Specs Cars

DIY BMW Tie Rod Replacement

1. Park the car on a flat, level surface. Loosen the lug nuts on the front wheels. Raise the front of the car with a floor jack and lower it securely onto a pair of jack stands. Finish removing the lug nuts and the wheels.
2. Remove the nut on the ball joint at the end of the tie rod nearest the hub. Press the ball joint out of the suspension with a pickle fork (a large metal fork) or with a tie rod puller by placing the tool between the ball joint and the suspension and prying the ball joint down.
3. Remove the metal ring on the dust cover that protects the inner end of the tie rod, using pliers. Bend back the tab on the locking plate that prevents the tie rod nut from turning and loosening. Loosen the nut on the end of the tie rod with an open-ended wrench. As you turn the nut, the entire tie rod will turn and loosen. Continue turning it until it is unthreaded from the BMW.
4. Install a new locking plate in place of the old plate. Check that the indent on the back of the plate locks securely into the sheetmetal. Thread the new tie rod into the car. You may need to hold the locking plate with your other hand to keep it in place while you install the new tie rod. Securely tighten the tie rod by the nut on the end of it with an open ended wrench. Bend down the tab on the locking plate so that it seats against one of the flat sides of the tie rod nut.
5. Slide the rubber dust boot back over the new tie rod. With a pair or pliers, clamp the metal retaining ring firmly around the dust boot to secure it in place. Thread the two locking nuts on the end of the inner tie rod, ensuring that the larger one is installed first. Install the outer tie rod by threading it onto the inner tie rod.
6. Adjust the length of the tie rod by turning the outer tie rod in or out until it is approximately the same length as the old one, then tighten the lock nuts.
7. Thread the new ball joint on the end of the tie rod. Insert the end of the ball joint into the suspension. Install a new locking nut on the ball joint and tighten it to 33 pound-feet with a torque wrench.
8. Repeat the above steps for the other side of the car. Reinstall the wheels and lower the vehicle to the ground. Now you are ready to get the suspension aligned immediately.