Cant get tie rod nut back on
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 21,820
Likes: 1
From: OH-IO
Rep Power: 511 
Cant get tie rod nut back on alright, me and kevin (c2i0v0i1c) we installing my springs today and ran into a little problem. we completely finished the front, but cannot get the damn nut back on the tie rod on either side. we tried everything and the tie rod bolt just kept spinning with the nut. we even took it to the only place that was onpen which was a gas station mechanic place with an air socket wrench and they couldnt do it. im thinkin of just gettin the **** welded in place because this is pissing me off because the car is shaking so bad at only 30 mph. i cant even drive to school tomorrow it is so bad, i have to have someone drive me. wtf is this problem and how do i get that bolt back on? what should i do? once i get this fixed i plan on doing the back springs which should be a hell of a lot easier hopefully. thanks for the help.
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 13,151
Likes: 3
From: Washington DC
Rep Power: 424 if you get the tie rod end properly seated in the taper, it shouldn't move. Try tapping the top of the ball joint with a rubber mallet and see if you can seat it in the steering arm. They try turning the nut on. If you got the nut on but it just spins in place now, you probably stripped the threads out of the nut. The nuts are sacrificial... they'll strip out to save the bolt. You should be able to thread it off, but you'll have to get a nut and clean the threads in the tie rod end off. Don't weld it. Its kinda dumb to weld a ball joint. then it won't move. Run a die up the threads on the tie rod end, maybe you smashed one.
Last edited by Boilermaker1; Mar 8, 2004 at 07:40 AM.
Thread Starter
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 21,820
Likes: 1
From: OH-IO
Rep Power: 511 im an idiot, i just realized what the problem was. we were following the diy on here for as to how to install the springs and completely looked over this. the bolt itself was spinning itself alsong with the nut so they would turn together. but as i was rereading the diy i saw that you have to put the oem jack over the tie rod to tighten it up because the bolt is suppossed to move in place and using the jack should stop it from spinning. hopefully i can get it to work tomorrow and then on saturday finish this up and do the rear springs which should be alot easier since their isnt so much crap in the back.
Now if you DO manage to warp the threads, all hope is not lost! Once you're finished with the install and you try to put the 17mm nut back on, it will turn the tie rod bolt as you try to screw it on, thus making no progress. To prevent it from turning, you will need to put LOTS of pressure on top of the tie rod as you screw it back on. I've heard of people wedging a piece of wood on top of it, but I find the best way to go about it is with the OEM jack. Just set it on top and raise it until you have it wedged down really good (see pic below). If that doesn't work, just wedge it more and more until it does work. If you give up, the part runs about $40 at honda dealers. Hopefully you won't have resort to that though.
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