Posted by Clint Dixon [172.70.179.108] on Sunday, August 24, 2025 at 07:56:13 :
In Reply to: How Do I Install Tie Rod Ends... posted by Kevin [172.70.230.51] on Saturday, August 23, 2025 at 12:09:47 :
You have been given a couple of different ideas. You will probably be given more as there is more than one way to skin a cat.
Keep in mind that there will be minuscule slop in components even if they are all new, and possibly even more slop if they are old. You don't want this slop to effect your setting. The right way is to first adjust the camber to the factory setting, then the caster, and lastly the toe-in. This is per the Chrysler shop manuals.
Back to the slop. The truck needs to be driven forward on a hard level surface for at least one full revolution of the tires to take any remaining slop out of the mating components and to replicate the condition that will be encountered while driving down the road. No matter what method you choose to measure, the first measurement should be taken between the REARS of the front tires or wheels at a distance from the ground that equals the height of the center line of the front axle from the ground. Mark these two points (left and right) exactly and then record this dimension.
Then roll the truck ahead a distance to equal on half a rotation of the front tires. This will put the left and right points now at the front of the tires and at exactly the same distance from the ground again. Take another measurement using the same exact method as before, record it and compare to the previous result. The Chrysler shop manuals list a desired toe-in measurement of 1/6" to 1/8".
If you need to adjust the tie rod ends in order to arrive at the above stated toe-in, keep in mind that the two driver side side has course threads and the passenger side has fine threads. Use the driver's side adjustment first. If you cannot get between 1/16" and 1/8" toe-in, get as close as you can by adjusting the driver's side and then adjust the passenger side to fine tune the dimension by half of the distance through each turn.
Each time you remove a tie rod end from the steering knuckle to make and adjustment, you need start over by backing the truck back up again to where you started and go through steps of rolling it forward to remove all slop from the components, checking at the rear of the tires, rolling the tires one half rotation forward, and checking the exact same points at the front.
During this process the tires never leave the ground, the trucks needs to be unloaded, the tires fully inflated and you need to be working on a hard, clean, level, concrete surface. And, each time you reattach one or both tie-rod ends to the steering knuckles after adjustment, they need to have their nuts torqued down in order to remove all slop from between the tapered tie-rod end studs and the tapered holes in the steering knuckles before you take another set of measurements. You should also be careful to assure that one front tire is not worn substantially more than the other.
It also helps to completely clean the threads in the ti-rod ends as well as the threads on the ends of the tie rod itself. Apply a lite coat of anti-seize to the threads before assembly and be sure to tighten down the clamp bolts on the ends when finished to assure the threads between the tie rod and ends do not wallow out from road vibration.
Junor
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