Inner Tierod End?? Straight or angled?

[raygreenwood]

The sust boot compresses somewhat. Pull the dust boot off. Trim the white sleeve down to the metal. Install the arm in the idler arm.... tighten the nut until the oin stops going in. Its a taper fit. Now... meaure the gap between the arm and the center tie rod where the white plastic used to be. Use a caliper. This is where you will fit washer around the pin to make up this gap. You must be precise. If its a loose fit, it will not help. If its more than about .002" too thick...it will start compressing the rest of the plastic inside the joint. Take your time, use the file and dremel tool to get the thickness just right. Use a pickle fork to separatethe parts again. Put the angled side of the pickle fork against the idler arm...so the sliding motion is against the more solid arm. Or you can use a pitman arm puller. This is easiest to do when the idler arm is off the car. Do the same to the steering box arm. Put a very thin smear of grease between the shims. You can also do this with solid bushings...in fact thats better than washers....but washers are just fine. Make them as wide a diameter as you canget....preferably as wide asthe joint end on the centerlink. Th hole in the center should start out smaller than the pin....so you can widen them to a tight fit. The dust boot will no longer fit. Seal all the washer edges with a thin smear of high temp silicone like permatex black. This seals just as well if not better than the dust boot. This will make the centerlink last almost forever and be much better handling. Ray

[raygreenwood]

The sust boot compresses somewhat. Pull the dust boot off. Trim the white sleeve down to the metal. Install the arm in the idler arm.... tighten the nut until the oin stops going in. Its a taper fit. Now... meaure the gap between the arm and the center tie rod where the white plastic used to be. Use a caliper. This is where you will fit washer around the pin to make up this gap. You must be precise. If its a loose fit, it will not help. If its more than about .002" too thick...it will start compressing the rest of the plastic inside the joint. Take your time, use the file and dremel tool to get the thickness just right. Use a pickle fork to separatethe parts again. Put the angled side of the pickle fork against the idler arm...so the sliding motion is against the more solid arm. Or you can use a pitman arm puller. This is easiest to do when the idler arm is off the car. Do the same to the steering box arm. Put a very thin smear of grease between the shims. You can also do this with solid bushings...in fact thats better than washers....but washers are just fine. Make them as wide a diameter as you canget....preferably as wide asthe joint end on the centerlink. Th hole in the center should start out smaller than the pin....so you can widen them to a tight fit. The dust boot will no longer fit. Seal all the washer edges with a thin smear of high temp silicone like permatex black. This seals just as well if not better than the dust boot. This will make the centerlink last almost forever and be much better handling. Ray

[raygreenwood]

The dust boot compresses somewhat. Pull the dust boot off. Trim the white sleeve down to the metal. Install the arm in the idler arm.... tighten the nut until the pin stops going in. Its a taper fit. Now... meaure the gap between the arm and the center tie rod where the white plastic used to be. Use a caliper. This is where you will fit the washers around the pin to make up this gap. You must be precise. If its a loose fit, it will not help. If its more than about .002" too thick...it will start compressing the rest of the plastic inside the joint. Take your time, use the file and dremel tool to get the thickness just right. Use a pickle fork to separate the parts again. Put the angled side of the pickle fork against the idler arm...so the sliding motion is against the more solid arm. Or you can use a pitman arm puller ...which is better...to separate them. This is easiest to do when the idler arm is off the car. Do the same to the steering box arm. Put a very thin smear of grease between the shims. You can also do this with solid bushings...in fact thats better than washers....but washers are just fine. Make them as wide a diameter as you can get....preferably as wide as the joint end on the centerlink. The hole in the center should start out smaller than the pin....so you can widen them to a tight fit. The dust boot will no longer fit. Seal all the washer edges with a thin smear of high temp silicone like permatex black. This seals just as well if not better than the dust boot. This will make the centerlink last almost forever and be much better handling. Ray

[vwbill]

Hey Ray, havent modified the centerlink yet. Tried to install the inner tierod ends but the threading on the new ones are not the normal threading. I guess right hand threading is standard(turns to the right to tighten it) then these must be left hand threaded,lol!
I cant get anything to go right! I think since I open the plastic I cant return them either! Well I'll try to order something else???? Ahhhhrgg!Thx Bill

[raygreenwood]

Please...wait until I get back to Dallas friday....I am in Austin. I have the part #'s you need. Also look back in the posts...I think I posted them before. Ray

[vwbill]

Hey Ray, got the straight right hand thread ends today but was wondering if you have ever seen the original angled ones available anywhere?
I found this site(http://www.sir-autoparts.com/) that has the 311415818B number listed there. Thx, Bill
My parts guy said he tried vw and nogo. Think the U.k. or someone might actually have nos or are these just the straight ones?

[raygreenwood]

I have never been able to get the bent ones. Just not enough call for them I guess. Ray

[vwbill]

Hey Ray, got a email from those guys that listed the angle ends but said they havent started producing them yet. Have to use the straight ones.
Hey when I redo the tie rods should I keep the lenght measurements the same as when they came off or should I make them the same lenght?
Thanks, Bill


p.s. I thought i seen them at another site also but cant find it. I think it was over sea also, maybe New Zealand? Found it, it was Australia, Micksmotors at Mickmotors.com.au , I email them to see???

[raygreenwood]

Make them the length of the ones in the car you are working on. Just remember, if you are using wider tires than stock, or wider rims...or both, you will need slightly more toe-in than what the factory reccommends. On 195-15's...about 1.5* more. On 205-15's about 2* more. Ray