Hi everybody,

The biggest pain on replacing the inner tie rods and tie rod ends on my wife's 1993 940 was pounding down the lock washer to make a tab to hold the inner tie rods in position. Too much pounding, of course, fatigues the metal.

Anybody have a better technique? Should I have used a large waterpump pliers to first bend the washer down, then pound?

Should I have to worry about that fatigued bent-over tab? (I also put Loctite Medium on the threads going into the steering rack shaft.)

Thanks.

 

I would recommend NOT pounding on steering components in/around the rack or steering box. Use large water pump pliers to bend the washer over and smash it down onto the flat; no need to get it perfectly flat with a hammer. Remember, all it needs to do is keep the tie rod from backing out if it comes loose (which it won't if it's properly tightened).

You are only supposed to use those washers once, so metal fatigue should not be an issue.

If you're using the loctite, you really don't need the washer, but it doesn't hurt; now it's double safe.

 

Thanks, gdog. Well, I got a Scan Tech left inner tie rod with new lock washer and a Meyle right inner tie rod without lock washer, both from FCP Groton. So, I had to reuse one of the old lock washers. The FCP Groton parts guy said Meyle inner tie rods do not come with the lock washer. I'm communicating with Meyle now to ask why.