joint spin while tightening the castle nut, what is a good method to keep the threaded rod stationary? I tried a different style ball joint separator upside down but there isn't enough room to spin the 19mm castle nut inside the U shaped portion of the separator. I am trying to avoid buying the impact driver. I did get it with a second jack pushing the outer tie rod up but that seems like it might flatten the threads because it is coming in at an angle. Suggestion for others, I picked up a new scissor jack for $12 at the junk yard.
Using a jack to push the tie rod firm into the lower ball joint is the right technique to stop the shaft of the tie rod from spinning. The tie rod shaft and the hole it goes into is tapered. By applying pressure under the tie rod, you're creating the friction necessary to get the castle nut spun on and bottomed out. If the castle nut threads and tie rod threads were in perfect shape and the nut threaded on smoothly, you wouldn't have this issue. But, either the nut threads get a bit compromised or the shaft threads get a little rough, and now the force required to turn the nut on the tie rod shaft threads is more than the force required to spin the tie rod joint.
Canadian Licenced Tech Here I HIGHLY recommend the mueller-kueps excentric turn chuck # 608 950 for inner tie rod removal. tightens while turning. I may be a savage but I've never held the rack while loosening.
Yeah, I'm guessing holding the rack probably isn't necessary but the engineers definitely built a slot into the end of the rack for that very purpose and the Toyota factory service manual shows a depiction of it being done that way. So, I wanted to portray the way to get it done based off the information I got from Toyota. Thanks for the tool suggestion.
@@TimmyTheToolmanFair enough, but it would be cool for educational purposes and for showing a much cheaper option than buying a new rack. I've seen a few other videos done on it, albeit crappy quality. A few seals and o-rings seems like. Seeing it done a la Timmy style would be awesome. I can't imagine it would be as or more frustrating than the 5vzfe valve adjustment video lol, which i think you mentioned was in the top 3 worst jobs to do. Anyway, hope you can reconsider! Appreciate all you and Sean do. 🤘
@@j.a.8970 Yeah, I saw what was involved and it looked like you needed some special tools. I also heard from others on forums it wasn't a fun job so that's why I didn't think it was worth it. Who knows, maybe I'll change my mind.
Timmy, you are great, have you tried to borrow the tie rod tool from the parts store, what is your opinion about counting the number of turns instead of threads, can you say what size is the tie rod castle nut, 14X1.25?. Thanks
I've never tried to borrow the tie rod tool. The thing about those tie rod tools is you're just cranking on the inner tie rod and not holding counter pressure on the shaft of the steering rack. Counting turns I suppose could work, but I've seen slight differences in the length of the tie rods so I think making matchmarks might be better. I don't know the size of the castle nut unfortunately, but M14 x 1.25 is a good guess.
Hi Timmy, Great video, I took my 2011 Tundra to the local Toyota dealer, they couldn’t get the jam nuts loose (rusty but not bad) and wanted to charge me over $2000 to change just the inner joints and front rotors and pads. I looked and they had vice grips on the inner ball joint shaft trying to get it off (there are wrench flats right next to the nuts on the outer ball joint ?) i Took my truck home and I’ll get the nuts loose then get an alignment. BTW the dealer wants $317 each for the inners. Online you can find the OEM joints for less than $200 or a Moog (same brand they use in NASCAR) for $100 for boots clamps and all) I can’t do the Autozone or Oreilly ones for $37. Could you have used your channel lock plyers to hold the rack end when you were removing that joint ( they have pretty narrow jaws) Great writeup, keep up the good work.
What you experienced with your local dealer is what a lot of us have experienced. They charge way too much for labor and for their parts. And, they cut you zero slack. If the book says the job takes 4 hours but it can easily be done in 2, they'll charge you for 4 hours. You also learned that they screw things up. The fact they took a vice grips or pipe wrench to the inner tie rod tells me the mechanic either didn't know what he was doing or he didn't have the right tools for the job. I highly doubt a large channel lock jaws would fit on the flat sections. They are pretty narrow. If it were me, I'd stick with OEM and stay away from Moog. If you find the inner tie rods are fighting you pretty good, maybe some penetrating oil and a little heat with a torch will help.
Well done! Fyi, the Lisle special tool you posted is a great deal compared to the $350 from toyota or matco. The Lisle tool says it comes with 42mm also so should be good there.
If I would have noticed there was a special inner tie rod tool available to purchase before I bought the Bacho adjustable wrenches, I probably would have bought the Lisle kit. But, I can't see buying the kit now that I have some wrenches that will do the job for me.
Tim, which way does the jam nut turn to break free on the passenger side? Say I put a wrench on top of it: Would I push the wrench toward the front of vehicle or pull toward the rear?
When using the "*Lisle Large Inner Tie Rod Tool Kit - (option to using Bacho adjustable wrenches)" do you still have to "hold the steering shaft firm" with a Bacho wrench or ground down wrench or does the Lisle kit make this un-necessary? If you still need a Bacho wrench which size do you need (10" or 12")? If you still need a Bacho it seems like the best route to take would be to purchase the two Bacho wrench's since the cost is about the same and the Bacho's are more versatile than the Lisle kit. Would you agree? As always thanks for the reply and keep on making those vids.
Hey Mark, your question was the same question I had. The Toyota FSM clearly shows holding the shaft with one tool while breaking the inner tie rod free with another. Like I said in the video, the fact that they put two flat sections on the end of the shaft so you can fit a wrench on it tells me the engineers think it's necessary to support the shaft so all the force needed to break free the inner tie rod isn't transferred to the shaft. With the Lisle style tool, I bet most people aren't holding the steering rack shaft with another wrench. Maybe the force necessary to break it free and re-tighten it isn't enough to cause any damage to the internal components, but I didn't want to find out the hard way if it could cause damage. I guess if you had the Lisle Inner Tie Rod Tool and then somebody to help you to hold the shaft while you work the Lisle tool from the wheel well area, this would work and protect the steering rack. The Bacho wrenches aren't specific tools and are way more versatile so your argument makes perfect sense. Some guys have found more affordable wrench options and if you look through the comments, you'll probably find some options to the Bacho adjustable wrenches. I also think on T4R.org there's related threads where guys used other types of wrenches with success. I like the Bacho wrenches and I'm glad I got them but they are a little on the pricey side. They are by far the nicest adjustable wrench I've ever used.
Hi Tim! If you go through NAPA and get the 555 inner tie rods it comes with a new lock/jam nut. I’ve found “Three Five” (555) parts to be similar to OEM. Part number SR-3560
*PLEASE READ THIS COMMENT AND THE VIDEO DESCRIPTION FOR HELPFUL INFORMATION*
In the video you'll see the old inner tie rod joints move much more freely than the new joints. However, there was no actual play in the joints. We don't feel free movement in the joint is a sign that it's bad. If there was actual play in the ball and socket, that would then be an indicator the joint is bad and needs replacing. Replacement OEM inner tie rods are very expensive so I wouldn't suggest replacing these just for the hell of it.
**Update 10/14/18 - A subscriber reported you can rent the specialty inner tie rod tool set from Auto Zone for free. Just like most automotive stores that rent tools, you leave them a deposit and you get your deposit back when you return the tool.
Hi Timmy,I didn't feel any in or out play on my inner tie rods either,but I change them any ways and guess what..it actually reduced my steering wheel shaking about 90% at 60+ mph. thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Any tips on loosening up the jack nut on the tierod? Went in for an alignment after having to replace the passenger outer tierod because lower ball joint bolt/tie rod wouldn’t come off. So instead had to break free the OTE and LBJ altogether.
Now the tech can’t get the driver side outer tierod jacknut for an alignment because it is seized/frozen or rusted. (Sprayed PB blaster already)
@@RoNBEE1 Get a butane torch and heat up the nut and use more penetrant. I'm not familiar with the term "Jacknut" but I assume you're talking about the lock nut for the outer tie rod. Or, you can tell the alignment tech to throw his purse at it.
@@TimmyTheToolman yeah lock nut lol. The tech was a big dude and it wouldn’t budge. Lol. I’ll try the butane torch approach (they aren’t allowed to use fire)
@@RoNBEE1 Gotcha. Hopefully with a few rounds of heat and penetrant, you'll be able to break it free.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for all of your videos. My son bought a 98 SR5 4runner 4x4 several years ago, and we have done a ton of upgrades and repairs using your videos. His younger sister loves his rig and just bought a 2000 Tacoma SR5 4x4 that we drove 10 hours to Billings, MT to get. Right now, in my two car garage and shop, the two rigs are sitting side by side, and without all your videos, we probably wouldn't be doing all of the repairs ourselves. The 4runner is getting a new radiator and a transmission fluid flush. An ECG bushing, two new CV axles and seals. The Tacoma is getting a new E-locker rear axle with all the wiring needed, new leaf springs, Bilstein shocks front and back, a new CV axle, and seals. Sway bar end links, lower ball joints, and the inner and outer tie rods. I have parts for valve cover gaskets and the "aircabinman" kit for the timing belt, etc. that should have the Tacoma good to go for quite a while. Fun stuff for a newly retired guy.
Hey Victor, that's great to hear you're turning wrenches with your son and daughter and using my videos. Thanks for commenting and sharing this with us. I'm close to retirement myself but I'm going to keep making videos. Happy Wrenching!
Praise the Gods for your videos. Thank you for your service to humanity
You're very welcome Nick. Sounds like you like what Sean and I are doing.
Here here! So glad to have found this dude and to be blessed with the same vehicle as most of his videos
The brand "Sankei 555" is an OEM manufacturer of Toyota parts. They are made in Japan and super-high quality. They are more economical than OEM parts as well when sold under their in-house name. They are easy to find via Google. I bought a Maddox Inner Tie Rod service tool kit from Harbor Freight Tools for $59.99. It includes the 42mm claw for Toyota Steering Racks like on the 3rd Gen 4Runner.
Thanks for the excellent videos Timmy. I own a 2000 4Runner SR5 with a Manual transmission and Federal emissions (1 Catalytic Converter). It's a unicorn, and I'm keeping it going by watching your videos. I parked it in 2017 because it needed a lot of parts replaced and I couldn't afford to do it. I've always wrenched on my own vehicles, but life happens sometimes.
I've owned it since December 2001 when it had 24K miles on it. It's got 222,400 miles on it now. It's been lifted most of its life. I have Bilstein 5100/Tundra TRD springs on the front, OME 891/60027 on the rear.
Since the beginning of June, 2022 I've replaced:
Rear worn out Downey Off-Road springs with OME 891 - OME 60027 rear shocks are still good
Rear Lower Control Arms with SPC Performance heavy duty rear LCA - Part #25945
Rear sway bar bushings and end links. Energy Suspension bushings
Front CV axles - Trakmotive "Xtended Travel" Part # TO-8043
Front Sway bar bushings and end links - ES bushings
Front Steering Rack bushings - Whiteline
Front Lower Ball Joints - Sankei 555
Front Upper Control Arms - JBA - Thanks for the install video on those!
I just pulled the front lower control arms today and I'm going to install the Whiteline LCA bushings - Thanks again for your video!
I ordered Sankei 555 inner and outer tie rods and will be replacing those as well - Thanks for this video!
You guys do a great job. There is a bigger aftermarket parts industry for these 3rd Gen 4Runners than when I was regularly driving it. I didn't see some stuff that appeared during the 2015-2017 timeframe when I knew it needed some TLC. I'm glad the parts and support are there now.
Thanks for sharing all of that. Glad our videos have helped you out.
@@TimmyTheToolman Liked and Sub'd.
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This guy got me through my balljoints today. While I was doing it the tie rod would not let me finish. Thanks Tim you really put out solid advice for us little guys.
You're very welcome.
wow, this video is much more clear than the other people's videos. excellent work and explanation.
We're glad you think so. Thanks for the compliment. We're all about empowering people to do their own work and that's why we put in the extra time to deliver very detailed videos to our viewers. Happy Wrenching!
Thank you so much! To anybody reading this, I would highly recommend NOT keeping the castle nut on when using the ball joint separator like Tim has. I kept the castle nut on to stop the tie rod from flying off when separating and the nut hit the ball joint so hard it mangle the threads on both the tie rod and nut. Original ball joints on 280k so there was a ton of pressure. Had to replace both tie rod and castle nut. Hope this helps and thanks again for the video!
You're welcome Mikey. Sorry to hear you mangled your tie rods.
Think I just did the same thing😂
Never reuse old nuts on suspension parts. Same with bolts and cotter pins.
It's twice now that your detailed instructive videos have enabled me to do a job that otherwise would have cost me a small fortune. Thank you very, very much!
Dude that’s HUGE! We are stoked you took the time to comment and share your success with us. That’s the whole reason we are here and we love hearing from our subscribers’!
- Sean
Tim, besides being a great mechanic and thinker you’re surely so honest and humble and that is very rare nowadays. I and obviously thousands of other people around the world appreciate what you’re doing for us and for who you are. You’re a great guy and we are lucky to have you. Pls keep it up… Many Tnx from othe other side of the pond!
Thanks for the very nice compliment. I truly appreciate it! I'm very honest with my abilities and I think I have a decent mechanical aptitude. Where I do think I shine is with my willingness to do the necessary research to be successful and then the balls to just go for it. What most don't know about Sean and I, is the videos we make are for the most part us doing the job for the very 1st time. So, we are literally learning and teaching at the same time. I also think I have an above average ability to deliver the subject matter in a clear and organized way so the viewer can follow along without getting lost and thus be successful with the job. Sean possesses all these skills too. He actually has a very sharp mechanical and problem solving mind. Quite often when we hit a stumbling block, Sean comes up with the solution before I do.
Again, thank you so much for the kind words. I thrive on people like yourself who take the time to comment. Happy Wrenching!
I second this notion 110 per cent
@@efil4kizum Thanks! Sean and I appreciate it!
Thanks a ton man! Your videos have probably saved me hours and hours of headache and $$$. I just went through my entire front end suspension.
You're very welcome Louie. Great to hear our videos are saving you time and money. We appreciate you taking the time to comment to share your success stories with us. Happy Wrenching!
After watching your video about replacing the lower ball joints i decided to do the same to my 1st gen Tacoma for peace of mind. It went well until I tried to attach the outer tie rods and discovered that they were shot. After watching this video you made me realize that i could replace them myself. Thanks to your hard work on these videos folks like me that are not mechanically inclined have a chance at doing this. I'm guessing i'm saving money but i know that all of those bolts are the correct torque and all of the proper steps have been taken. Keep filming brother.
It’s comment like these Barry Morton, that reaffirms our efforts & makes us stoked to hear you were successful in your DIY service to your truck. We agree that knowing your bolts are properly torqued is an added bonus considering you know it’s getting done right & you’re saving money at the same time.
this is the most comprehensive tutorial on inner tie rod end replacement ive seen so far.
@sleepyduck We'll take that as a compliment. You'll find most of our tutorials are steeped in detail, with the reason being that we want people to be successful. Thanks for the comment. Happy Wrenching.
Tim is the man , since we are stuck home I’ve been doing some maintenance on my Tacoma , you have a video for everything ! followed your steps and replaced my inner and outer tie rods today
Glad our videos are keeping you busy during the Zombie Apocalypse. Don't let any Zombies sink their teeth into you.
Just took off my tie rod ends inner and outer and found they were severely worn and the right side inner was actually bent about 10 degrees.
Thanks for the video, step by step was spot on. I’m waiting on my kit and a set of rotors and pads. You guys are awesome. Not too bad for a firefighter.
Thanks for the comment, Darrell.
Timmy! Sending you loads of love from the Colorado mountains!
Appreciate it bro! We should make a trip out there soon! #sicnods!!!
- Sean
@@TimmyTheToolman Thank you Sean!
Well Timmy, you just saved me another $100, and got me some free wrenches to boot. I just replaced the inner and outer tie rods and boot on the driver side of my 98' 4Runner, and it all went as expected, just as seen in your video. I spent some time grinding my wrench down in advance, and it fit perfectly. So, all in all... $250 for inner/outer tie rods and a boot. Awesome! Oh, and if it helps anyone else, I have found really good prices on genuine Toyota parts online from McGeorge Toyota out of Virginia.
Thanks again,
Brent
You're welcome Brent. Good job getting the job done yourself.
Awesome video, thanks! I plan on doing this job within a few days. I now know what I'm in for! Nothing's easy on my rust-ridden truck. Again, thanks!
@carriep7812 Thanks Carrie and good luck with the job!
I've looked at several videos on these Toyota Tundra tie rod ends. Yours is the best I've seen. The inner tie rod end tube type tools with the crows feet usually won't work for this 42mm inner tie rod end. It looks like Toyota upgraded the inner tie rod end and the tool isn't deep enough to latch onto the crows foot. I wasn't aware of the thinner crescent wrenches, so you helped me there. Most of the videos they are spinning the inner tie rod end off without holding the shaft. I also wasn't aware of the 2 different ftlb settings for the inner tie rod end but was very satisfied with your technique and plan to do mine the same.
Look through the comments. There's some guys who have found some more affordable options for slim wrenches to get the inner tie rods off. Thanks for the compliment. I hope the job goes smooth for you.
Just a note from a lifelong bicycle shop mechanic (nice bike stand btw): Park Tool makes a 30mm headset wrench that is flat enough for those tie rods. Think they're about $20. Beer goes a long way at local bike shops too. 🙂
You know what's funny is I own those wrenches. I just forgot that I have them because who works on old school headsets anymore. I have a few bikes with old school headsets still but I haven't worked on them in ages.
@@TimmyTheToolman Haha, yeah I see less threaded headsets every year it seems. I enjoyed your video though! Helped me a bunch.
@@verissimus45 Good to hear. Thanks for taking the time to comment. I've been working on my own bicycles for 30+ years. I built all my race bicycles and many times laced up my own wheels too. I've got some old cruisers too, the oldest being from 1934, and those are fun to work on too.
@@TimmyTheToolman That's awesome! Hang on to that 1934 for sure! I'm the wheel builder and bike restoration guy at our shop, although these days I don't have too many people asking me to lace wheels. Love working on vehicles too, but bicycles have always been my passion.
@@verissimus45 Yeah, nobody really laces up wheels anymore unless they're old school like you and I. Everyone buys pre-built wheels and carbon is king. I still lace up aluminum rims and it's good enough for me.
just done that job and i took a pipe wrench to remove the inner ti rod wile holding the steering shaft with a 30mm wrench and it went super smooth and also tight the new one with it too no damage at all so yeah thanks for you video guys cheers !!🤘
Good job and you're welcome!
**Update 10/14/18 - A subscriber reported you can rent the specialty inner tie rod tool set from Auto Zone for free. Just like most automotive stores that rent tools, you leave them a deposit and you get your deposit back when you return the tool.
The bat fan?
And O'reilly! Their kit is standard but it includes a 1 and 3/16 (30mm) and a 42mm wrench in it. I''ll be doing this job this weekend. After getting and doing F and R suspension, steering rack bushings, swarbar bushings, I went in for an alignment on to discover these were also shot (should've realized while doing all that other work!)
Another option is a bike headset and bottom bracket tool ($20). Park Tool makes several - some are combo's - I used my 30mm/32mm today on my '05 Sequoia - hadn't busted out an old school headset tool in years but it was the perfect thing! They are pretty much only about 5mm thick - there are others but mine happens to be a Park, Pedro's and others are also fine. HCW-7 Headset Wrench: 30.0mm and 32.0mm www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-HCW-7-Headset-Wrench/dp/B0012Q4EH6/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Park+Tool+HCW-7+Headset+Wrench%3A+30.0mm+and+32.0mm&qid=1598063280&sr=8-1
Yes this is a great option. I just ‘rented’ a slide hammer tool this last weekend. You buy the whole tool $170 for this case and then you use it for up to 45 days and then return it for a full refund. That was at advance auto. I know they sell tie rod tool as well but I’ll be doing next weekend. Thanks for the great video!
@@condor5635 You're welcome.
Timmy, I literally just came across your channel about an hour ago and have learned more from all of your little details and sidemodes than I have from any other source. I recently changed both inner and outer tie rods on my 2018 4runner and really wished I would have come across the above video beforehand. I used the mentioned Lisle 54500 Large Inner Tie Rod Tool but found it somewhat difficult to get a good grip as the tool didn't fit all that well in the tight space given. I was able to use the Lisle tool to loosen the inner tie rods on both sides of the truck without too much effort, I'm supposing because the truck is only 3 years old, but the previous owner had taken the truck off-roading (evident by the 20lbs of mud and silt packed between the skid plates and undercarriage that neither the previous owner or dealer I purchased from cleaned off the truck, until I made them). My reasoning for replacing both inner and outer tie rods is that the steering had always felt somewhat sloppy and since the truck had been off-road, I did not trust that the previous owner did not cause damage to the steering, as he did bang up the front skid plate and the skid plate over the gas tank also has a large dent in it (most likely caused by large boulder rocks) Anyway, I found that the inner tie rods did have some play to them, once I got them off and the outer tie rod boots were both squeezed and seemed to be starting to leak grease.
After replacing both inner and outer tie rods with factory replacements and having the truck aligned, I seem to continue experiencing a slight noise (similar to metal tapping metal) when turning the steering wheel either left or right while parked or moving at slow speeds or fully hitting the brakes at slower speeds.
Two quick questions... 1. Any idea what this might be? I'm wondering if I might not have fully tightened the inner tie rods properly or could it be damage caused to the steering rack/steering rack shaft? Seems the 5th generation 4runner also does not have any washers between the inner rods and steering shaft, like the one's in your above video. 2. How can some of us DIY'ers get our hands on a Toyota Factory Service Manual for a newer 5th generation model or are all 5th generation model manuals the same ( meaning a 2012 manual pretty much applies to a 2018 since not much has changed)
Thanks again so much for doing what you do and helping all us in the process!!! Looking forward to your continued videos and also going through your library of previous videos!!!!
That noise could possibly be coming from the front sway bar. Take a look at the brackets and the end links and see that the bushings are good and the fasteners are tight.
You can't buy the physical Toyota factory service manuals for newer Toyotas but you can access information online via the Toyota Tech Info system. You can pay a fee and access the information. I usually pay $20 for a 2-day description and download the info I require.
techinfo.toyota.com
At the bottom of that page you can click on a link that describes the minimum system requirements. You basically need a PC computer operating Windows 7 or 8. I bought a used Dell laptop from an Ebay seller just so I could access the Tech Info website.
You're very welcome. Great to hear our videos are helping you out. Happy Wrenching!
very well explained video, keep uploading these kinda videos. youre doing a lot of people hell of a favour.
We're happy to know you appreciate the level of detail and instruction our videos provide. This is what separates us from most DIY Automotive channels. We don't have plans of stopping any time soon. Happy Wrenching!
Excellent! So right to say the important stuff at least twice. Also super that you give us so many options; money is (always) tight.
Thanks for the comment Jack.
Thank You Timmy ! The whole process was easier with your detail explanation... far away from bla... bla... those details gave me confidence on what I was doing was done in the proper way. Thanks again.
You're welcome and it's great to hear the level of detail we offer in this video gave you confidence to get this job done right. We appreciate you taking the time to comment. Happy Wrenching!
Excellent video and very helpful. I've just done this replacement on my Landcruiser in the UK. One thing that always amuses me with these videos however is the ease that you remove the old split pin, mine had 22 years worth of rust so I ended up breaking the old one off flush and shearing the rest off with a spanner as I undid the nut, the thread was FUBAR anyway and I was replacing the trackrod end at the same time. Thanks for the videos though. Tim Falce UK
Glad you found our video helpful. Yeah, I've had one cotter pin do what you said and that was on a guys truck who lives near the coast and it was rusted in there. Happy Wrenching my UK Brother! My last name is Watson by the way. My dad's family came from England.
I can’t thank you enough fr all your videos. It really helps for beginner DIYer like me. The way you explain the steps and having all the parts information. Thank you so much.
You're very welcome. Glad you appreciate the detail and information we offer in our videos. We gear our videos to the absolute beginner so everyone can be successful using our videos. We sometimes get criticized for the level of detail we offer, but those people are in the severe minority. Happy Wrenching!
WOW U R AMAZING! You explain everything, absolutely got what I needed to know from this video! Hope you have videos for every mechanical work I end up doing in the future! 😊
@dezerahusted1882 Sean and I pride ourselves in giving people the level of detail they need to be successful performing a job. It's what separates us from most DIY Automotive Channels. We appreciate your compliment of our work. Happy Wrenching!
Thank you for ALL that you and Sean do. I'd be broke paying mechanics for what you guys show how to do.👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
thanks for leaving a comment. we are glad that our videos are helping you save money!
Great video, i had the parts for about a year waiting on mechanic but i can do it my self now I've been procrastinating on it until now... Thank you
I have to service the right inner rod end on my rig. There is a tool Harbor Freight makes for this job, I used on my older Forester, had to modify it a bit but it worked great, even allowing you to torque the rod end to service specs. Great video as always!
Good to know about the Harbor Freight tool.
[Reference 13:00 to 17:43] Or you can take a look at how the TRQ mechanic does it because most likely you have the tools you need if you follow a slightly different different "order of operation". But you're doing good I'm still learning from you. Please continue.
@@mvtorigian4364 Never heard of the TRQ Mechanic. And yes, we'll keep on keeping on.
And again👍Thank you Tim, this is my next project approaching quickly for my 99 Sr5 4x. You really are a gentleman and a scholar, GOD bless.
You're very welcome Kevin. Good luck with the tie rod replacements.
Great tutorial video. Possible damage to steering rack when torquing inner tie rod has been my concern. Now I can work on it with confidence.
Thank Joe! Glad our video gave you the confidence you needed.
Thank you for the thorough video I'm getting ready to attempt this job myself on my 93 Chrysler labaron convertible Wish me luck
You're welcome and good luck!
G'day from Australia 🇦🇺 great in depth video mate, very helpful!
Thanks, and you're very welcome our Australian Toyota Brother.
Just got done with this job on my 03 Tacoma and thought I would add some info that I found to be very helpful. When it comes to breaking loose the inner tie rods from the steering rack it requires you to hold the steering rack with a 30 mm the problem is a regular 30 mm wrench is too wide to fit on there and then get another wrench on the inner tire rod. Watch the video if you’re not sure what I’m talking about. After going over some of the options that Tim suggested I ran a cross what are called service wrenches. Tim I think somebody else may have mentioned this already to you as something that you may have used working on bikes. Anyway I found that you can buy a 30 mm service wrench online for pretty cheap or you can go the route I did and buy a service wrench set from Harbor freight. I only really needed the 30 mm but thought it was worthwhile buying it in case I come across some other jobs were the other sizes would come in handy. Overall it saved me money from buying a special narrow jaw adjustable wrench or taking the time and hassle to grind down a regular 30 mm wrench. I just use the 30 MM service wrench to hold the steering rack and a pipe wrench on the inner tie rod made it easy. Also wanted to add a suggestion to those that will be replacing their inner and outer tie rods with all new parts. If you find that the jam/set nut on your outer tire rod is fighting you you can try soaking it in PB blaster heating it up and fighting with it or you can just say the hell with it and take the
Inner and outer tie rods out in one piece disconnecting it from the steering rack. Unless you’re planning on reusing your inner tie rods why sit there for possibly hours and fight the damn thing I have seen those things get so rusted on and corroded that hours of penetrating oil and heat and big ass long gear wrenches weren’t even enough to break them loose. Again this is if you plan on Using new parts but I have found that it has saved me a lot of frustration and time and makes job go a lot faster.
Correction: ⬆️ Unless you plan on reusing your outer tie rods
Thanks for sharing all that.
hey yall i was able to find 2 Hart brand 12” adjustable wrenches with the super thin end for $20 each at walmart. worked great and i was able to complete the job. steering feels awesome! Thanks Tim! :):):)
Nice find on the adjustable wrenches. Good job doing the repair. You're very welcome.
Your & Sean's vids are completely invaluable!
Thanks for the nice compliment. We appreciate it!
Thanks for that.. really like you talk with too much detail. Sometimes it saves you hours of work until knowing such details. Or figure out what is going on or what went wrong
Thanks again and wish you the best
Glad you like our style. We would much rather give people too much information than not enough. If the information is too much, people can just fast forward to the part they need clarification on. If there's too little information, we run the risk of leaving people lost on how to successfully finish the job. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Happy Wrenching!
@@TimmyTheToolman
Sure agree with you. Especially for DIYs for the first time they can find these details are very much helpful. On the other hand, the more advanced DIYs can skip some as you said.
Please don't be intimidated with someone tells you.. oh this is not important to know or that is very easy obvious or so. I speak for myself and consider myself more advanced DIY but also got so much out of your videos.
Thanks so much
Wow superb video even if you watch it and don’t actually do the work it shows how much work is involved how much tools etc is needed.
Thanks! We appreciate the nice compliment. We're glad you found the video informative. Some of these jobs we perform do take a lot of work and a lot of tools to accomplish but we always feel really good when we're done because we learned something, we saved ourselves or somebody else a lot of money and we get a great sense of accomplishment of being successful with the job. It's a WIN on many levels. Happy Wrenching!
One of the best videos I have ever watched !
Thanks Mike. We appreciate the great compliment. Happy Wrenching!
I was gunna say “ use a pipe wrench lopp” but you covered it lol. Great video! Thanks
Thanks Dane. Glad you like the video.
Chain vice grips work wonders too.
I did this job a year or so ago. And of course I ran into the same headache with the wrenches. I ended up grinding down some cheap adjustable wrench. Thankfully I live near a harbor freight. Now, whenever I see that wrench I think about that awkward/frustrating job. Good video Timmy.
Thanks Donovan. Yeah, this job threw me for a loop. I didn't like giving up on this one the first time I was trying to film this job with Tony, but I also wanted to show a way to do it without resorting to grinding down my wrenches and/or resorting to the pipe wrench. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Happy Wrenching!
You make the best informational videos, saved me tons of money not taking to mechanic.... keep up the awesome work keeping Toyota’s on the road!!! 👍🏼
Thanks Evan. Great to hear you are saving money using our videos. Thanks for taking the time to comment. We appreciate it! Happy Wrenching!
Thanks for giving us the confidence that we can do the job too! Greetings from SJ as well.
You're very welcome. Are you coming to our party?
One of the best information video available. Thank you Sir.
Thanks for the nice compliment Javier. We appreciate it and you're very welcome.
Would there ever be a situation where the replacement tie rod has a different number of threads and your marking becomes irrelevant (and you’re screwed)?
Great job on this video! It’s more comprehensive than many of the other “how to” videos.
Well, you could just take some basic measurements if that's the case and get the new tie rod close to where the other one was. Regardless though, an alignment is suggested after this type of work. You can get it very close and maybe even perfect but you won't know for sure until you get it on an alignment rack at a shop. If money is very tight for someone, I can see them rolling the dice and forgoing an alignment. But, an alignment that is off can cause uneven tire wear and the money saved on the alignment is lost when you have to replace a set of tires sooner than would have been necessary if the alignment was perfect.
@@TimmyTheToolman havent done a lot of front end work. but spent years working as a machinist, the number of threads showing technicaly is irvralent its the length of the tie rod . in a perfect world the alighnment will be perfect by counting exposed thread. but if for some reason (or no reason ) the factory or aftermarket manufacture threaded the rod a few more or less threads it would throw toe in off. I wouldnt expect them to place a lot of emphasis on this aspect of manufacture as it only matters if someone isnt alighning after words
Wondering how often this happens? I would think setting toe in is crucial to knowing its right other wise just a guess
@@jeffreyplumber1975 Well, if you're counting threads from the tie rod end, it should be pretty spot on. I would imagine they are machined very similarly. Counting the threads and making match marks gets you very close so you're not driving a rig with the toe way out before you can make it to an alignment shop. Only an alignment shop can get it perfect.
Very professional explanation. These tricks help to expand my vision and give me serenity when replacing parts in my vehicles. Thanks a ton for sharing your wisdom and experience.
Thanks Poncho. We're glad you found the video informative. You're welcome and thanks for taking the time to comment.
You are better than TV great videos. My go to for my Tundra. Thanks
Better than even watching South Park too? Now that's a compliment because they are very educational and funny. But in all seriousness, I appreciate the compliment of our channel. Thanks!
I will need to do my outer tie rods. While changing my LBJ, I damaged one of the tie rod boots. Maybe I can just replace the boots but your videos are super helpful. Thank you for recording them.
I don't know if you can buy just a boot for the outer tie rod. You'd have to go to your local Toyota Dealer parts department and ask. I'm guessing they don't.
Glad I watched this first. I found Hart brand narrow jaw adjustable wrenches at walmart for 20.00 a piece. Totally saved my bacon.
Hey Jason, good find on those affordable wrenches.
Thank for all your videos on 4Runners
Our pleasure Carlos.
Bubba you bad. I just seen that my inner tie rods are fit to be tied on the ol work taco. Very informative video. Thank you
Glad you found the video helpful. You're very welcome and good luck with the job.
Wow!!! Very well explained video!!! Thank you, thank you!!!!!!!
Thanks for the compliment and you're very welcome!
Best tie rod info vid for a diyer
Thnx a mil 👍🏽👍🏽
Thanks for the nice compliment and you're very welcome.
I used a Harbor Freight #63705 ($36.99) to remove a VW inner tie rod. It has the crow's foot and long rod style Tim was talking about. Looks like the Lisle #LIS46800 ($87.24). I also made a video about the Harbor Freight tool I am mentioning. Hope this helps!
Thank you Tim for making this video. I bought a 98 4Runner 4x4 from North Carolina w 231K miles. I have play in the steering wheel 1" side to side. At >68- 70 mph I have a wheel shake! I went out today to check my outer tie rods and they have "twist" play. No clunk but as you know joints should be tight/firm. If the outer moves the inner tie rod must be loose as well just like your video. I am going to replace them both. I'll find the right wrenches to grind down first then the tie rods!!
Hey Frank, thanks for sharing this. I looked at the description for the Harbor Freight tool you linked and it does not come with a 42mm adapter that would work for 3rd Gen 4runners. I wonder if it's possible to buy the 42mm adapter for this kit?
@@TimmyTheToolman Wow. It worked for the VW but looking at the website it states the biggest is 33.6. Oh well, guess wrenches will have to do. On Ebay now looking for the best OEM tie rod prices. lol
YES!!!!!!!!! I just found out I had to replace mine and guess who’s doing it next week!
That's some good timing I reckon. Good luck with the job and Happy Wrenching!
Thank you for sharing that counter-holding the non-rotating steering shaft (the one that slides) with a suitable tool while you twist off (or on) the inner tie rod. You are absolutely correct. It may sound like common sense, but i believe i did not counter hold the inner shaft while removing the inner tie rod, on my VW, with the harbor freight tool (long ass socket like 16 inches long).
I honestly don't know how crucial it is to hold the steering shaft when breaking free and tightening the inner tie rod, but that's what it showed in the Toyota factory service manual.
@@TimmyTheToolman I don’t know either however, like you said, if there’s a slot to fit a wrench, then I will put one. Just in case. Haven’t done it yet in 4runner.
Thank you for such a good and honest explanation of the whole job!!
You're welcome. Thanks for the compliment.
Dude, your videos are gold.
Thanks Andres. We appreciate the compliment.
Awesome walk-through, very well done 👌
Thanks Vince.
Ah! I did mine right around the same time you must’ve done this one. I got stuck with one inner fused to an outer and then one inner fused to the rack. Ended up just needing a bit more coaxing from a pipe wrench and a dead blow for the inner attached to the rack. I wish I’d known you could reuse the larger boot clamps, they’re a pain to try and find, so for now I’ve just got a large zip tie on it which is what I see most aftermarket reboot kits coming with.
Also that ball joint puller makes things SO easy! Tried a pickle fork and failed miserably. The puller I added to my toolset.
Hey Rory, well, you got it done and that's what counts. This job did throw me for a loop due to the need for specialty or altered wrenches. Next time you have something really stuck, apply some heat with a small butane torch. I've found a little heat helps a lot for stuck fasteners. We provide the part number for those inner clamps in the video description if you wanted to order a set. Pullers are definitely the way to go. The Big F'ing Hammer or Pickle Fork are not techniques I subscribe to.
Great vid as always, I'd would appreciate you showing a few ways to check the outer tie rods and maybe compare the old inner tie rods with the new ones
Btw. I'm on my first year of mechanic school
And I like playing your videos for the class, even tho they don't speak English
Also nice t shirt
Thanks Hugo. Glad you like the video and even cooler you share my videos at your mechanic school. To check a tie rod to see if it's still good is basically checking for any joint play. Sometimes you can do that my simply grabbing onto the tie rod and push and pull on it trying to detect play. Another way is to use the tire as leverage and push and pull on the tire with one hand while having the other hand on the joint trying to detect if there's any play in the joint.
Thank you sir for another great video 👍
Happy new year 🎊🎈🎆
You're very welcome and Happy New Year back at ya!
Great video! Looks like you wrestled the bear on that one. I found at the end of the day when I just did my Seqouia (very similar rack), it was easier and cost effective($229) to replace the whole rack time wise. I also used 555 ($35/ea japan brand) greaseable tie rod ends and a new rack from BuyAutoParts. The new aftermarket rack was EXACTLY the same with the same case markings,good reviews and everything. Super satisfied with it. I have not had to do my 01 4Runner yet. Just the poly bushings on the rack. The rack for the 4Runner is $170 delivered from them also. I would probably go the same route again. Alignment was about $70.
Glad you like the video. It's great that you've had good luck with your aftermarket steering rack but others haven't been so lucky. I've seen enough bad reports on aftermarket steering racks to "steer me clear of them", pun intended. I'm also leery of using aftermarket tie rods. I guess I'm one of those purest who likes to use mostly only OEM Toyota parts when it comes to steering components. So far, the only aftermarket steering component I've used is poly steering rack bushings which seems to be a nice upgrade over OEM.
I'll report back in a year. The wife hits every pothole and small animal she can get to. It literately had the same manufacturer marks and everything as the toyota one that came off. It was tough to do the $700 for the OE when this had a ton of great reviews.
kapple17 i did the same, bit on a 90 series Landcruiser Prado. I like to use genuine Toyota parts but the PS rack is super expensive, replaced the genuine with a complete aftermarket over a year ago no issues.
This was all the info I needed. thanks!!😁
You're welcome Juan.
my 98runner with 150k has drooping/sag and my mechanic said that it was loose but probably safe. I just purchased new lower ball joints oem from ebay bc i dont want to risk my wheel falling off like i have seen in some videos. Would you recommend replacing lower/outer tie rods and control arms as well when replacing ball joints? my front tie rods look very rusty and I hear an odd noise sometimes when my steering is alll the way to the left when leaving a parking spot. I am having my mechanic do the work so I figure I could save some on labor costs to replace all these parts at the same time. thanks agin for your help and great content - has helped me a ton in learning and restoring my 4runner. god bless
A reason to replace tie rods is if there's detectable play in the joint. Control arms only need to be replaced if they are rusted out. Shops suggest replacing the whole control arm to their customers, because they know their high labor rates will make just replacing the bushings not cost effective. It's also an easier money-maker for them to replace the whole arms. If you have the space and time, I suggest getting into doing your own work. You'll save tons of money and learn a new skill. We have videos galore to help you out. Good luck!
Timmy, I was so hopeful this morning because I was going to be changing the lower balljoints and outer tie rod ends because both were loose and one boot was cracked. The drivers side outer tie rod absolutely refuses to come loose from the inner tie rod end. We used adjustable wrenches, PB Blaster, heat, and a pipe wrench to no avail. I had to stop attempting to take it off because I was afraid I was going to damage my steering rack. Now my option as I see it is to try and remove the inner tie rod while still attached to the outer tie rod end. I am ready to push this hope smasher off a cliff and hope it explodes. I don't think I've ever had this much trouble working on a car ever. Talk me off the ledge of mysteriously having a Tacoma in my driveway that catches on fire while I "sleep".
Unfortunately, there are days of wrenching like this for all of us. We get seriously frustrated. We cuss, maybe throw things, and then we walk away losing the battle but planning on coming back the next day to win the war. You will succeed. Use more heat and penetrant and you'll eventually get that MoFo off.
Scrolling through the comments I was thinking I would run into somebody that has had this issue as well before. If I’m understanding this right in this situation the inner tie rod would not screw out from the outer tie rod likely because of a rusted on jam/set nut. I’ve run into this before and thought well if I can break loose the inner tire rod from the steering rack why not just do that and take it all out in one piece. The inner tie rod still connected to the outer tie rod. In my experience this has saved me a lot of time and frustration trying different methods to finally get that set nut to break loose. In my situation I had bought new inner and outer tie rods so I just used them. But with the inner and outer tie rods removed in one piece this would allow you to put it in a bench vise and put a lot more force/torque on that nut to break it loose without risking damaging your steering rack. Curious if others have done it this way. Like I said when I did this job I had bought new parts so I didn’t plan on reusing anything but if that jam/set not gave me any grief I didn’t even bother messing with it I just went directly to breaking loose the inner tire rod from steering rack and called it good.
Thanks for the links to them adjustable wrenches
Thanks again. Sean and I always try to provide links to tools that we know aren't going to be in your average DIYer's tool arsenal.
Very clear video thks, some people uses locktite on the inner toe rod and u didn’t , is it a preference or do u not really need it ?
It's a preference. I don't think it's needed as long as you get it tight enough.
@@TimmyTheToolman
Got it , thks 👍
I used a pipe wrench before seeing this part of the video. Worked fine. Din't need any wrench on the steering rack. Used it by itself to get the new 555 rod back on.
Ha, just got to where I shouldn't have done that. Fantastic.
@@Yourrealdad28 Well, I have a suspicion you're probably fine because lots of guys end up doing it the way you did. For us making videos, we want to show the most correct way to perform a job and that usually means following what the factory service manual suggests we do. I wouldn't worry about it. Happy Wrenching!
Timmy The Toolman yeah I watched some other video and they didn’t show that. Got to yours just a little too late. Been using your other videos as I am basically taking apart the whole steering system. Great stuff and I really appreciate the videos. Thank you
@@Yourrealdad28 Good to hear our videos are helping you out Kevin. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Happy Wrenching!
Very detail information bruh!!! Cool vid👌🤙
Thanks Brah! Glad you like it.
I had good luck with "Cal-Van Tools 946 Low Profile Inner Tie Rod Tool" from Amazon ($12) on my 2000 Tundra, it would probably work on 4runner as well. With that you can use a ratchet or even an impact on the inner tie rod. You can also use a torque wrench when reinstalling.
Thanks for the tip Scott.
Leave it to the elders... took a chunk of scrap 1/4" steel and cut a notch out matching the rack size, filed it to fit and rounded off the grip end... tada, poor man's rack wrench. Fit like a snug glove. Probably could have done the same for the rod and side, and I guess if you were committed you could even make a half inch drive hole and make a poor man's Crow-foot.
Pipe wrench won in the end.
Love all these vids Timmy, it's like an encyclopedia rabbit hole lol
Good job Macgyering your own tools. Glad you like what we do. Happy Wrenching!
Thank you for your excellent videos - real confidence boosters! I chose to buy a 30mm open-end spanner and a cheap 42mm crow foot (£8 on eBay) I ground large chamfers on the crow foot to make it fit the narrow flats of the inner tie rod. Thanks again.
You're very welcome Ned. Good job finding affordable tools you could modify for the job. Glad our videos are helping you out.
I have a 5th gen 4runner, two independent shops have diagnosed it with a bad right front inner tie rod end. The stupid toyota dealership refuses to admit anything is wrong. trying another toyota dealership soon. Hopefully they fix it otherwise I'll be doing it myself. thanks for the video.
Ok, good luck. You might just want to do it yourself and save a ton or money.
I am prepping to work on my Kia rack. Just about every video I see them greasing the piston shaft. I assumed there is hydraulic fluid inside the rack behind the seals. I understand the inner tie rod ball needs lube but does the piston shaft? I am looking at this like any hydraulic jack or piston. I noticed you did not grease your piston shaft when you replaced the boot. Thanks
@DRDROP-fj4bo Yeah, there's no need to grease the shaft because, like you said, the shaft is lubricated with power steering fluid, which, on a Toyota, is ATF
Do you still condemn the inner tire rod end even if there is no lateral play in the joint?
If there's no detectable play in the joint, it's my opinion they don't need to be replaced. Tony wanted to replace them so we did, but I'm of the opinion that he replaced parts that didn't need to be replaced.
Hey Tim, great video's as usual. Quick question, I'm planning on doing inner and outer tie rod ends and lower ball joints this weekend will I still need to get the tie rod end puller or with having the ball joints loose will i be able to slide it off without? Just wanting to make sure I get all of my eggs in one basket.
You'll need the puller.
Great detailed videos! Keep them coming. Best on the internet!
Thanks Joe. We appreciate the compliment and we will keep them coming. Happy Wrenching Joe!
Great Tutorial! I have a question and wanted your advise on that. I have 2011 Sienna when I removed inner Tie rod I found there were no tabs on the Pinion rack and not sure how i should use my Claw washer since there are no tabs . Would it be a compromise to not to use claw washer?
If there's no tabs, the washer is sort of useless as a claw washer. I'd still use it if there was one there originally.
@@TimmyTheToolman Greatly appreciated for your swift response. I noticed there is one O ring but it is on the rack and not sure what is the purpose of that. May be that is for rubber boat . Not sure . Another thing do you remember any brand of steering rack that doesn’t have notch. I never saw one . Pls advise . Thanks
@@gemale I don't have that much experience with steering racks. I've taken them off a few different Toyota models, but this is the only one I ever swapped out inner tie rods on.
Great explanation on how to professionally replace tie rods! I recently replaced my tie rod ends on my 2002 4Runner (using OEM parts). When tightening the passenger side tie rod castle nut I noticed that the grease was seeping out and the stud (which the castle nut goes onto) seemed to be pulled too far through the knuckle. I stopped tightening before reaching 67 ft-lbs. If there is any explanation to this that would be great! Thank you. Did I do something incorrectly or could the part be defective?
Thanks Ben. We appreciate the compliment. Maybe the tie rod was filled with too much grease. Maybe the taper of the tie rod was a machined a bit too skinny allowing it to sink deeper into the lower balljoint connection. If you got it pretty tight and the castle nut can be properly backed up with a cotter pin, you're probably ok. If the shaft of the tie rod sunk so deeply that you can't install a cotter pin through the castle nut, that's not good. I would return the tie rod and get a replacement.
@@TimmyTheToolman It turned out that the dealer gave me the wrong lower ball joint and the tapered hole for the tie rod end was too big. This didn't occur to me until I had damaged the tie rod boot by being able to over tighten it due to the larger hole. Someone at the dealer had placed the lower ball joint in the incorrectly labeled bag. Thankfully they replaced the tie rod and ball joint free of charge. Having solved that issue I have moved on to addressing oil leaks. I am currently working on my oil cooler gasket and couldn't find a video of yours for the job. Maybe it could be a future video. Thanks for the previous reply and all of your great videos!
@@benhall8681 Hey Ben, good to hear you got it figured out and the dealer made it right.
I've actually replaced the oil cooler seal on a friend's rig but we didn't film it. You can get an idea of how to do it from our 3.4 Swap video series. Start watching this video at the 9 minute and 10 second time stamp: ua-cam.com/video/AvHvk9N-hTA/v-deo.html to see how to get the oil cooler off. Start watching this video at the 30 minute and 30 second time stamp: ua-cam.com/video/_G_zqDC9kFM/v-deo.html to see how to get the oil cooler back on with a new gasket. When doing this job with the engine still in the engine compartment, you'll want to get the alternator out of the way if you plan on replacing the oil cooler hoses as well. You can see how to do that in this video: ua-cam.com/video/71_kBhg6_-A/v-deo.html. Getting the alternator out of the way will give you access to the cooler hose connection at the side of the water pump. If you don't plan on replacing the hoses, you won't have to remove the alternator. You'll want to do most of the work through the driver side wheel well. This means you'll have to disconnect those rubber and plastic mud flaps so you can see the engine through the wheel well. You'll most likely break some of the clips but you can buy replacements at Toyota if you want to get the mud flaps back on securely. This is the best I can do for you. Hope it helps.
Great video, thanks. My Sequoia has a creak when turning - close to full lock. Could this be a tie rod?
Hey James, glad you like the video. A creak from a tie rod? Maybe. I think you should get under the rig and have somebody turning the wheels back and forth lock to lock and see if you can pinpoint the source of the noise. Just choose someone you trust that won't run you over. ;-)
Timmy The Toolman thanks Tim. I won’t choose the wife then!
@@jamesg4266 Now that's funny James. Smart man!
First,
also, for some reason I thought you already had a video on this. I hated doing this swap because of lack of the right tools.
Hey Seydzh, this was the first job that I just decided to quit on because I was stumped on how to get the inner tie rod off properly. Even if I did have a bench grinder, I didn't really want to grind down either my new 30mm Gear Wrench open end wrench or do the same to a crescent wrench. I also wanted to avoid showing the use of a pipe wrench for this job even though I recommend it as an option if money is tight, because I know I would have received a lot of crap about it from people, especially the UA-cam trolls who love to point out when they believe you're techniques are wrong.
I used the 12" Cobra Pliers from Knipex and the jaws are nice and narrow, it is basically a better gripping pipe wrench generally used for gripping objects without flat surfaces like pipes, but it is also 50$ just for those pliers. They come in handy from time to time on stubborn items.
Gotcha. Looks like a pair of Channel Locks.
Nobody does Toyota repair better than Timmy! Every time I’m working on my tacquito I always remember when Tim said “you can do a lot with 4 inches; I do everyday” 🤩
Thanks Dan. Glad you appreciate my humor.
Great video as always Tim.
We're glad you like it. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
@@TimmyTheToolman I am from Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean. I have a JDM 1999 Toyota Land Cruiser Prado. The suspension is exactly the same. The ball joints and other parts are the same as well. So these videos really really helps me out with my diy repairs. Thanks so much. Excellent videos. By far the best I have come across. Keep on educating us.
@@sunilparas6606 Great to hear you're finding our videos helpful and thanks for the nice compliment. You're very welcome and Happy Wrenching!
Thanks Timmy and Sean!
You're very welcome!
If the outer tie rod threads at the knuckle joint spin while tightening the castle nut, what is a good method to keep the threaded rod stationary? I tried a different style ball joint separator upside down but there isn't enough room to spin the 19mm castle nut inside the U shaped portion of the separator. I am trying to avoid buying the impact driver. I did get it with a second jack pushing the outer tie rod up but that seems like it might flatten the threads because it is coming in at an angle. Suggestion for others, I picked up a new scissor jack for $12 at the junk yard.
Using a jack to push the tie rod firm into the lower ball joint is the right technique to stop the shaft of the tie rod from spinning. The tie rod shaft and the hole it goes into is tapered. By applying pressure under the tie rod, you're creating the friction necessary to get the castle nut spun on and bottomed out. If the castle nut threads and tie rod threads were in perfect shape and the nut threaded on smoothly, you wouldn't have this issue. But, either the nut threads get a bit compromised or the shaft threads get a little rough, and now the force required to turn the nut on the tie rod shaft threads is more than the force required to spin the tie rod joint.
Canadian Licenced Tech Here
I HIGHLY recommend the mueller-kueps excentric turn chuck # 608 950 for inner tie rod removal. tightens while turning.
I may be a savage but I've never held the rack while loosening.
Yeah, I'm guessing holding the rack probably isn't necessary but the engineers definitely built a slot into the end of the rack for that very purpose and the Toyota factory service manual shows a depiction of it being done that way. So, I wanted to portray the way to get it done based off the information I got from Toyota. Thanks for the tool suggestion.
My question.... Is the tie rod treads ends both left and right are clockwise or one end is counter clock wise?
Now you got me thinking, but I remember them both being lefty loosey, righty tighty.
Hi Timmy. Any chance you could do a steering rack oil seal video? Or even a rack rebuild video?
We thought about it but rebuilding them looks like a pain in the butt and not worth it.
@@TimmyTheToolmanFair enough, but it would be cool for educational purposes and for showing a much cheaper option than buying a new rack. I've seen a few other videos done on it, albeit crappy quality. A few seals and o-rings seems like.
Seeing it done a la Timmy style would be awesome. I can't imagine it would be as or more frustrating than the 5vzfe valve adjustment video lol, which i think you mentioned was in the top 3 worst jobs to do.
Anyway, hope you can reconsider! Appreciate all you and Sean do. 🤘
@@j.a.8970 Yeah, I saw what was involved and it looked like you needed some special tools. I also heard from others on forums it wasn't a fun job so that's why I didn't think it was worth it. Who knows, maybe I'll change my mind.
Timmy, you are great, have you tried to borrow the tie rod tool from the parts store, what is your opinion about counting the number of turns instead of threads, can you say what size is the tie rod castle nut, 14X1.25?. Thanks
I've never tried to borrow the tie rod tool. The thing about those tie rod tools is you're just cranking on the inner tie rod and not holding counter pressure on the shaft of the steering rack. Counting turns I suppose could work, but I've seen slight differences in the length of the tie rods so I think making matchmarks might be better. I don't know the size of the castle nut unfortunately, but M14 x 1.25 is a good guess.
Hi Timmy,
Great video, I took my 2011 Tundra to the local Toyota dealer, they couldn’t get the jam nuts loose (rusty but not bad) and wanted to charge me over $2000 to change just the inner joints and front rotors and pads. I looked and they had vice grips on the inner ball joint shaft trying to get it off (there are wrench flats right next to the nuts on the outer ball joint ?) i Took my truck home and I’ll get the nuts loose then get an alignment. BTW the dealer wants $317 each for the inners. Online you can find the OEM joints for less than $200 or a Moog (same brand they use in NASCAR) for $100 for boots clamps and all) I can’t do the Autozone or Oreilly ones for $37. Could you have used your channel lock plyers to hold the rack end when you were removing that joint ( they have pretty narrow jaws)
Great writeup, keep up the good work.
What you experienced with your local dealer is what a lot of us have experienced. They charge way too much for labor and for their parts. And, they cut you zero slack. If the book says the job takes 4 hours but it can easily be done in 2, they'll charge you for 4 hours. You also learned that they screw things up. The fact they took a vice grips or pipe wrench to the inner tie rod tells me the mechanic either didn't know what he was doing or he didn't have the right tools for the job.
I highly doubt a large channel lock jaws would fit on the flat sections. They are pretty narrow. If it were me, I'd stick with OEM and stay away from Moog. If you find the inner tie rods are fighting you pretty good, maybe some penetrating oil and a little heat with a torch will help.
Well done! Fyi, the Lisle special tool you posted is a great deal compared to the $350 from toyota or matco. The Lisle tool says it comes with 42mm also so should be good there.
If I would have noticed there was a special inner tie rod tool available to purchase before I bought the Bacho adjustable wrenches, I probably would have bought the Lisle kit. But, I can't see buying the kit now that I have some wrenches that will do the job for me.
Tim, which way does the jam nut turn to break free on the passenger side?
Say I put a wrench on top of it: Would I push the wrench toward the front of vehicle or pull toward the rear?
You turn the nut counterclockwise, left, away from the inner tie rod.
@@TimmyTheToolman makes sense. Thank you.
@@MF-rw3rb You're welcome.
@@TimmyTheToolman Got it all set brother. Thanks again.
@@MF-rw3rb You're very welcome. Good job getting it done.
When using the "*Lisle Large Inner Tie Rod Tool Kit - (option to using Bacho adjustable wrenches)" do you still have to "hold the steering shaft firm" with a Bacho wrench or ground down wrench or does the Lisle kit make this un-necessary? If you still need a Bacho wrench which size do you need (10" or 12")? If you still need a Bacho it seems like the best route to take would be to purchase the two Bacho wrench's since the cost is about the same and the Bacho's are more versatile than the Lisle kit. Would you agree? As always thanks for the reply and keep on making those vids.
Hey Mark, your question was the same question I had. The Toyota FSM clearly shows holding the shaft with one tool while breaking the inner tie rod free with another. Like I said in the video, the fact that they put two flat sections on the end of the shaft so you can fit a wrench on it tells me the engineers think it's necessary to support the shaft so all the force needed to break free the inner tie rod isn't transferred to the shaft. With the Lisle style tool, I bet most people aren't holding the steering rack shaft with another wrench. Maybe the force necessary to break it free and re-tighten it isn't enough to cause any damage to the internal components, but I didn't want to find out the hard way if it could cause damage. I guess if you had the Lisle Inner Tie Rod Tool and then somebody to help you to hold the shaft while you work the Lisle tool from the wheel well area, this would work and protect the steering rack. The Bacho wrenches aren't specific tools and are way more versatile so your argument makes perfect sense. Some guys have found more affordable wrench options and if you look through the comments, you'll probably find some options to the Bacho adjustable wrenches. I also think on T4R.org there's related threads where guys used other types of wrenches with success. I like the Bacho wrenches and I'm glad I got them but they are a little on the pricey side. They are by far the nicest adjustable wrench I've ever used.
Hi Tim! If you go through NAPA and get the 555 inner tie rods it comes with a new lock/jam nut. I’ve found “Three Five” (555) parts to be similar to OEM. Part number SR-3560
That's good to know. I'm pretty much a fan of buying OEM but I've heard decent things Sankei 555 brand.
Timmy! Excellent content per usual! What were the Bacho adjustable wrench part numbers that you ordered from Jeff? THANKS! Daniel
Links to the Bacho wrenches are in the video description. You just have to click on "more..." to expand it fully.
Gooooood video sr everthing is clear im going to perform this job my self coz cant pay a tech.
Thanks Ernesto. Good luck with the job.