1996 850 Tie Rod Replacement Topic is solved

osmium · Post by **osmium** » 26 Oct 2016, 15:15

Shop that did an alignment on my 850 said the tie rods need to be replaced. They were unable to set the left toe-in because the rod was frozen and they were concerned they'd damage or break it and they didn't have replacements on hand. They'll do the job for $238 and redo the alignment. Been using them for years for tires and alignments. They're honest and do good work, so I believe them.

How difficult is it to replace those myself? Do both sides have to replaced at the same time? Should the inner and outer be done since I'll be working done there? I have air tools.

Got a tear in the left CV boot which they don't do.

-Os

Post by **kahl** » 26 Oct 2016, 20:41

I would do both sides plus inner and outer. Probably overkill but I like to replace in pairs. Large pipe wrench on the inner will break the nut off the rack. Get new boots. Job is about a 3 on a scale of 10.

Replacing the axle is about a 2 on a scale of 10. Well documented in this forum.

Post by **theWIFES_S70** » 26 Oct 2016, 22:41

Even easier if you use this tool instead of the pipe wrench (or if you don't have a pipe wrench)...

For a little under $200 you could replace the inners and outers with TRWs, get new boots, and pay for an alignment! My brother had a Moog outer tie rod end that failed in a year. If they replace the part, I'd ask to know what part they're using. If it's a Volvo part, I think it's a little expensive, but fair considering their overhead costs. Especially if they're your shop.

Last year, my mechanics told me I needed to change my Evap Purge Valve to pass inspection. I paid it, I think $150? I know I overpaid. But they've done good work for me for over a fifteen years. And even the most adventurous DIYer sometimes need a mechanic every now and then, especially here in NY for smog testing. So keeping a mechanic happy is worth it in the long run. Especially if they don't try to force $1k services on your car right at inspection. This year, I passed emissions with flying colors.

kahl's right about the difficulty level... not a hard job at all to do. Shoot, do it over the weekend and if you run into any problems, just post a picture and a message and someone will get back to you in a half an hour or less!

firestarterpro · Post by **firestarterpro** » 26 Oct 2016, 22:46

I used clamp pliers and a large stone to break the inner tie rods loose.

Just clamp it good and tight either way you go.

Post by **jreed** » 27 Oct 2016, 05:04

I replaced both inner and outer tie rods on both sides when I did the job a couple years ago. The inner rods were in great shape and didn't need to be replaced, but I wasn't sure they were still good before I started in on the job.
I wrote up the process I used here:
https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... hp?t=58194

Post by **erikv11** » 27 Oct 2016, 08:27

The CV, is the tear recent enough that you can just replace the boot? You don't want road grime getting in there, it will ruin the CV joint. And the Volvo axles are basically irreplaceable, all of the aftermarket versions are plagued by high failure rates. I would take care of that CV. You can do it at the same time you do the tie rods.

Since the jam nuts are frozen on the outers, I would go ahead and do all 4 with TRW parts. Measure the length of each tie rod assembly after you remove it, and match that up on the new assembly before it goes in. That way the alignment will be reasonable for the drive down to the alignment job.

osmium · Post by **osmium** » 27 Oct 2016, 09:18

The car was in for state inspection about a month ago. The garage didn't say anything about a boot tear. The CV joint isn't making any clicking sounds so I'm hoping that I'll only need to change the boot. I'll look at it this weekend.

What brand boot or Volvo genuine?

Are the boots on the steering rack different on the driver and passenger sides? I figured I'll replace those too.

Post by **erikv11** » 27 Oct 2016, 10:03

GKN/Lobro is the original. So that or Volvo on the boot.

Great info from northernlights here about CV boot jobs: https://www.matthewsvolvosite.com/forums ... hp?t=64252. Bottom line is for the outer CV you want GKN 300427, usually about $12 from AutohausAZ.

Steering rack boots are the same on both sides. Those are just dust boots, I now just leave them if they are still intact as the replacements I ordered once from FCP were garbage - made of plastic, too short. But I'm sure you can get a decent boot if you look around.

harryhendo · Post by **harryhendo** » 28 Oct 2016, 06:10

Replacing the CV boots is a really messy job. Grease is everywhere, and its a pain to get the CV joint off the shaft just to replace the boot. I just installed a rebuilt complete axle shaft, only $49 from FCPEuro. Straightforward, quick, and painless. So that's only $38 more than just the boot! Well worth it. At 253K miles, you'll need the CV replaced sooner or later anyway.

Post by **erikv11** » 28 Oct 2016, 08:46

With a $49 axle, you may be back in there replacing the whole thing within a year. Or next week, depending on your tolerance and luck of the draw. Guess how it is possible to make that rebuilt axle so amazingly cheap ...

The factory CV axles go beyond 300k no problem, as long as they are kept free of grime (i.e. don't run them long on a split boot). At $49 they may just be cleaning them up and slapping on new boots, that would be ideal actually, since the factory CV is about 14 million times better than the ones out of China. But I don't know, did you get a look at the CVs before you put it in?