Mechanic says I need two outer tie rod ends. I know passenger side is loose,
it wobbled while I was doing a pad slap. I've got the outer one loose from
the van, that was a bit of work.

Acetylene is good. Mapp gas is also useful.
Pickle fork separated the ball and socket, without removing the shaft from
the hole.
Castle nut is 22 MM, until I beat on it, and then it's larger than that.
Shoulda heated the part before pounding on the pickle fork.

Gonna be a couple more hours.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

Take the castle nut off then whack it on opposite sides with a pair of
BFH's.
A couple whacks and it will drop right off. Be sure to count the exposed
threads
on the old ends before you remove them. Replace the old with the new to the
same thread count
and you will be close enough to drive it to the shop to set the toe.

"Stormin Mormon" <cayoung61**spamblock##@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:g94f2i$v32$1@registered.motzarella.org...
> Mechanic says I need two outer tie rod ends. I know passenger side is
> loose,
> it wobbled while I was doing a pad slap. I've got the outer one loose from
> the van, that was a bit of work.
>
> Acetylene is good. Mapp gas is also useful.
> Pickle fork separated the ball and socket, without removing the shaft from
> the hole.
> Castle nut is 22 MM, until I beat on it, and then it's larger than that.
> Shoulda heated the part before pounding on the pickle fork.
>
> Gonna be a couple more hours.
>
> --
> Christopher A. Young
> Learn more about Jesus
> www.lds.org
> .
>
>
>

You know, that's excellent advice. As it happens, the answer turned out to
be heat, on the "eye" before using the BFH on the castle nut. Nut, loosened,
so the end was flush with the threads.

I sure wish that someone made an impact socket, to go over the end of an
outer tie rod. With all the wrenching and turning I'm going to be a bundle
of sore muscles all of tomorrow.

As to the thread, I measured from the end of the coupler to the center of
the zerk fitting. Got it all back together, check the toe (long stick, magic
marker) and it's out of whack. Loosen the two clamps on passenger side, and
heat the end of the coupler that hadn't gotten turned today. Crank on the
coupler with a 24 inch pipe wrench, coupler turns slowly and with
dificulty. Finally, the toe is set reasonably well.

I'll recheck the toe, tomorrow.

Thank you for your kind (and totally on topic) advice.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"JR" <racmsc@epix.net> wrote in message
news:K_jtk.14336$c5.2393@fe097.usenetserver.com...
Take the castle nut off then whack it on opposite sides with a pair of
BFH's.
A couple whacks and it will drop right off. Be sure to count the exposed
threads
on the old ends before you remove them. Replace the old with the new to the
same thread count
and you will be close enough to drive it to the shop to set the toe.

"Stormin Mormon" <cayoung61**spamblock##@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:g94f2i$v32$1@registered.motzarella.org...
> Mechanic says I need two outer tie rod ends. I know passenger side is
> loose,
> it wobbled while I was doing a pad slap. I've got the outer one loose from
> the van, that was a bit of work.
>
> Acetylene is good. Mapp gas is also useful.
> Pickle fork separated the ball and socket, without removing the shaft from
> the hole.
> Castle nut is 22 MM, until I beat on it, and then it's larger than that.
> Shoulda heated the part before pounding on the pickle fork.
>
> Gonna be a couple more hours.
>
> --
> Christopher A. Young
> Learn more about Jesus
> www.lds.org
> .
>
>
>

I'm glad you got the old one off ok, but what I meant was to loosen or
remove the castle nut, then
place one BFH on one side of the "eye" then whack the other side with the
other BFH.
You will laugh at yourself when you realize just how easy they separate.
And another hint for you. Spray the"coupler" with PB blaster and back off
the two small clamps just a bit.
You can turn the old ends out and the new ends in by hand.
Regards,
JR



"Stormin Mormon" <cayoung61**spamblock##@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:g94og9$thn$1@registered.motzarella.org...
> You know, that's excellent advice. As it happens, the answer turned out to
> be heat, on the "eye" before using the BFH on the castle nut. Nut,
> loosened,
> so the end was flush with the threads.
>
> I sure wish that someone made an impact socket, to go over the end of an
> outer tie rod. With all the wrenching and turning I'm going to be a bundle
> of sore muscles all of tomorrow.
>
> As to the thread, I measured from the end of the coupler to the center of
> the zerk fitting. Got it all back together, check the toe (long stick,
> magic
> marker) and it's out of whack. Loosen the two clamps on passenger side,
> and
> heat the end of the coupler that hadn't gotten turned today. Crank on the
> coupler with a 24 inch pipe wrench, coupler turns slowly and with
> dificulty. Finally, the toe is set reasonably well.
>
> I'll recheck the toe, tomorrow.
>
> Thank you for your kind (and totally on topic) advice.
>
> --
> Christopher A. Young
> Learn more about Jesus
> www.lds.org
> .
>
>
> "JR" <racmsc@epix.net> wrote in message
> news:K_jtk.14336$c5.2393@fe097.usenetserver.com...
> Take the castle nut off then whack it on opposite sides with a pair of
> BFH's.
> A couple whacks and it will drop right off. Be sure to count the exposed
> threads
> on the old ends before you remove them. Replace the old with the new to
> the
> same thread count
> and you will be close enough to drive it to the shop to set the toe.
>
> "Stormin Mormon" <cayoung61**spamblock##@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:g94f2i$v32$1@registered.motzarella.org...
>> Mechanic says I need two outer tie rod ends. I know passenger side is
>> loose,
>> it wobbled while I was doing a pad slap. I've got the outer one loose
>> from
>> the van, that was a bit of work.
>>
>> Acetylene is good. Mapp gas is also useful.
>> Pickle fork separated the ball and socket, without removing the shaft
>> from
>> the hole.
>> Castle nut is 22 MM, until I beat on it, and then it's larger than that.
>> Shoulda heated the part before pounding on the pickle fork.
>>
>> Gonna be a couple more hours.
>>
>> --
>> Christopher A. Young
>> Learn more about Jesus
>> www.lds.org
>> .
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>

"Stormin Mormon" <cayoung61**spamblock##@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:g94f2i$v32$1@registered.motzarella.org...
> Mechanic says I need two outer tie rod ends. I know passenger side is
> loose,
> it wobbled while I was doing a pad slap. I've got the outer one loose from
> the van, that was a bit of work.
>
> Acetylene is good. Mapp gas is also useful.
> Pickle fork separated the ball and socket, without removing the shaft from
> the hole.
> Castle nut is 22 MM, until I beat on it, and then it's larger than that.
> Shoulda heated the part before pounding on the pickle fork.
>
> Gonna be a couple more hours.
>
> --
> Christopher A. Young
> Learn more about Jesus
> www.lds.org
> .

As someone who replaces them all the time, your going about it the hard way.
It's normally a pretty simple and quick job. Some "PB Blaster" much better
then WD40, and let it sit for a bit and do the hard work on the threads is
the first thing. I don't know why you would be beating on the castle nut?
A couple good whacks on the knuckle where it's attached to and it should pop
free. If I don't care about the boot, which on that I wouldn't because it's
being replaced and so their will be a new one, I'd just use the Air Hammer
with the pickle fork adapter on it and pop it right off. Once that end is
free, you can loosen the adjusting sleeve clamps. It's been soaking in PB
blaster the whole time right! and unscrew out of the sleeve. Sometime I use
the box end of a larger wrench to go over the end there to help unscrew if
it's stuck or tight to break it free. Which is also why I'll add a little
Anti-Seize to the threads of the new Tie Rod. Helps make the new one screw
back in easier and if it comes BACK for a Alignment, it'll be a easier for
me to work on. Having to whip out the torch to get a adjustment sleeve to
budge isn't my Idea of a good time. Sometimes the whole part has to be
replaced because you just can't adjust it. Luckily it doesn't happen often.

Taking the tire off will make it easier to get the outer tie rod off,
especially with the wheels some cars have. It's a 30 min job at most.