Q&A for How to Replace Tie Rod Ends

Inner tie rods thread on to the rack and do not use a castle nut or cotter pin, they thread on to the rack, and make sure to use RED loctite. They use a washer that you need to bend in so if the tie rod backs off, the washer acts as a safety. The outer tie rod uses a castle nut with a cotter pin; if you are tightening the nut, do not back it off to put the cotter pin in, always tighten to get it in so the taper between the tie rod and the knuckles steering arm is not loose.

Not that I've seen. Look up the part numbers for the right and left side outer tie rod ends to verify. If they are different part numbers, they are not the same.

Yes, you need to make sure your threads on the top of the nut are the same as the ones on the other nuts.

You can use the tie rod off another car, as long as it's the same year, make and model.

No, tie rods only have to do with turning and the way the tire sits.

Just measure from across the vehicle the inside of each front tire from both the back and front of the tires until the measurements are equal.

It depends on the condition of the old components, and your skills. Professional mechanics can replace a tie rod in about 45 minutes.

When you remove the old tie rod end, count the number of complete rotations it takes to remove it, and install the new tie rod end with the same number of turns. Also, it is a good idea to measure the length from the outer tie rod end to a fixed point on the tie rod (wrap a piece of tape on the tie rod as a reference), and then install the new tie rod end so that the length from the reference point to the end of the new tie rod end is the same as for the old one.