I was recently told by someone at a well-known auto repair chain that the Tie-Rods on my 2000 Saturn SW-1 need to be replaced. How might I know if there is a problem with them? Is there something I would notice or hear during driving that would definitely tell me “fix the Tie-Rods!” ? I am suspicio…

Stay out of the auto repair chains and stick with your regular mechanic if it is someone that you know and trust. The best way to figure out if the tie rods are worn is to get the car up in the air and wiggle the wheel while you look for play. If they were bad enough you might get some vibration o…

Please see Tom and Ray’s December, 2001, Column: http://www.cartalk.com/content/columns/Archive/2001/December/03.html

Thanks for the advice! I will pay close attention to what you suggested.

Two things can go wrong with your tie rods, one the ball joints get worn out from lack of lube. then they must be replaced. It takes about 2 or 3 decades for this kind of wear to show up, except if you are a mud bogger… the other thing is the rods can get bent from driving over a parking curb whe…

I once drove an old car 200 miles, stopped in the driveway and one tie rod just fell out of its socket. Didn’t feel a thing during the drive. No vibrations and no drivability issues. One way to tell is to have someone turn the steering wheel back and forth, about 10? each way, rapidly. Watch the…

If the steering feels tight, and isn’t binding or making weird noises, the odds are you’re fine. But the only way to be sure is to put the car on a lift, see how much play there is and inspect them. I once had a tie rod break with no warning–was going around a gradual curve and the car started bou…

Tie Rods-how can I tell when they're bad?

Maintenance/Repairs

oldschool February 19, 2010, 1:41am 7

Am I stating the obvious when I say “the more worn they are the easier it is to tell if they are bad”?. Its a ball and socket, new part tolerence is in the .0001 range.

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Tie Rods-how can I tell when they're bad?

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