Acura Tie Rod Replacement DIY

Replacing the tie rod on Acura is an easy job. Plan on average one hour to change an Acura tie rod.

Keep in mind that front wheel alignment is required after tie rod replacement.

Symptoms

Below are some of the most common indicators of a bad tie rod.

• Loose steering,
• Steering wheel shaking when going over bumps,
• Steering wheel shaking at highway driving,
• Excessive steering wheel play,
• Noise such as clunking or knocking from suspension,
• Acura pulls to one side due to alignment issue,
• Acura steering wheel vibrations at high speed

What you will need

• ACURA tie rod
• Tie Rod Removal Tool
• Mechanic Metric Toolset 
• Jack and Stands

Procedure

1. Park the ACURA on a flat surface. Place the shifter in park.
2. Remember to set the parking brakes before you start working on your ACURA and block the wheels with wheel chocks.   Before raising the ACURA, you need to break loose the lug nuts. 

3. Jack up the car and remove the front wheel. Jack up the car using a floor jack. Place a jack stand to support the vehicle. 
4. Locate the outer tie rod. The picture shows the location of the outer tie rod on an Acura TL.

5. Locate the cotter pin and remove it.

6. Remove the cotter pin (split pin) from the tie rod end. This will allow you to remove the castle nut. 
7. Remove the castle nut from the steering knuckle of your ACURA. If the threads are rusted, use a wire brush to clean the threads.
8. Apply penetrating oil and allow it to soak.
9. Counter hold the tie rod end, or the castle nut will just sping and refuse to come out. 
10. Use a wrench to loosen up the locking bolt that secures the outer tie rod to the inner tie rod. 
11. Next, use a marker or chalk to mark the threads at the end of the outer tie rod. This will help with keeping the alignment as close to stock as possible.
12. You will still need to align the front wheels. 
13. Use a tie rod puller or separator to disconnect the tie rod from the steering knuckle.
14. Do not use a fork if you plan on reusing the same tie rod because a fork will damage the boot. 
15. Remove the old tie rod by turning it counterclockwise several times. The inner tie rod has many threads, so this can take a while. 
16. Install the new tie rod in reverse order. Torque the castle and jam nut to specification. 
17. Get your wheels aligned at a wheel alignment shop near you. 

This guide applies to Acura models such as

• MDX
• NSX
• RDX
• RL RLX
• RSX
• SLX
• TL TLX
• ZDX
• CDX
• CL
• VSX
• EL
• ILX
• Integra
• Legend models 1998-2019.

Changing the tie rod on your ACURA model requires a few basic tools.

The typical cost to change the ACURA model tie rod is between $360 and $480 at an auto repair shop or ACURA dealer. You can save money by replacing the tie rod yourself. New tie rods for ACURA typically cost between $50 and $80.