tie rods

[nickmp0wer]

Is there any way to tell if tierods are good or bad when they are off the car?

also i have a z3 rack comming with a bent tie rod. Its probably not i good idea but could i just bend it back? i probably wont cause i dont wanna f with my steering

[Digitalwave]

No, you don't bend back bent tire rods :down:

Check for play in the ball joints of the tie rods.

[nickmp0wer]

turns out it was the inner tie rod that was bent anyways.

one of outer ones on the z3 rack feels really tight and is kind of difficult to move. the other one however feels great.

i might just have to reuse the ones that are on my current rack but i dont know how good they are yet

[Digitalwave]

Just replace them with all new inner and outter rods while its out of the car.

[nickmp0wer]

well that would cost like 140 for new z3 ones. The car has 135k so the tie rods should have been replaced already? The guy at les schwab said new ones came with the rack which was installed about 10k ago but i dont know what brand they are. I can still clearly see the blue boot clamps on the outer ones. Maybe i'll just try to find some low milage ones used. A guy on bimmer forums is selling new e36 ones for 80 but they are meyle

[Axxe]

Good ball joint = tight

Bad ball joint = loose

[parkerbink]

I spent 150.00 on ONE tie rod because I was not about to mess with it

I am in Mexico and that is what the dealer here charged before you all start in on why didn't I get more for less.

[T.Dot E30]

You are Complaining about $140? $140 is damn well worth not having to deal with them for a while. I hate doing things twice, do it once and friggin do it right.

Sell ur car and take the dam bus.

[AdamF 88iS]

Tight and hard to move by hand=good ball joint.

[nickmp0wer]

well im wondering if thats true in this case because the one that is hard to move was on the side where the inner one got bent from a crash. The grease in it seems to be a lot more solid then in the other one so maybe thats the problem. I think im just going to use the ones that are on there now anyways, assuming they seem good when i take them off