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  Jim Grant's Tech Tips

‘94 Nissan Sentra, Tie rod Ends?

Q: I own a ‘94 Nissan Sentra XE with power steering. The tie rod on the driver’s side is loose I can move it and the wheel assembly by hand. The other side is tight. What can cause this and how do I fix it?

- Ralph e Ramos

A: If you have a tie-rod end that is that loose you need to have it replaced immediately! The tie-rod is a ball and socket affair that is the last connection from the steering wheel to the tire. It is not uncommon for the ball and socket of the tie-rod to wear. The wear causes the ball to float inside the socket. The problem is, that once the wear starts occurring the rate of wear increases. That is because the ball and socket start pounding on each other. Once the socket and/or ball wear enough they will come apart. When that happens the affected wheel will not turn with the steering wheel and will likely point in a direction that is not desired by the driver of the vehicle. Things could get pretty messy if this were to occur. The tie-rod in most cases is fairly easy to replace. But the alignment of the vehicle should be checked after the replacement of the tie-rod. The tie-rod just happens to be an assembly that is also used to adjust the alignment of the vehicle. If you replace the tie-rod yourself, take the time to make measurements that allow you to adjust the replacement somewhat in the area of the worn tie-rod and then have the alignment checked. Don’t wait in getting this repair performed. A loose tie-rod is an unsafe thing that could send you down a path that no one wants to travel.

 
     
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