Does anyone know where a good resource is to get schematics? I have a 2003 Santa Fe and there are some obvious bad parts to the front suspension (can see grease coming out, bad bootie, etc.), but not sure exactly what the parts are called. Trying to use Google gives mixed results including weeding out pictures that aren’t for my vehicle. Want to get these identified so I can replace them, they at least are easy off easy on bolts, so pretty sure I can do it myself. Thanks.
You might first want to consider that the grease may be there as a result of a quick lube tech being generous with his grease gun to make it obvious that he had done his job.
I would suggest just to be safe have a front end shop look at your vehicle (there will be a fee) and give an estimate of what you really need and cost. After that decide if you want to really be under a vehicle that is on jack stands and still will need alignment after your done. I don’t think you will save much money if you have to buy floor jack and stands and wheel chocks.
If I could figure out how to upload photos I could show them. I don’t think it is overzealous greasing. One is the stabilizer link (thin vertical rod), the other is maybe a tie rod. Neither look like they are equipped to be greased.
By the way, I have a floor jack, two scissor jacks, and two jack stands. I’ve done lots of different type of repairs, just never suspension so not familiar with the parts are what they are called. Hence a good proper schematic would help.
The dealer’s parts guy should be able to show and perhaps print an “exploded view” drawing of the front suspension, complete with part nomenclatures.
Factory service manuals have the diagrams and parts names along with a ton of other information.
Thanks Tester. That confirms the stabilizer bar link is one of them. I guess some of it isn’t considered part f the suspension. The other one is possibly a tie rod, located just behind the wheel. Going to attempt to upload a photo.
Raise that tire off the ground.
Grab the tire at the 3 & 9 o:clock positions and try shaking the tire.
If you can shake the tire, that tie rod end is worn.
Tester
When the CV joint was replaced recently the tie rod end was seperated from the steering knuckle and it appears that the tie rod end boot was replaced.
Hmmm?
When did the OP state anything was done with the CV joint?
Tester
look at that pic. That CV boot looks extremely new compared to the rest of what we can see. The tie rod boot also looks pretty new.
I’m guessing that is what @Rod_Knox is referring too.
I noticed the same thing about the CV boot. It looks new.
AllReset, was the half shaft replaced? Was there anything else done that wasn’t mentioned?
This was a recent purchase. To my knowledge nothing was done to it other than I pointed out a boot on the other side that was obviously torn. They may have replaced that one too but I didn’t get completely under the car to see. The boot on the other end of that is completely shredded.
I know this was sold as is, and they did minimal work to it, so doubt any major parts were replaced.
Do you mean the boot on the other end of the halfshaft (the inner CV boot) or the boot on the other halfshaft?
Does the rest of the halfshaft look new, or does it look like a “split boot” was installed?
… good luck.
TSM, the other end of the shaft. Sorry, don’t know all the nomenclature. It looked old, was covered in crud and torn in multiple folds. Not sure up to determine if the entire shaft needs replacing or just the boot. For now want to get the relatively easy parts done, namely tie rod and stabilizer.
Just have the whole thing done by a professional shop and be done with it. This is the front suspension we are talking about that controls silly things like keeping the vehicle going where it is supposed to go.
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I don’t think they could have pulled the tie rod end off. The cotter key is still rusted and the threads don’t look like the nut was unfastened. So its a mystery. Must be a split boot or something but why not do both? Replacing the axle though is not necessarily an easy job and the tie rod end is a little more than just unbolting the thing. Plus an alignment should be done afterwards.
That’s not necessarily a problem needing fixing. On my Corolla at least it is not possible to grease that ball joint with it assembled, no zerk fitting. That’s probably true of your Sante Fe too. It gets some grease whenever the ball joint is disassembled, like when servicing the cv joint to replace the boot or whatever. I wonder if someone has attempted to grease it anyway, just push some grease under the boot? It’s a little ugly, but might help. Unless there’s some mechanical play at that joint, I wouldn’t worry much about that.
Whether the ball joint has been removed recently, hard to say. It’s possible it was. They might have just re-used the cotter pin, and the rust at the end of the bolt would return to looking like that pretty fast as it is splashed with water from time to time.
That’s a good photo for reference purposes OP. Whenever I change the oil on my Corolla, while the oil drains I wash off that boot with some soap and warm water. Removes oil, grease, and road grit. Helps it to last longer.