If your steering wheel feels loose or is pointing to the left or right when driving the tie rods may be worn out. Here we go over the steps on how to fix these problems by replacing the outer tie rods on a Chevy.
Symptoms
Below are some of the most common symptoms of bad tie rods.
- Loose steering,
- Steering wheel shaking when hitting bumps
- Steering wheel shaking on highway driving
- Excessive steering wheel play
- Noise such as clunking or knocking
- The car pulls to one side due to the alignment issue
- Steering wheel vibrations
What you will need
- Chevrolet Outer Tie Rod
- Tie Rod Removal Tool
- Basic Hand Tools
- Car Jack
- Jack Stands
Procedure
- Park the Chevrolet on level ground and pull the hood release under the dashboard to open the hood.
- Set the parking barking brakes before starting to work on your Chevrolet.
- Break loose the lug nuts before jacking up the Chevrolet but do not remove them.
- Jack up the car and remove the front wheel. First, start by securing at least one of your vehicle’s tires. Next, jack up the car using a floor jack. Place a jack stand to support the vehicle.
- Locate the outer tie rod. Here is a picture of the tie rod on a Chevrolet.
- Remove the cotter pin (split pin) from the tie rod end.
This will allow you to remove the castle nut. - Remove the castle nut from the steering knuckle of your Chevrolet.
If the threads are rusted, use a wire brush to clean the threads. Apply penetrating oil and allow it to soak. Counter hold the tie rod end; otherwise, the castle nut will spin and refuse to come out. - Use a wrench to loosen up the bolt that locks the outer tie rod to the inner tie rod.
- Next, use a marker or chalk to mark the threads at the end of the outer tie rod. This will help keep the alignment as close to stock as possible when installing the new outer tie rod.
- Use a tie rod puller or separator to disconnect the tie rod from the steering knuckle.
Do not use a fork if you plan on reusing the same tie rod because a fork will damage the boot. - Remove the old tie rod by turning it counterclockwise several times. The inner tie rod has many threads, which can take a while.
- Install the new tie rod in reverse order. Torque the castle and jam nut to specification.
- Drive the vehicle to an alignment shop to have the wheel aligned.
Here is a picture of the tie rod on a Chevrolet.
This will allow you to remove the castle nut.
If the threads are rusted, use a wire brush to clean the threads. Apply penetrating oil and allow it to soak. Counter hold the tie rod end; otherwise, the castle nut will spin and refuse to come out.
This will help keep the alignment as close to stock as possible when installing the new outer tie rod.
Do not use a fork if you plan on reusing the same tie rod because a fork will damage the boot.
Follow the step-by-step instructions below to learn how to replace tie rods on Chevrolet. This guide applies to Chevrolet (Chevy) Spark, Sonic, Bolt, Volt, Cruze, Malibu, Impala, Camaro, Corvette, City Express, Trax, Equinox, Traverse, Tahoe, Suburban, Colorado, Silverado, Sonic, Blazer, Astro, HHR, Uplander, Avalanche, etc.
We hope you find this guide, “Replace Tie Rod on a Chevy,” helpful. Check these troubleshooting and repair guides for more help on your Chevrolet vehicle.