Hi,
my firend had almost a fatel accident with TIE ROD END failure in his car, thing actually flipped over and went into a 5ft high snow bank which saved his life..i got a 95 MAX 120K never done TIE ROD ENDS, anyone know when these should be done or has anyone had expericen with replacement ?

thank you

 

Jack up the entire front end WITH A FLOOR JACK, grab the tire at 3 and 9 o'clock and move the tire toward/away from you. If you feel any play/clunking it could either be the outer (easy to replace) or inner (harder to replace) tie rod. If you feel clunking then you can isolate which one by prying underneath the tie rod ball joint. If there is play (there should be none) then its the outer. If its tight then make an appointment to have a shop replace the inner.

 

Tie rod ends do not have a service interval (they last the life of most cars), but they should be inspected periodically for wear and play.

A catastrophic tie-rod end failure (like your friend experienced) is usually preceeded by substantial wear and should be easily detectable with a cursory inspection.

Excessive wear, or "play" can be felt in the steering wheel while the vehicle is at a standstill by gently rocking the steering wheel from left to right 3" one way, then 3" the other way.

By having a helper sit in the vehicle and perform this action on the steering wheel, look under the front of the car (wheels on the ground) at the tie-rod ends. If they're excessively worn, you may observe play in the joint as the steering input is made from the rod and the steering knuckle responds later. (they should move together in the same direction with no delay)

If you have any doubts, have your car inspected by a qualified front-end shop.