Trying to get the outer tie rod off the driver's side of my 99 maxima. I'm using "left loosely" as a guide, but I'm not sure that's right.

Hayne's manual doesn't mention it... but many forums note that one side will have left handed threading while the other will
have right handed threading.

Not sure if this thing is just jammed on there or if I am turning the nut in the wrong direction.

 

It's definitely not a left-hand (tightening direction) thread. Left will definitely remove the castle nuts. If you've got rust make sure to break out some kind of penetrating oil.

 

Thanks!

I'm referring to the "Jam nut" or the tightening nut that holds the outer tie rod to the inner tie rod.

i broke the castle nuts free and popped the tie rods out, though I am bracing them in the knuckle again.

 

I researched thread handedness:



Right hand thread = righty tighty. See the way the nut follows the thread up the shaft.

Here is a tie rod, with the jam nut highlighted and the direction I want to go:



And here is *my* tie rod jam nut and what I want to do with it:



You can see clearly that the inner tie rod is "right handed" but I need to "tighten" the nut to move it away from the outer tie rod.

I heated it up last night and turned it in the wrong direction with all my might... Verified this by breaking the jam nut free on the passenger's side by turning it to the RIGHT. :P

 

10 minutes with a propane torch and turning in the correct direction, it's off! Hallelujah!

 

I was gonna say counter-clockwise to tighten and clockwise to loosen. If it's rusted soak it with pb and torch it it should come off.