Help! When should tie rod ends on a 2004 Honda Accord be replaced? Three weeks ago I had the wheels aligned, and no one mentioned the need for replacing tie rod ends, then. A week later I hit a curb hard and bent a wheel. Now I’m being advised that, in addition to fixing the wheel and having the wheels aligned again, I should replace the tie rod ends. The car has under 100,000 miles on it.
If they were damaged, then they should be replaced. There’s no hard and fast rule stating how often they need to be replaced. When they’re damaged, either through abuse (like hitting a curb), or worn out from age, they get replaced.
It’s likely the curb took a significant toll on at least one, and the sudden jar going through the rack may have damaged the other. Your alignment shop will have more pertinent info, as they can see yours. We can only surmise and offer this information.
Chase
"Three weeks ago I had the wheels aligned, and no one mentioned the need for replacing tie rod ends, then. A week later I hit a curb hard and bent a wheel. "
The reason you may need new tie-rods now is because you hit the curb…Hitting a curb hard enough to bend a wheel can easily damage the tie-rods.
There shouldn’t be a need to replace the other side.
You didn’t need tie rod ends three weeks ago because they weren’t damaged then.
They’re damaged now, as a result of the curb impact, and they need to be replaced, at least on the side that took the hit.
The other side may be OK, but we can’t see it from here.
If a tie rod and wheel rim is bent due to a curb strike then it’s quite possible that you may have other suspension components damaged also.
The most common is a bent control arm followed by damaged wheel hubs, struts, and in some severe cases even damage to the strut tower may be present.
Bending a wheel and a tie rod points to a pretty hard impact and if nothing else is damaged I would quite surprised.
Yeah your timing was bad. Should have hit the curb first. They are a very inmportant steering component and need to be replaced when damaged. Alignment needs to be done afterward. Its no fun to be driving and have a tie rod break. There is no mileage or other age factor. When they are loose or damaged, need to be replaced.