Can someone tell me what Tie Rod Ends are? I've been told by my mechanic that I need to replace them. Why does the car need to be realigned when I get this service?

I think u have meet a set of Auto bandits. Think u need to a real mechanic who will give u an honest answer. I can tell o lot of stuff what can can cause bc that noise. But that may be be coming a waste of time.

Inner tie rods rarely if ever need to be replaced in my experience: outer tie rod ends are far more common. Its not impossible so here's how.

1. remove the tie rod ends from the knuckle.
2. remove the clamp for the rubber bellows on the rack ends, and slide the bellows down the rod.
3. Turn the rack to fullleft or right as needed to get access to the inner rod end that screws into the rack.
4. There's a lock tab that has to be bent flat. This locks the rod end into the rack.
5. You'll need a (probably) 32mm wrench to undo the rod end from the rack.
6. Note how the lock tab is fitted to the rack/rod end.

7. Put in the new tie rods.

If your garage mechanic told you the inner tie rods are worn out, I'd ask why they think so. At step 4. above, try rotating the rod. This should be quite difficult. There should be NO evidence of slop or wear in the inner joint. What more commonly wears is the bushes on the end of the rack. These bushes are easily replacable with the rack in the car.The tie rods have to be removed to do this. So, when the rods are off, inspect the rack bushes for wear.

SD

Jack the front of the car up high enough to get under it, put jack stands under the car for safety.

Start on either side and check the tie rod ends for looseness. If you have someone to help, have them hold one tire with hands at 3 and 9 o'clock while you grab the other tire the same way. Try to move the tire by pushing and pulling. If you feel movement, have your helper sit in the car and move the steering wheel 1/4 to 1/2 turn left and righ as you check the tie rods for which one or ones are loose.

Once you have found out which to replace, after they are replaced, you will need to have the car aligned.

Replacing tires every six months is not the worst--Sooner or later a sloppy tie rod let's go. They don't always go out all at once, but sooner or later they all need replaced.

Hello, There is a reservoir line coming out of the bottom of the reservoir tank. This line goes to the front fluid cooler under the drivers' side front bumper. The line has both metal and rubber on it and the line mounts to the frame with plastic clips. The plastic clips hold moisture and salt next to the metal part of the line and it rusts. The frame will hide the leak and the line will draw in air making foam inside the pump. Check this line from the reservoir to the cooler.

Next, as the original owner of a 1999 model, I received a Service notice about the tie-rod ends. It said a Mechanic should separate the tie-rod ends when lubing the truck to check for rust in the socket of the tie-rod end. These are sealed fittings from the factory, Ford could have included fittings in the first place. I don't see any Mechanic doing the procedure without replacing the end.
So your tie-rod could need Service.

Check upper and lower ball-joints, rust can make the steering hard on any vehicle. If you decide to change out the pump, check whether the new pump comes with the pulley. Some of the pulleys require a special tool you can borrow from an Autoparts store and some pulley tools are meant to be used while the pump is still on the truck.

Steering and turning the wheels is also dependent on the front-end alignment. The alignment is something you can not do yourself, but the Mechanic would inspect the different things I mentioned for the ball-joints and tie-rods ends. To save money, you could replace all the ends yourself, by counting the number of turns each tie-rod end takes to come off. Then replace the end with the same number of turns. You would be close enough to drive for an Alignment.

I hope I have provided very good information for fixing your truck. Make sure the front tires are inflated well and have the heavy stuff done by someone with the right tools.

I am not sure what you mean by tie rod tool but I am a mechanic and all i ever use for tie rod ends is a wrench and two hammers. hit the part the tie rod goes through not the tie rod itself.

You will need to rent or borrow in inner tie rod tool but here are the directions.
1. Break the jam nut on inner tie rod to outer loose.
2. Remove nut from outer tie rod attaching it to steering knuckle.
3. Use hammer to get tie rod out of knuckle.
4. Unscrew outer tie rod then jam nut
5. Remove clamp from boot and slide off inner tie rod.
6. Using side cutter or hammer and chisel break off metal clamp on the inside of inner tie rod boot.
7. Using inner tie rod tool, unscrew inner tie rod from rack and pinion
8. Reinstall parts and have it aligned

you have to go to the car shop to thread the tie rod ends . If not any more possible then replace tie rod ends.that is you can do it and if you have equipment to do it .But if you cant then you have to go to a car mechanic shop to let them do it.

try moving the ends of the tie rod. there should be a metal sticking out of the rubber ball like part at the end. A worn out tie rod would be easily moved with bear hands while a new one will take some muscle.

yes, its a tie rod problem. Bring your car to a shop with computerized wheel alignment tools and have your wheel aligned

45 Ft-lbs Tie-rod balljoint stud-to-steering knuckle nut, and 55 Ft-lbs Tie-rod (outer)- to- inner jam lock nut