Buying a used vehicle always involves a few surprises. Luckily, my recent purchase of a 2004 Volvo C70 didn't involve major ones, and I knew the car wouldn't be perfect. With a bad transmission and cupped (feathered) tires, I knew something was amiss with the steering or suspension, so it was time for a shakedown.
Tools Required
- Inner tie rod end tool
- Wrenches
- Sockets
- Pliers
Diagnosis
With the car in the air, I put my hands at 9 and 3 o'clock and wiggled the wheel back and forth. A left-right wobble was present in the driver's side front wheel. An easy way to find out what joint is causing the play is to put your finger on the joint while doing the shakedown. With no play in the outer tie rod end or lower control arm ball joint, the only thing left was inner tie rod end.
The inner tie rod end is the first point of steering transfer out of the steering rack. This rod houses a single, simple ball joint. I typically see these fail less than outer tie rod ends, but they all eventually do.
Repair
Disconnect the outer tie rod end from the steering knuckle. On most Volvo vehicles it uses an 18mm nut. (An electric or air impact wrench ensures the nut comes off without spinning the tie rod's ball joint in the knuckle.) Hammer the tie rod up and out of the knuckle.
Remove the outer tie rod end from the inner. Cracking the lock nut and spinning the outer rod off usually works, but if you're replacing them anyway or the two are seized, just cut it off like I did. (Wear eye and respiratory protection)
The boot is held on to the steering rack using an Oetiker clamp. This can be removed by sticking a screwdriver in the opening and hammering it open. The clamp should pop apart. Slide the boot off of the inner tie rod end to expose it.
To remove the inner end, I used a clever tool from Harbor Freight.
With the flats on the inner tie rod end now visible, you can slide the tool's collar on. Match up the size correctly! You only get a few chances, and stripping the inner tie rod end's flats will leave you needing another type of tool.
With the collar on the inner end, the tool's tube can be slid over and attached into the collar's teeth. Install the breaker bar on the end of the tube, apply a slight pulling force to the whole tube (so it doesn't slip off) and rotate counter clockwise. The inner tie rod end will thread free, and make this daunting job an easy one.
Replacement parts
Older Volvos use two different brands of steering rack, both requiring different inner tie rod ends. (Outer tie rod ends are the same for all models). How do you know whether you have a TRW or SMI rack installed?
The last digit of the chassis code on the VIN plate indicates the brand. "5" = SMI, "4" = TRW.
Volvo Tie Rod Assembly Front Inner (SMI Rack) - TRW 9191410
Volvo Tie Rod Assembly Front Inner (TRW Rack) (850 S70 V70 C70) - TRW 3546266
