So I'm pretty sure I have a bad tie rod end on my R53, I have a little bit of play when I put my hands at 3 and 9 oclock and pull on the wheel, and the car has been pulling to the left a little bit which is where the bad tie rod end is.

I replaced the right side a year ago (inner and outer) after sliding into a curb and bending it. My question is should I replace both the inner and the outer parts on the left side? or just the outer? It's an 03 with 71,000 miles on the clock.

 

Might as well. They're not super expensive. It sucked to find out that after replacing just the inner and having an alignment that I need the outer as well.

 

Does the inner tie rod fail often? how can you tell if it's failed?

 

Unfortunately I can't answer you accurately but mine was bent from driver error. The outter was fine but failed soon after an alignment. At $30 for the part and ~$100 for an alignment it was my final lesson in being penny wise and pound stupid.

 

anyone have thoughts on brand for tie rods? I'm looking at the Lemforder vs OEM. It's a $40 difference which isn't the end of the world but could be worth a few cold beers.

 

I just replaced mine .Bought Lemforder brand and they had the exact same markings as the oe. It is also better to get both as they can seize together .

 

Sweet, I got the inner and outer tie rod from lemforder can't wait to get this fixed.

 

lemforder versions are good. The tie rods have a split year in 5/2003 the make , so keep an eye out for that. 32116777521 & 32116777522 Replaces the full tie rod is the best way. When you install, put a little anti- seize in the tie rod adjustment threads, so the alignment shop will have a easy time.

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ll-joints.html

 

Sounds good, I love anti-seize, I tend to put it on most things. I was flipping through DIY's and I saw a picture of a tie rod end bolt that had been drilled and safety wired. I track my car a couple of times a year but it's really a daily driver. Any point in safety wiring the steering?

 

Yep,

That might be just for racing mod or something. The end bolt on the bushing is held with a lock nut. So that might just be another layer of safety. Never had a issue on all my track days , all the way back to 2004 w/ the MINI.

 

The most common wear item in the steering system is the tie rod end. This is a spherical joint that is located on the end of each tie rod and control the position of each front wheel when the car is steered. There is also a large ball joint at the other end of the rod where it connects to the steering rack. Over time, the clearances inside these joints increase due to wear, eventually making precise steering control impossible. Additionally, the car may have a slight wobble under speed and braking and cause vibrations. Many times, a new set of tie rods can make a car's handling feel like new. The Lemforder tie rods (HERE) are the OEM supplier part and will be a sufficient replacement. All the information above, as well as a step by step process for replacement can be found in this great DIY tech article here. If you have any questions, let me know.

 

Thanks! I did use the DIY and got it done last night. I can't wait to get it aligned and enjoy the nice tight steering again.

The only trouble I had was I didn't take the nut all the way off the outer tie rod end because I didn't want it to shoot out of the steering knuckle when they separated. I couldn't get them apart with a hammer though, so I used a pickle fork, which worked great but then the hex in the middle was rusted and stripped and I had to clamp some vice grips onto the tapered bolt to get the nut off. Fortunately it worked out but it had me nervous there for a while.

Thanks for the parts and the DIY.

 

Welcome.

The hex can be a pain, I soak it down with PB blaster then clean it out with a small pick to save the hex insert. If you get the lock nut off far enough then you can slide pair of needle nose vice grips then lock it and take the nut off.

 

Yup, needle nosed vice grips are what got me through.

 

Yep,

I worked on these so many times my hands hurt.

 

Great! You're very welcome. Glad it was of use to you and glad you were able to get the nut off. Sometimes work takes longer on our cars due to the wear on them. It would be nice if everything would just come off easily.