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I should have replaced it already, but oh well.

882 views 7 replies 4 participants last post by  DeepSouthJeeper 
#1 ·
I know the stock tie rod is pretty weak, I was just wondering what are the chances that it would bend (say if i crossed a small ditch) and send my wheels both pointing in? It has a slight bend in it (drivers side) but its not noticeable unless you feel for it, and yes her alignment is all good.
 
#3 ·
If the tie-rod has a 'slight bend' in it, it's already weakened.

You don't want this to happen.
Here's my RHD TJ stuck on a rocky beach below the high tide mark where they have 30 foot tides twice a day.
Took 4 hours to get me out before the tide came in (thankfully) but it could have been so much worse.

I was absolutely stunned to see the tie rod so bent - was only driving back and forth an inch or two trying to dislodge my rear diff off a rock.

I now have a HD tie rod and carry a spare.
 

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#4 ·
I have a stock jeep (more or less) so there's no heavy duty bumper or any other mods adding weight, and I'm only running 30's and the bend is right at the tie rod end if that helps (plus the soft mud/dirt of the ditch might help me) but at the same time I know a ditch could be just what my tie rod needs to fail. Normally I'd just try it but it's around two hours from my house, don't need to be stranded there.
 
#5 · (Edited)
COMING SOON.....

THE...
'I knew it was bent but didn't replace it (or carry a spare) now it's really bent and I'm screwed (and out of pocket)'
THREAD. :D :D

I can remember the day I 'slightly bent' mine - actually, couldn't even see any bend - steering wheel was slightly off but Jeep still drove OK - didn't think any more of it.

Nearly 2 years later I was stuck on the beach as per the pic in my previous post with a tie-rod that was pretzled not even doing anything extreme.

Did heaps of wheeling in the meantime but it finally caught up with me at a very inopportune moment and ended up costing me hundreds to get out of there..

I believe I would not have had the tie-rod bend so badly (or at all) if I'd addressed the problem earlier (when I first noticed the steering wheel was off-center).
 
#6 ·
Wesboy said:
COMING SOON.....

THE...
'I knew it was bent but didn't replace it (or carry a spare) now it's really bent and I'm screwed (and out of pocket)'
THREAD. :D :D

I can remember the day I 'slightly bent' mine - actually, couldn't even see any bend - steering wheel was slightly off but Jeep still drove OK - didn't think any more of it.

Nearly 2 years later I was stuck on the beach as per the pic in my previous post with a tie-rod that was pretzled not even doing anything extreme.

Did heaps of wheeling in the meantime but it finally caught up with me at a very inopportune moment and ended up costing me hundreds to get out of there..

I believe I would not have had the tie-rod bend so badly (or at all) if I'd addressed the problem earlier (when I first noticed the steering wheel was off-center).
That's what I'm afraid of, and if I ha the cash to replace it I would, but I'm 17, and my income is only from cutting grass at the moment. I'm looking for a job, and that will be the FIRST thing I do. I just hadn't had a chance to wheel yet, with family friends, school, and my girlfriend taking up so much time. So I was pumped about getting a chance to, but now I'm wondering if I should. Guess not.
 
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