Starter Installation Help

[bordin34]

How hard should it be to remove the tie rod from the center link? I have the pickle fork and am hammering away but it doesnt move at all.

[the_engineers]

Beat it like it owes you money 

[Kapteenikosmos]

It's cone type fit so if it has been there for a while, you'll probably need to pound it like hell. Neat trick is to also hammer the outside surface of the center link which is perpendicular to the tierod end. Like the outer shell where they both connect. Hopefully someone with better english can explain in more detail.

But if you understood what I mean, just hammer the pickle fork deeper between the two pieces and occasionally also hammer the center link around the areas where it contacts with the tie rod end. It should loosen up the old stuck joint and eventually pop out.

Also if it is really tight, your pickle fork might just crack (happened to me once). I have found that a claw type ball joint remover works better. One that has a screw for applying force to the contact and then hammering around the center link.

Like this, for example:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Universal-Ball-Joint-Separator-Remover-Tool-HIGH-4661_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem3ef9755267QQitemZ270473187943QQptZMotorsQ5fAutomotiveQ5fTools

Mine is just way cheaper and pretty poor in quality, but has worked for me so far.

[bordin34]

Thanks, I just went a borrowed a much heavier hammer, and then it started to rain.

[Bullitt-]

I about killed myself & the pickle fork beating on it (think I had a dham metric pickle fork)...went to the Advanced auto & "borrowed" their front end tool kit.... takes about 30 seconds each after the nut is off to pop loose.

[bordin34]

I now have discovered another problem with the car, the torsion bar. Apparently it has been rubbing on the grease zerk and now there is a noticeable indent in the torsion bar, so I am guessing I need new bars. This leads me to my next question, are the tie rods supposed to mount above or below the center link, right now mine is above. If it is on top, is there a shorter grease zerk?