Zer0Log1c
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- Joined
- Jun 24, 2025
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- Location
- North Alabama
- Vehicle(s)
- 2020 Wrangler Sahara Altitude 3.0L EcoDiesel
- Thread starter
- #1
After fighting with a stubborn tie rod end for 4+ days and feeling like I scoured the internet for every last tip or trick available, I thought it best to write a guide to serve as a distilled version of the four day fiasco. Hopefully it helps ward off some future garage cursing.
Required Tools
Disassembly
There may be components that have to be installed in a particular order to avoid parts from interfering with others. Often with steering components it is best to start at the top (steering box) and work down.
Edit: Updated "Ring the bell" with suggestions from comments. Thanks for the tips!
Required Tools
- Jack stands
- 1/2" socket wrench
- 1/2" torque wrench
- floor jack
- Sockets:
- Lug Nuts- 22 or 23 mm
- TRE - 22 mm deep well
- trackbar - 21 mm
- Steering Stabilizer bolts - 18 mm
- Steering Stabilizer Bracket bolts - 13 mm
- Sway Bar End Links - 18 mm
- 22 mm box wrench
- 21 mm box wrench if undoing track bar
- Appropriate wrench for any jam nuts on new parts
- Paint pen or sharpie(s)
- Additional tools to facilitate separation method(s) of choice
- Patience
- If at all possible, spray all mated surfaces you expect to interact with in the worse-case scenario with PB Blaster or another penetrating oil (or ATF/Acetone homebrew link)in the two days leading up to the project. Three good sprays with 12 hours in-between will do wonders and cost very little
- Call around to local alignment shops (Tire Discounters is my local preference but different locations can provided different degrees of quality service) to determine the earliest alignment appointment. Assuming a professional alignment is going to be sought, and depending on cancellation policy, I'd schedule a 'primary' and then a 'backup' alignment appointment to minimize unnecessary down time.
- Schedule the project with a buddy since misery loves company and beer tastes better with friends
- Pickle Fork and BFH: Seems to work in most cases, it is very simple and often quick.
- Pickle Fork and Air Hammer: An 'upgraded' version of the first method. The air hammer costs a fair bit more than a solid BFH, but can often be used to unstick the stubborn TREs.
- Lower ball joint removal tool: I'm sure it works in some cases, but it didn't seem to make any difference for my specific project.
- Ring the bell: Use a metal hammer (ball side of ball-peen is best) on the metal knuckle/pitman to help cause harsh enough vibrations to break the TRE free. Often used while TRE is 'under pressure' from another tool like a fork or ball joint puller. Some have reported great levels of success when using two hammers hitting the mated parts at the same time from opposite sides.
- Heat: This can be quite dangerous if not applied correctly. There are many objects near the pitman arm in particular that can be damaged or catch fire. Additionally, the sector shaft seal in the steering box can be damaged by heat if too much is applied to the pitman arm.
- Bigger BFH: often the first recommended 'next option'. If you have to purchase one I'd recommend just stepping up to the air hammer if possible.
- Cooling: accessibility dependent, exotic cooling options like dry ice, LN2, or other extreme colds can be used as the inverse option to heat. Less likely to cause major problems but often harder to work with.
- Force it out from the top: Smack the top of the castle/locking nut in hopes it will drive the TRE down while the knuckle/pitman is held up by the vehicle. This can and will chew up some threads and doesn't seem to be as effective as other methods, but desperate times call for desperate measures.
- Use the frame rail: Specifically for the pitman arm TRE, position the pitman arm such that something can be placed between the top of the TRE and the frame rail, which acts as a fulcrum. This method absolutely requires bracing the pitman arm from below with a custom cut 2x4, pipe, or the like to prevent applying torque to it that the steering box wasn't designed to withstand.
- Loose re-assembly: Use extreme caution. This is the last-ditch effort before calling in professional help in my book. Reassemble all the old parts loosely (snug, not torqued) and move the vehicle in the driveway under its own power to try and jostle the TRE out. Be prepared for the vehicle to be worked on in the place where the TRE pops out. Chewed up TRE threads prevent this method from being a possibility.
- Finally, the option of calling in a mobile mechanic or the drastic measure of taking an angle grinder to things are available.
Disassembly
- Park Jeep on hard level ground and set the parking brake.
- Its recommended to take accurate measurements of both the tie rod and the drag link. Measure between nuts or threaded uppers while they are still tight, they can and will move if broken loose. This will help promote a post install alignment spec that is closer to properly aligned than taking these measurements after removal.
- If pulling the tires (recommend), break the lug nuts loose with a 22 mm or 23 mm socket, but do not remove them.
- Use floor jack to lift the axle until wheels are slightly off the ground (~2").
- Place jack stands so they are supporting the axle tube nearest the knuckle (most outboard).
- Slowly release the floor jack's pressure. The vehicle may settle slightly. Remove the floor jack.
- If the lug nuts were broken loose, finish removing the front wheels.
- Use a 22 mm socket to break the tie rod end [castle] nuts loose on all the tie rod ends (TREs).
- It's best to leave the nuts with about 3 or 4 threads engaged at the top so they will protect the threads of the TREs; the precaution isn't always necessary, but it will allow the vehicle to be reassembled with the old parts comparatively easily vs having the option forcibly ruled out due to mangled threads.
- Remove the steering stabilizer bolt from the axle end with an 18 mm socket (I replaced the full steering stabilizer mounting system and didn't disassemble the factory one).
- Use one of the methods outlined below to help break the TREs free from the knuckles and pitman arm.
- If at all possible, it is strongly recommended to have the piece the TRE is being separated from be fully braced against a maximum point; full steering lock for the pitman arm or resting against steering bump-stops for the knuckles. This will help prevent the energy of any BFH or percussion separation method from being lost to movement.
- Perform any necessary assembly of new components. Be sure to apply anti-seize where appropriate and do not let it run into areas where threadlock will be used.
There may be components that have to be installed in a particular order to avoid parts from interfering with others. Often with steering components it is best to start at the top (steering box) and work down.
- If it hasn't already been done, adjust the new components to match the original measurements where possible
- Insert the top TRE of the drag link into the pitman arm and loosely start the nut. Only tighten it hand-tight for now. Repeat the process with the bottom TRE of the drag link.
- In a similar manner, insert both TREs of the tie rod into either knuckle and lightly thread the nuts. Verify that there isn't immediate interference between the drag link and tie rod. A full cycling of the suspension and steering angle sweep will truly be needed to verify a lack of interference, but if the components were purchased as a set and the vehicle satisfies any stipulations set by the manufacturer (lift height, wheel offset, etc.), then the rough visual inspection should ward off most glaring problems.
- If other components like the sway bar or track bar were removed to provide additional space during the disassembly process, reassemble them now before tightening the drag link and tie rod.
- Torque down the TRE nuts. Factory torque specs for JLUs are 47 ft-lbs for the nuts at the knuckles and 77 ft-lbs at the pitman arm (verified from two sources). Note: even after torquing, it isn't uncommon for these components to have 'play' as this is required to prevent binding in the system. The bars may move, but the threaded uppers of the TREs shouldn't budge after torquing.
- Install the steering stabilizer (50 ft-lbs for the bolt and 55 ft-lbs for the nut) and torque all necessary hardware
- With the front axle still in the air, perform a few full steering sweeps stopping at multiple points throughout the sweep to check for interference (a buddy makes this much quicker)
- If desired, place witness marks on fasteners where appropriate
- Put on tires and only install lug nuts hand tight
- Perform one more full steering sweep paying close attention near full steering lock to watch for any potential interference from the wheel or tire with the new components
- Use the floor jack to lift the front axle off of the jack stands
- Remove the jack stands and place to the side of the work area
- When the work area is clear, slowly release pressure from the floor jack to lower the vehicle
- Torque lug nuts (22 or 23 mm) to 130 ft-lbs using a star pattern when tightening. My personal preference for wheels is to tighten to 80% first and then come back and tighten at full torque spec. Note: checking a nut a second time is likely to slightly tighten it further, pushing it beyond the spec.
- Measure the tie rod and drag link lengths and adjust as appropriate
- Grease any new joints as appropriate. Some joints will need a grease needle due to a lack of zerk fitting
- Drive the vehicle to the alignment appointment and/or take it for a shake down drive.
Edit: Updated "Ring the bell" with suggestions from comments. Thanks for the tips!
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