Ok boys and girls. Had questions about the civy before and you guys did a great job answering them so im back again lol. 96 civic dx, just replaced the engine with a d16y7. On the steering rack on each side you have what im assuming are called the outer tie rod ends. The ends with the little ball joints that sterr the spindles back and forth. On the inner part of the outers theres a lock nut. Im trying to replace the outers and Im having absolutley no luck backing off that locknut. Ive used a wire brush to scrub the threads and the surrounding area, ive used an ENTIRE can of pb blast. Ive pushed and shoved and it just wont go. Is there any kind of special tool or any advice anyone could give me? Maybe im not getting the right leverage idk. Its under the wheel well so its kinda hard to get at. Thanks again everyone.

 

Just throwing it out there, not sure if it will help, but try using a flare wrench on it, the same style wrench used for brake and fuel lines. Anyone else?

 

i had the same thing happen to me when i changed the rack and pinion out. I had a buddy that had a tool that looked like a pickle fork that he put in the impact and we just hammered it off, of course i had to buy a new tie rod, but i planned on replacing them anyway. Hope that helps you out.

 

use 2 wrenches, one on the tie rod itself and the other on the locking nut. shouldnt be that hard to get off. of course if it is the first time they've been changed they may be a little snug.

 

Yeah im sure its the first time. I mean Im a big friggin dude (380-6'3") and I mean I pushed on those damn things so hard I was seeing stars. Pickle fork? You talking about something like an air chisel? That may work, I mean I already have a new set of them, just being a bitch to get off lol. May have to get of set of flare wrenches. used them for fuel filters before at Valvoline. Btw uh...lol since its a lock nut i should be screwing it on, like away from the end right? No reverse threads or anything?

 

Tie rod ends are reverse threaded on almost every car I've ever worked on. You did all that work and never thought to just rotate it the other way? Man, you should've posted sooner

 

So if im working on it and looking at the end of the rod i should turn clockwise right?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by fatboi07 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">So if im working on it and looking at the end of the rod i should turn clockwise right?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Very good.

:cookie:

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by fatboi07 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">So if im working on it and looking at the end of the rod i should turn clockwise right?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yes, that would be the opposite way you were turning it before.

 

actually i was going that way b4. I was thinking reverse thread as in if i wanted to back it off the end i would have to turn counter clockwise. So i guess im going the right way but i just gotta get bigger tools or more ummpf.

 

Just turn it the way you weren't turning it before. Is that too difficult a suggestion to take?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Archidictus &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Tie rod ends are reverse threaded on almost every car I've ever worked on. You did all that work and never thought to just rotate it the other way? Man, you should've posted sooner </TD></TR></TABLE>

Every car I've EVER worked on, or done an alignment on has had normal threads on the front inner tie rods where the outer joins it. To put this in perspective, I run the gambit of cars from Toyota Tercels to Maserati Quattroportes. Every single one i've ever done has had normal threaded tie-rods. Lefty loosey, rightey tightey. The only acception is larger trucks which have two nuts and a sleeve on their tie-rods, which is also how Toyota and some other manufacturers do their rear toe adjustment. Those can be reverse threaded on one side, and normal on the other. Nothing you'd see on a Honda.

-Froth

 

I just did tie rod ends on a Chevy Venture and they were both reverse threaded. My father - a mechanic for as long as I've been alive - says that most of the tie rod ends he's ever replaced have also been reverse threaded. A 6+ foot 300+ pound man can't break them loose turning them one way - this leads me to believe that trying to spin them the other way might just be worth two minutes of time if it keeps him from having a stroke.

If you disagree with this assessment, perhaps you can offer a better explanation for why this hulking beast of a human being can't break loose some tiny suspension parts on a Honda Civic?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Archidictus &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I just did tie rod ends on a Chevy Venture and they were both reverse threaded. My father - a mechanic for as long as I've been alive - says that most of the tie rod ends he's ever replaced have also been reverse threaded. A 6+ foot 300+ pound man can't break them loose turning them one way - this leads me to believe that trying to spin them the other way might just be worth two minutes of time if it keeps him from having a stroke.</TD></TR></TABLE>
There's a procedure I go through every day at work, I'm a mechanic. I work for a corporately owned shop that sees 12+ alignments a day, some needing front end parts. I personally do upwards of 6 alignments a day, and with every single one I use the same Montra "Under Car, Right push tword, left pull forward" This is for breaking the jam nuts free while doing front toe. It's actually engraved on the alignment rack for the newbies that are just learning. It's stating that on the car while underneath it for the passenger side(right tie rod) you're pushing twords the car spinning the nut to the left, loosening it. Then for the driver side(left tie rod) you're pulling away from the car spinning the nut to the left and loosening it. I can attest to this as I have about 4 current scabbing over cuts on my hand from nailing lower control arms on the driver side while pulling twords myself to loosen the jam nuts.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Archidictus &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
If you disagree with this assessment, perhaps you can offer a better explanation for why this hulking beast of a human being can't break loose some tiny suspension parts on a Honda Civic?</TD></TR></TABLE>
He sucks? Has no mechanic ability? Has shoddy tools? Dunno.

To the OP: Heat the everliving crap out of the jam nut, sometimes it's the only way to do it. That's why we keep an Oxy/Acetylene torch next to the alignment rack.

-Froth

 

just look at the threads on the inner tie rods.. what way do they look like they are going? turn the lock nut to the direction away from the outer tie rod... you said you cleaned them with a wire brush.. so you have to be able to see the threads

 

Yeah I can see the threads. Ill probably go get at it with a torch tomm and try em. Btw its on jackstands and not a lift if that adds to my problem. So I have to kinda sit under the pass side wheel well at an angle to get at them so Im kinda at a bad angle. Think I might have more luck if i get it up higher off the ground? Ps, The wisecracks on here arnt needed. Lets try to keep B.s. like that out of here.

 

Mine were so rusted and frozen in place that I ended up having to replace the entire dog gone rack and pinion unit. I had to cut off one of the tie rods off to get the unit out. It was a bitch.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Froth &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
There's a procedure I go through every day at work, I'm a mechanic. I work for a corporately owned shop that sees 12+ alignments a day, some needing front end parts. I personally do upwards of 6 alignments a day, and with every single one I use the same Montra "Under Car, Right push tword, left pull forward" This is for breaking the jam nuts free while doing front toe. It's actually engraved on the alignment rack for the newbies that are just learning. It's stating that on the car while underneath it for the passenger side(right tie rod) you're pushing twords the car spinning the nut to the left, loosening it. Then for the driver side(left tie rod) you're pulling away from the car spinning the nut to the left and loosening it. I can attest to this as I have about 4 current scabbing over cuts on my hand from nailing lower control arms on the driver side while pulling twords myself to loosen the jam nuts.-Froth</TD></TR></TABLE>

I won't argue with you because I 100% believe that you're correct. I'm just saying that the tie rod ends I've replaced required reverse-spinning of the wrench at some point during installation and that it might be worth a couple seconds to make sure that's not a problem.

Perhaps newer cars aren't so Mickey-Moused as older ones

Either way, I hope the OP gets it accomplished. Sucks not being able to fix broken parts

 

do u have the tie rod end disconnected from the spindle? Just bought my manual rack from pick-a-part. One of the tie rod ends was already off. this is for a 92-95 civic. Threads are normal, not reversed. is it rusted as expletive? if so do as stated and heat it with a torch (not to the point where it turns red) and break it loose. you could also use a air-hammer

 

cotter pins? =P i'm sure you took those out already, just double check everything. it shouldn't take 45641961859 lbs of force to undo it.

good luck.

 

the torch will do the trick, just heat the nut til it's red and then crank away!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by aklano &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">the torch will do the trick, just heat the nut til it's red and then crank away!</TD></TR></TABLE>

no offense, i mean if it's worked for you then great, but if i were to try this one i'd at least have another set of lock nuts handy hahaha.

but hey mr. 380lbs 6'3", i guess i'd be down to try anything at this point.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by fatboi07 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">So if im working on it and looking at the end of the rod i should turn clockwise right?</TD></TR></TABLE>

use your logic and take a look to see which way the threads are going...

just my two cents.

 

I also do alingments every day. And I've some lock nuts so rusted/froze in place that you end up replacing the whole tie rod. It may not be the guys fault he can't get it off.

 

i totally agree. but how often do you screw something up just cause you got lazy and skipped a step?

i do it all the time haha =P