A very specific question about aftermarket tie rod ends

Maintenance/Repairs
1

I’m replacing a tie rod end on a 1997 Hyundai Elantra, and the original end has a hole in the exterior threaded part that goes into the steering knuckle for the cotter pin to slide through. The aftermarket one does not. The parts store doesn’t have another one to compare it to… so I’m wondering if this is common, or if I should get the part somewhere else?



Thanks!

2

It could be that the nut is a self-locking style that does not need a cotter pin. Look at the nut, if it has crimped edges or a plastic crown then it is self-locking.

3

There is a replacement nut which is rounded on one end. I don’t know if its a locking nut.

4

Try turning it on by hand. If there is considerable resistance, it is likely to be a self-locking nut.

Another version of the locking mechanism is a crimp in the center of the nut. It will have a square indent on one or more sides of the nut.

5

Wow, I have never heard of a tie rod end that was not locked by a cotter pin. Frankly, I’d be mighty leery of that.

6

OK, I decided to call a couple more parts stores. It seems all of the aftermarkets don’t have a hole for a cotter pin. The responses I got ranged from “I wouldn’t put that on my car” to “you should be OK with a locknut”. It seems it is a locknut, because its not possible to thread it all the way on by hand, and it won’t thread on the other way.

Thanks for the responses.