Steering Rod End Replacement
Just had oil changed and coach lubed and during the inspection it was determined that the rubber seals on both ends of the steering rod were rotten and had partially fallen off. The Ends of the steering rod look like tie rod ends.
Are these difficult to replace? Do I need a front end alignment once they are replaced? Any special tools needed?
Don't have a Pit but am ready to get down n'dirty.
Lee Bornstein
97 Liberty 40'
Lee I think I can give you some general info here.
All the ends on the steering components are tapered and fit into tapered holes.
First to make sure I know exactly what your refering to the rod that is hooked up to the pitman arm that is attatched to the steering box I will refer to as the drag-link. The rod that goes from one side to the other and have the tie-rods on the ends I will call the center-link.
IMHO Either way if you are only putting grease boots and reusing the same components I would not worry about an alignment and a test drive should reasonably confirm that, I've no doubt some may disagree.
Usually the way to remove these components is with a 20lb sledge. Loosten and remove the nuts and strike the corrisponding components at the hole that the ends go through. I have experianced that you normally have to hit it VERY HARD and often more than once. There is a tool called a pickle-fork to assist you if for clearance reasons you can not get a solid hit with a sledge.
Once again A VERY HARD strike. I don't usually use the pickle fork because on the truck everything is accessable and also the pickle fork WILL ruin the grease boots but since your boots are the very reason for dismantling and the drag link is in the steering bay and very possibly not easy to get a good solid hit on it you may need one. Sometimes they pop easy, usually ya gotta hit um.
Again for the drag link you will hit the pitman arm and the spindle at the top hole and for the center link you will hit the spindles at the lower hole where the tie-rods go through.
Last edited by Joe Cannarozzi; 08-07-2007 at 02:18 PM.
Senior Member
Lee, The key is if your tie rod ends need replacement.
If they are tight I wouldn't bother. Keep them greased and monitor to insure they remain tight. Joe's advice on replacement is correct. Sometimes you get lucky and one good whack using a pickling fork (where did that name ever come from) and they will literally drop out.
What is vital if you opt to replace them is the installed length of the new ones has to be identical to the ones removed. Since the arm is so short relative to the radius of the tire, a 1/32" error in length can amount to as much as 1/4" impact on your toe in, requiring a new alignment.
The Rubber Boots on the two ends of the "Drag Link" are missing. Steering is tight and there doesn't seem to be a problem with the tie rod ends.
I've got plenty of grease on Drag Link ends.
Is it necessary to replace boots ? How long can I go without them and before I have trouble? Can a Truck service center such as Freightliner do the job reliably or do I go to Prevost?
Sounds like more work than I'm capable of doing.
Lee
Lee
The rear of it is exposed to the elements. With-out any boot but with compramise in the form of more frequent grease, who knows, could be a long time. If you run in rain, grease that again.
I went to a local heavy truck alignment center, they did a great job and for the best price, your tire guy will help you with that if need be.
A drag link should be under 200, tie rod ends under 50. I can not remember what we were charged for the alignment on the bus and the last 2 times I did the tie rod ends on the Pete, I used a tape measure. 150 or so I'm guessin.
If it were us, with the relativly limited miles and potentially long life span if serviced correctly it would be on the list but way towards the bottom.
A little info for confidence in this area.
For example.
I grease the truck once a week, aproximatly every 2000 miles or so and it is in a very nasty envronment, a quarry. This spring a thruster bearing that rides inbetween the front axle and spindle failed and we had to do king pins. 900000+ miles and there was NO NOTICABLE WEAR on either the pins or the bushings they turn on. I have saved them like a badge of honor.
This is a combination of very well made and designed parts and proper service.
From experiance, frequency of failure on the front end goes in this order. Tie-rods then drag link. Air Bags, I have adopted Jons 10 year plan there. Grease often and king pins are forever Keep syn. oil on the wheel bearings and unless of a seal failure were I would then replace them since your there, you can go, I dare say, 500000.
We use synthetic gear lube, I pulled the hub bearings out of the rears in the Pete and replaced at 500000 cause I was concerned. They were mint.
Sorry for the long posts, I can't help it.
Hey Joe, could you repeat that, I didn't get it?
Gary S
Joe:
Thanks for the info.
I'll keep pumping grease into it till December than will re-evaluate before I head off to Florida.
Lee
Senior Member
Lee, whenever you grease them, pull back and forth on them or better yet start the bus and have your wife turn the steering wheel back and forth to see if there is any slop or movement. I suspect there will be none, but if any is detected, no matter how slight that is when they should be replaced. It is not a big job, but does require some precision.
Joe mentions a tape measure for toe in, but he is working on a truck with the wheels more easily accessed. We cannot get a tape across ours to measure toe in at the centerline because we have a body in the way.
If you can get the front tires off the ground, those big tires are great to hang on to to shake back and forth to see if there is any play in the front steer links. I found a little play in the steering worm grear this way, I got a half turn on the adjustment bolt.
Senior Member
Dale,
I wonder if our front end wouldn't make a good seminar topic. There are so many things that tend to be taken for granted like tie rod ends, kingpins, steering sector, etc. that it might make for an interesting subject.
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