'99 Toyota Sienna Inner Tie Rod Replacement

[kschachn]

After 165,000, the left inner tie rod end has worn. After looking over the shop manual it implies that the rack should be removed to replace the ends. I went at it today thinking it can be done without removing the rack assembly but now I'm not so sure.

There's plenty of clearance, and if I use two crowfoot wrenches I can both hold the rack and turn the rod end. The problem is that after you put the new end on, you have to bend/fold down a lock washer to keep the rod end from unscrewing. I see no way to properly bend down that washer with the rack in the car.

Removing the rack isn't that big of a deal, it's just all the spilled fluid that will be the biggest hassle (that and disconnecting the intermediate steering shaft). That whole job looks like an hour or so each way plus another hour to refill and bleed the power steering system.

Anyway, has anyone ever replaced inner tie rod ends on a Sienna? A Camry is probably about the same. If so, did you take the rack out of the car?

The one good thing about removing the rack is that you could do a proper job of torquing the rod end AND flattening down the lock washer.

 

[bdcardinal]

yup, ive done mroe than a few, takes about 45 minutes a side. you need a Inner Tie Rod end tool, dont waste your time with a crowfoot, the inner tie rod has to be torqued. that lockwasher can be folded with a tool sold by SnapOn, MATCO etc.

 

[kschachn]

Well, thanks. I have seen those tools but I was not sure how they worked - I mean, you can apply a torque to remove the rod end, but what do you do to keep the rack from twisting? There isn't room to get a wrench in there and also get a good grip. At least it didn't seem that way to me.

What tool do you have to crimp down the lock washer? I searched Snap-On's website as well as Matco and I couldn't find anything. What is is called?

 

[bdcardinal]

acutally now that i remember, i got a prybar in there and bent it over so it wouldnt move.

the inner tierod tool has removable wrench sections that go to the flat part on the inner tierod. to torque it, there is a 1/2" drive opening on the end of the tool that you use with a torque wrench

 

[Merkava_4]

I just so happen to have a '99 Camry FSM.

They're showing the Steering Rack clamped in a vice and they're calling your inner tie rod a Rack End. They're also calling your lock washer a Claw Washer.

They show the end of the Steering Rack in the vice with the Rack End hanging freely between the vice jaws.

They then show the Claw Washer being unbent with a screwdriver and hammer.

Before you do that you'll have to take the boot off though.

 

[kschachn]

Yeah, I have the Sienna FSM as well and it too shows the rack out of the vehicle.

I've done quite a bit of work on cars over the years, everything from manual transmission overhauls to complete engine rebuilds. For some strange reason I have never replaced an inner rod end and I'm feeling kind of clueless. All those tools out there that slide over the tie rod to remove and install the end seem fine, but I still can't see how you get a wrench on the rack end itself to keep it from twisting.

Ah heck, I'll probably just remove the rack. It isn't all that horrible and I'll feel better about the job in the end.

Thanks for all your help.

 

[bdcardinal]

the rack does not move. trust me. on some cars that i just didnt feel like digging in for the inner tie rod i just told the service writer that it needed a new rack.

 

[Merkava_4]

You're lucky you don't have to remove the steering column.

On my Buick, AllData says I have to pull the steering column before pulling the rack. I was in such disbelief when I first read that, that I read it several times to make sure.

 

[kschachn]

Well, just to put some closure on this project. I ended up buying one of these:

http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/lis45750.html

which worked great. I still had the problem of holding the rack steady so it wouldn't twist, but I was able to saw off the end of a cheap 24mm wrench and *just* get it in there to keep if from turning. With the wife at the other end she was able to easily remove the inner rod end. It was funny, on the right side there was one, and only one, place where the wrench would fit. But fit it did.

The biggest challenge was to then fold over the lock washer to keep the thing from unscrewing. But with a lot of patience and tapping it got bent over such that it will not come off.

Even though the rod ends were worn it turned out that it wasn't the source of the noise I was hearing. More troubleshooting showed that the sway bar links were worn so I ended up replacing those too. So after all it is finally nice and quiet and much tighter steering too.