Anybody care to share their technique for removing the inner tie rods without having to drop the frame and remove the Rack as the FSM instructs?? I have heard of guys using a pipe wrench to remove the inner tie rods. Anybody tried this?? What size Hex Inner tie rod wrench do I need??? or do they have flats on the inner tie rod?? What size?? Thanks

Here'* what I did:

Jack it up, Jaskstand under the subframe.
Use clippers to cut off factory clamp on the inner boot.
Pull off the inner boot.
Strap wrench on the rack rod
Channel-Locks on the inner tie rod.

It comes out easy that way. Done five of them that way. Use a clamp from AutoZone or something to put it back. One of the type you see on radiator hoses.

Did you crimp the inner tie rods as the manual suggest??? I do not want to have to buy a 100 dollar crimper for this!!

Nope. Just use a pipe clamp like you use on coolant lines.

I was reffering to the inner tie rod itself not the rubber boot that keeps out dust. The FSM says to crimp the metal end of the tie rod to the rack of the rack and pinion to prevent the inner tie rod from loosening. Anybody got a trick (cheap) for doing this without having to buy the 100 dollar Kent Moore Inner tie rod crimping tool??

its probbaly cheaper to buy a new rack

Um... no. Just put some muscle on it. You'll notice the looseness if it ever loosens. I prolly put 120-130 ft lbs on it with no problems.

changed the inners on my '87 too.. It was a painful puzzle to figure out which direction to approach the inner ties with a wrench so as to be able to tighten it (and loosen it on removal) but just don't give up, try different angles, you'll get it. I went in from the top (via engine bay) in order to keep tightening the sucker. Just get it on their real good and do remember to use vise grips or whatever to keep the inner rack from turning while you're tigthening the inner tie rods, or else you could end up buying a whole new rack

If a stupid 17 year old ( iwas 17 when i did it) can do it, so can you!

mike diaz