This is my friends' 2012 Chevy Sonic. It started clunking/knocking badly on our rough roads, and the owner thought it might be a stabilizer-bar end link. (Reasonable assumption - this car has eaten any number of end links, but has been good since @14Accent recommended the greaseable Moogs. But it was a possibility.)
But anyway, I started investigating and right away found a very sloppy outer tie-rod end on the driver's side.
My friend picked up the parts locally, and I figured it would be an easy repair.
The darn thing fought me every step of the way.
The ball-and-socket assembly was so worn that I couldn't remove the nut on the end of the spindle. The nut and shaft spun together. There was not enough exposed thread to hold onto with grips while turning the nut. I had to cut it off with the grinder. (True confessions - it was easier to cut through the spindle above the knuckle. I couldn't figure out why the spindle wouldn't drop out, and eventually realized it was a tapered fit. Duh! Had to cut off the nut and spindle on the bottom side, and drive it out the top.)
Then the lock nut was seized in place. I was finally able to back it off a few turns with much effort.
And finally, there was no way the outer tie-rod end would come off the threaded inner easily. I tried penetrating oil and my inductive heater. No way.
There's no flat on the inner tie-rod for a wrench, so I had to use a pipe wrench to hold it.
Finally I resorted to the grinder. I cut several parallel slots in the body of the outer tie-rod ends, terrified each time that I would damage the threads of the inner tie rod, and squirted in penetrating oil.
It still fought me, screeching with each small fraction of a turn.
The threads of the inner tie rod were covered with some sort of dry gluey substance. I got a die (14M x 1.5) on it, and cleaned up the threads.
Needless to say, the new locknut and outer tie-rod ends went back on with lots of anti-seize.
With a bit of trial-and-error, I set the toe to zero using Tenhulzen alignment plates - the front and back readings were both something like 65-15/32").
I checked the toe before we started, and it was at 0°. Given how the inner and outer tie rod sections were pretty much fused together, I doubt the wheels had ever been aligned. Hats off to Daewoo for making a front end that that stayed aligned for 14 years.
We went for a drive and the car tracked OK and didn't make any front-end noise. Phew!
I did not expect this at all, but my friends gave me a very nice gift (a Kobo e-reader).
Here's the carnage:
But anyway, I started investigating and right away found a very sloppy outer tie-rod end on the driver's side.
My friend picked up the parts locally, and I figured it would be an easy repair.
The darn thing fought me every step of the way.
The ball-and-socket assembly was so worn that I couldn't remove the nut on the end of the spindle. The nut and shaft spun together. There was not enough exposed thread to hold onto with grips while turning the nut. I had to cut it off with the grinder. (True confessions - it was easier to cut through the spindle above the knuckle. I couldn't figure out why the spindle wouldn't drop out, and eventually realized it was a tapered fit. Duh! Had to cut off the nut and spindle on the bottom side, and drive it out the top.)
Then the lock nut was seized in place. I was finally able to back it off a few turns with much effort.
And finally, there was no way the outer tie-rod end would come off the threaded inner easily. I tried penetrating oil and my inductive heater. No way.
There's no flat on the inner tie-rod for a wrench, so I had to use a pipe wrench to hold it.
Finally I resorted to the grinder. I cut several parallel slots in the body of the outer tie-rod ends, terrified each time that I would damage the threads of the inner tie rod, and squirted in penetrating oil.
It still fought me, screeching with each small fraction of a turn.
The threads of the inner tie rod were covered with some sort of dry gluey substance. I got a die (14M x 1.5) on it, and cleaned up the threads.
Needless to say, the new locknut and outer tie-rod ends went back on with lots of anti-seize.
With a bit of trial-and-error, I set the toe to zero using Tenhulzen alignment plates - the front and back readings were both something like 65-15/32").
I checked the toe before we started, and it was at 0°. Given how the inner and outer tie rod sections were pretty much fused together, I doubt the wheels had ever been aligned. Hats off to Daewoo for making a front end that that stayed aligned for 14 years.
We went for a drive and the car tracked OK and didn't make any front-end noise. Phew!
I did not expect this at all, but my friends gave me a very nice gift (a Kobo e-reader).
Here's the carnage:
