While putting the suspension back together, I stripped the allen head end on the right outer tie rod end ball joint. I knew that even if I managed to get to back on there, I would never be able to get it back off next time I needed to without some cutting, so I ordered a new tie rod end.

The new one arrived (a Deeza brand). It looks the same but there is no hex indention in the top of the ball joint bolt. It just has a small circular indention to mount a puller. So... my problem is just about the same as before. If I put this part on, I will be hosed if I need to remove the tie rod end again assuming that the ball joint turns when I try to loosen the nut.

My hope is that the replacement part is somehow designed so that the ball joint will not turn when loosening the nut. Hope (of course) is a terrible strategy though, and I am guessing that I will have difficulty in the future removing the tie rod end. If you have experienced or maybe even solved this problem and have some thoughts, I would greatly appreciate any comments. Thanks.

 

My new rod didn't have a hex either. I took an old cresent wrench and ground it down to fit the square part. You need a really skinny wrench, and if you don't have one, you have to make one. Once a donor wrench was located, it takes about a minute to solve the problem forever, and you get a new custom tool.

 

Thanks. That sounds like a great solution. On the tie rod end I have, I don't see any square part on the ball joint bolt. Was yours square on the end above the threads, or are you talking about under the rubber boot somewhere?

 

I didn't have any luck finding any square parts on the ball joint bolt of either the old or new tie rod end. I took the boot off the old one and still did not find anything to put a wrench on. I went ahead and installed the new tie rod end with the idea of cutting a slot for a large flathead screw driver in the top of the ball joint bolt to hold it if/when I have to remove it again. With any luck I won't have to remove it again for a long time.

 

In answer at your problem , tie rod end has a conical top. Just install small jack under tie rod end and apply a correct pressure up, this will block male cone into female cone.

 

!!!!!!!!!!!!!
this works great! saved me from busting out my grinder.
I found some blue plastic on my right nut... (tie rod nut) not nut nut.
Must be some built in thread locking mechanism? Do they all have them?