Tie rod end nuts

[alanjesty]

Ive just replaced the rubber bushes on the front wheel tie rods, the old ones were cracked on the surface. Trouble is I dont know how tight to do up the end nuts, should they be torqued up? Dont think so because you cant get a socket on the nuts. Can anyone help?
Regards

[philthehill]

They do not need to be torqued up.
Just do them up until tight and either put the split pin in (you may have to tighten or loosen the castellated nut to get the split pin holes lined up) or if a self locking nut no further action required.
Phil

[alanjesty]

Theyre nyloc nuts. But how tight is tight?

[amgrave]

Until the nut is nipping the rubber up. You want the assembly to be rigid but not compressing the rubbers so they are squashed but just starting to.

[philthehill]

The part of the tie rod on which the rubber bush sits is not threaded and this is designed to stop the washer and nut compressing the rubber past what it was designed for.
The nut should therefore be tightened until the nut reaches the end of the thread.
The nut should be tightened past initial compression of the rubber bush otherwise the bush/tie rod can chatter and wear through the tie rod and also wear the hole in the tie plate.
Original BMC tie bar bushes had a smaller diameter sleeve (part of the rubber bush) that fitted inside the tie bar plate hole but sadly that seems to be left off these days.
Just tighten with a normal length spanner until it will no go any more.
Do not try and use brute force to tighten past tight.
Phil

[alanjesty]

Ok so tighten well with a sensible sized spanner
Thanks
Alan

[bmcecosse]

As above - tighten right up till the washer hits the stepped part of the tie-rod.. Do this with the weight of the car on the suspension - and after a 'bounce' or two on the front wing. Would have been better to fit polyurethan bushes to the outer (only) part of the assembly - but keeping rubber on the inside.

[Propshaft]

Hi just reading the last sentence of the last post by bmceccose I ordered polybushes for my tie rod and fitted them should I have used a rubber bush ?

[philthehill]

The current thinking is to fit the standard rubber bush on the inner side and a poly bush on the outer side.
This gives the front end of the tie bar flexibility (especially useful as the articulation of the tie rod is set and held at its rear end against the lower suspension arm) and the ability to hold its position under braking as the force on the tie bar is rearwards.
Fitting both the rubber bush and poly bush gives the best of both worlds.
With the above combination there may be a requirement not to tighten the nut fully but sufficiently enough to ensure that the rod does not chatter in the tie plate. This is easier to do when a self locking nut (3/8" BSF) is used.
Phil

[bmcecosse]

As above - unlike on the Mini where the tiebar also has to resist the traction forces - the Minor tie-bar just opposes braking forces (and of course triangulates the suspension arm) But two poly bushes are usually far too tight on there causing unnecessary strain on the mounts. I'm also surprised you could get the securing nut pulled up to the correct setting. The tie bar also sets the castor angle of the front wheels - if not fully pulled up there can be poor self-centering and 'turn in' on the steering. I would swap the inner bush for a good rubber one on each side.

[Propshaft]

Thank you both for your advice I will be changing them over to the set up you suggested the van will not be on the road for some time yet