Tie Rod End Removal Tool
Mark SimpsonDescription
Ball joints and tie rod ends function well at making a strong connection while also allowing a lot of movement in the joint, but sometimes these connections can prove to be very difficult to separate for service or replacement. Commonly, a pickle fork is used to separate the joint, but there is always the risk of damaging the grease boot on the joint.
Using a ball joint separation tool to disconnect ball joints and tie rods ends makes short work of the task as Mark Simpson demonstrates in the video, but he stresses that if the joint has not been apart for a while, it is best to remove the castle nut, flip it over, and tighten it back on until the nut is flush with the end of the threads. This will prevent damaging the threads if a lot of force is needed to break the joint apart. This is a great tool to have in your shop and will help you get your classic back on the road.
Note the tool used in this demonstration was a GearWrench Ball Joint Separator #3916, but there are others available on the market as well as some designed specifically for tie rod ends. Check them out, as we think you’ll find them to be a good investment.
When separating ball joint or tie rod ends, you know, the danger is always, if you need to reuse this joint, you can always tear up these uh, rubber seals that, uh, you know, help keep the grease inside this joint. You don't want to tear them up. If you're gonna reuse them, you know, using a pickle fork. Sometimes if you grease the, the tongs on your pickle fork, you know, you can get in there and separate that joint without wrecking this rubber, but there's still at risk all the time. Sometimes just the pressure will break that rubber. We have this ball joint separation tool. If you haven't seen one, this is a great little tool it fits on the ball joint. And basically what happens as you, uh, turn in the screw, it presses out the ball joint without damaging the boot on the tire rod end. I'll just show you how this works. And like that, we've got our ball joint separated. We're ready to work on the rest of the project.
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