Frozen tie rod end....help! - NJFBOA - Home of New Jersey's Camaros and Firebirds

HardcoreZ28 · 02-05-2010, 07:18 AM

Hey guys... I've got a bit of a predicament that I could use some help with. I had to rebuild the front end on my truck this week because everything was beyond shot. I got the new balljoints, idler arm, pitman arm, and 3 tie rods in. The outer tie rod on the driver side is stuck in the adjusting sleeve....presumably with rust.

Normally I'd just buy a new adjusting sleeve but my truck is lifted and has extra long, heavy duty sleeves on it. If I had to buy another it would be costly and take a few days to get it here. I got the jamb nut loose but the rod end won't turn. I penetrated it with WD-40, tried heating it with a propane torch which I know doesn't get very hot, and then I even went as far as burning some heavy welds onto the tie rod to heat it up. The thing still won't budge.

Any suggestions on how to get this thing loose?? My only other guesses right now are my map gas torch which I need to get back from my brother in law this weekend, or an oxy/acetlyn torch to really get the adjusting sleeve red hot.

BonzoHansen · 02-05-2010, 07:34 AM

WD40 is lousy as penetrant. Get PB Blaster.

Put one end in a vise, heat the sleeve, that mapp gas setup should be fine, use a pipe wrench to try to turn it. You may be SOL.

HardcoreZ28 · 02-05-2010, 07:39 AM

I'll try some PB.....all I had in the shop at midnight was WD-40. I had the whole assembly....both tie rods and sleeve in a vice with a pipe over the stud on the rod end and it just started slipping around in the vice. Hopefully the heat loosens it up. The other 3 practically came right out. What a headache!

sweetbmxrider · 02-05-2010, 08:15 AM

i vote kroil but pretty much what bonzo said is all you can really do. whack it with a hammer too, might break some rust free.

WildBillyT · 02-05-2010, 09:48 AM

I think oxy may be your only hope. Kroil over PB in this case.

HardcoreZ28 · 02-05-2010, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WildBillyT

I think oxy may be your only hope. Kroil over PB in this case.

Of course it is.....because I don't have an oxy torch hahah.

PolarBear · 02-12-2010, 03:06 PM

You try tightening it first and then try backing it out? Sometimes you can get it loose of what ever is holding it in there

BigAls87Z28 · 02-13-2010, 12:36 AM

is MAPP and PB wont do it, then you are SOL.

Pampered-Z · 02-13-2010, 12:14 PM

One other thing to try is to soak it in 50/50 water+Vinagar mixture, buy a gallon, cut the top off and drop it in the vinagar for a day. ( might want to leave it outside if it's above freezing! ).