As seen here in this picture, and as is stated in several manuals, you are supposed to have a wrench on the rack and on the inner tie rod to remove/install it:


This is well and good for the driver'* side (I think, I have not pulled the boot of that side), but on the passenger side it is completely smooth, there is no place to put a wrench to support the rack while removing the inner tie rod.

I am in the process of replacing the passenger side inner tie rod and am stuck at this step. We are doing it with the rack on the vehicle, rather than removing the entire rack as that is a large undertaking.

My father is a mechanic and he is stumped as well. The only thing I can think of is to pull the driver'* side tire and outer tie rod/boot off as well to support it on that side while it is removed on the other. Is this the only way to do it without risking damage to the rack?

My father keeps saying he thinks we will have to remove the whole rack, but I am looking at it and we have access to everything we would have access to even if it were pulled off entirely, and we would still have to support it from the driver'* side even when it is pulled of the car.

I may update this post a little later with pictures to show that there really is no place to grab hold of it on the passenger side, but I hope you will just take my word for it for the time being.

Thank you in advance for any assistance, it will certainly help us out.

Here are the promised pictures, for some reason I cannot edit the original post.

From the front:


And from the back, as good of a shot as I could get:


In the pictures you see an area that looks like a wrench would fit, and in fact I attempted to size it for a wrench before I stuck my head in there for a good look and realized that is the area where the tie rod is staked down to the rack and not a wrench hold.

It has 2 flat edges, Ive never been able to get a wrench up there! For this job run to ur local auto part store & rent a "inner tie rod tool" it grabs the 2 flat edges. Also youll need a 1/2in socket wrench if im remembering correct..

I know about the tool for removal, that is not the issue at hand.

The issue lies with the fact that the manuals and every instruction set says to put a wrench on the rack and the inner tie rod to keep the rack from spinning and damaging itself when you are removing and installing the inner tie rod, but there are not any flat spots on the passenger side of the rack as are shown in the shop manual images, it is all perfectly round on that side with no place to put a wrench to keep the rack from spinning. There are flat spots on the tie rod, but not the rack.

I have watched every youtube video I can get my hands on about replacing an inner tie rod, but they are all different, with either retaining pins, or some sort of locking washer. They remove the pin or pry the washer then just use the tool to take the tie rod off. I have never seen a video dealing with the crimped (staked) tie rods. everyone seems to just throw the tool on and pry the tie rod off, but everything I read says that you need to support the rack to prevent severe damage.

Ive never heard of it.. Every vehicle has different ways of doing things. & some manuals still use old school techniques... Ive worked on a number of vehicles and has never had a problem.. & honestly from experience it would almost be impossible to hold a wrench and try and break loose the tie rod. Because your gonna need both hands to use the tool.
And it kinda hard to use if the inner rid is very bad as it moves. Alot. Just today i had to use my jack and a block of wood for assistance in keeping the rod & tool from moving to break it loose...

But also, its really not tight enough to damage the rack. The hard part is balancing and positioning yourself to get it loose... Its just pretty snug tight.

If anything. Id say to not be jerk jerk jerking if ya kno wat i mean.. Get a grip. Take position, and a little hard. And its loose...
If u have a long breaker bar. Probly wont even hav to use much force..