Volvo 850 DIY (50 pics!) Inner & Outer Tie Rod replacement

[songzunhuang]

I'm curious. If the inners appear fine, but the boots are torn. Can I just clean them up and replace the boots and outer tie rods? If so, after cleanup, do I need to put some kind of lube on the inners before reassembly? Was it originally axle grease or what?

It occurs to me that the outers look easy to replace. The inners look like more of a pain.

[dosbricks]

Dosbricks, if your inner tie rods are in the same good condition that mine were at ~175K miles (on a '97 855) then I wouldn't change them. I took a gamble that both inners and outers might be bad and replaced all four joints on both sides, but the inners were fine...

Thanks for the advice. There is also some risk to weigh of damaging a rack seal if the inners prove really stubborn to get loose. Maybe the leaking ATF from the rack seals which you discovered inside the boots kept those inners from getting dried out and wearing? I expect to find the same thing on the S70 (wife's car) because it used to drip a little until I finally got her trained not to turn the steering wheel with the car sitting still after she backed out of the garage = it hasn't leaked any on the garage floor for many years.

We also avoid turning the wheels all the way to lock and holding them there. When you are in it with these cars for the l-o-n-g haul (16 years to date), I've always felt it easier to baby them a bit than to do heavy duty repairs in the future. Now we can't drive anything but a white-block P80 because I won't surrender my knowledge of them, but as they age I find myself having to learn more. Thank heavens for this forum and guys who document a DIY the way you did.

[matthew1]

Mr. Reed, this writeup has somehow escaped the Volvo Repair Database's immense powers to include good material. Until now. Great job.

[precopster]

Great write-up and the first of its kind here on MVS!! Good idea to measure the threads and return that setting when replacing with new tie rods.

It will still require a toe adjustment when done as a 1/4 turn of the tie rod gives a 2mm change in alignment. YES you read correctly.

I performed an alignment by getting info from a higher source (You Tube ) The video I used uses the sidewalls of the tires to measure the alignment by means of a builder's square. I wouldn't recommend this method unless the sidewalls are like new. In my case I had only done 5,000kms on the new tires so sidewalls were not scuffed.

[jreed]

The tie rod end video link from Dan Reed in the post above is no longer active, but the same video can be found on YouTube here:

[ThommyKent]

A better way of doing it yourself is to take measurements directly off the brake discs.

[akwon]

Wish I had read this write-up before attempting my tie rod replacement... Rob's (rspi) videos make it look so easy. Really great walk through Jason!

Spent most of the afternoon trying to get the inner tie rod loose with NO luck. I was using channel-lock pliers and couldn't get a firm enough hold on the end. Granted, I didn't try holding the steering rack with another set to counter the torque. With the pliers slipping, not sure if it would've helped. I've now read a few recommendations for a pipe wrench, so I'll give that a shot tomorrow (after a trip to the hardware store).

Thanks to everyone on here for being generous with their knowledge and experience. Hope to someday be able to return in kind.

[jreed]

akwon-- Thanks for the feedback. I agree with your idea to give the pipe wrench method a try. Before I tackled the tie-rod job I went out to Harbor Freight and picked up a big (18") pipe wrench for relatively small money (I think it was $7). I would recommend a counterhold if possible to prevent twisting the steering rack -- just a gentle grip with a pair of channel-lock pliers should be enough. At least on my '97 850 the tie rod was held in place with threadlock compound, so you have to apply enough force to overcome it's breaking strength. Good luck!

[jeffsws]

Next it is time to install the new boot over the inner tie rod end. Remove the rust-preventative paper and the yellow plastic cap if you haven’t already. I applied a little silicone grease to the mating lip inside the end of the boot. Partly this was because I had studied Nlemerise’s write-up of how difficult it had been to install the boot and I wanted to make it easier to slide it over the rack. In the end, the boot installed easily and quickly with no problems. When I re-examined Nlemerise’s write-up afterwards, I realized that the boot used was probably not OEM – it looked shorter and had fewer pleats than the OEM part. I think this is why he reported having so much trouble getting the new boot onto the end of the rack. So, I’d recommend getting the OEM boot kit to help make the job go smooth and easy.

Hate to bump an old thread, but I recently done this job with the OEM kit and it was an absolute nightmare getting the passenger side boot on. It was honestly the hardest part of the job. After many attempts, I eventually put the kettle on, poured the boiling water into a pot and stuck the end of the boot in. After a minute or so with it soaking in the water, I was able to slide the boot on easily.

Driver side slid right on with no additional help needed.