Inner/outer Tie Rods, etc...
#1
06-04-2017, 08:00 PM
Inner/outer Tie Rods, etc...
Sorry to all as I seem to be a fair-weather poster. I read the threads but seldom post unless I'm having an issue, then I'm back. Otherwise, I'm tooling around in my X feeling good about it all...
2004 3.0 X-Type with ALMOST 85K on it. Took it to my local guy last week for the annual state inspection. Needed a LF lower ball joint ($210.00) which he did and sent me on my way. I figured all was good so went to have my tires rotated/balanced/and alignment yesterday. The guy comes in the waiting room and asked me to follow him to the garage which is never a good thing. On the lift he shows me that both outer tie rods are toast and that they're frozen to the inners. They were still hot from the torch and I could see the wobble.
He said the outer tie rods were easy to get and the inners could be had. His concern was that in heating things up to break them free, the rack seals could get cooked. I kinda wanted to puke, but didn't.
Despite the vehicle having only 85k on it, there are other issues. I've got the oil pan gasket to deal with as well as a coolant leak in the front that needs to be addressed. There is rot underneath on both inner sills. As the guy said yesterday, "It's a beautiful looking car, but...."
Resale on the vehicle is about 3K at best and I couldn't/wouldn't sell it as it is with the front end issues. I dropped the vehicle off tonight to have the front end dealt with.
I love the car, it's still a looker and driving it is a blast. I have noticed some weirdness in the steering which is likely the tie rods. A year ago I replaced both rear axle shafts and hubs, upper/lower control arms in the rear, wheel bearings, and Bilstein shocks and struts. I'm just not sure what I want to do with it now.
Not looking for any magical answers or anything, just your thoughts. It's a beautiful car, but....
2004 3.0 X-Type with ALMOST 85K on it. Took it to my local guy last week for the annual state inspection. Needed a LF lower ball joint ($210.00) which he did and sent me on my way. I figured all was good so went to have my tires rotated/balanced/and alignment yesterday. The guy comes in the waiting room and asked me to follow him to the garage which is never a good thing. On the lift he shows me that both outer tie rods are toast and that they're frozen to the inners. They were still hot from the torch and I could see the wobble.
He said the outer tie rods were easy to get and the inners could be had. His concern was that in heating things up to break them free, the rack seals could get cooked. I kinda wanted to puke, but didn't.
Despite the vehicle having only 85k on it, there are other issues. I've got the oil pan gasket to deal with as well as a coolant leak in the front that needs to be addressed. There is rot underneath on both inner sills. As the guy said yesterday, "It's a beautiful looking car, but...."
Resale on the vehicle is about 3K at best and I couldn't/wouldn't sell it as it is with the front end issues. I dropped the vehicle off tonight to have the front end dealt with.
I love the car, it's still a looker and driving it is a blast. I have noticed some weirdness in the steering which is likely the tie rods. A year ago I replaced both rear axle shafts and hubs, upper/lower control arms in the rear, wheel bearings, and Bilstein shocks and struts. I'm just not sure what I want to do with it now.
Not looking for any magical answers or anything, just your thoughts. It's a beautiful car, but....
#2
06-04-2017, 09:04 PM
You have a 13 year old car and drive it in a snowy region, so even though it has only 85K things are just starting to wear out. It happens, no matter what the make. It is what it is.
Not bad to replace either.
My guess is that when you get the tie rods fixed it will feel like a new car.
The coolant leak is probably the water pump. They seem to go about the mileage you are at. Not that expensive and easy to replace. Check that first. Also maybe check the coolant tank itself. The plastic has been known to split.
Pan gasket? More annoying than anything else and a bitch to replace. Not much you can do about that. Stupid design.
At this point with what you have to replace, get the work done and then drive it until it dies or you just want something else. Like you said, not really worth anything and you have a pretty sorted car already and still like driving it.
Not bad to replace either.
My guess is that when you get the tie rods fixed it will feel like a new car.
The coolant leak is probably the water pump. They seem to go about the mileage you are at. Not that expensive and easy to replace. Check that first. Also maybe check the coolant tank itself. The plastic has been known to split.
Pan gasket? More annoying than anything else and a bitch to replace. Not much you can do about that. Stupid design.
At this point with what you have to replace, get the work done and then drive it until it dies or you just want something else. Like you said, not really worth anything and you have a pretty sorted car already and still like driving it.
#3
06-10-2017, 01:39 PM
Senior Member
If it's the car you love, learn to do as much work your self as you can, remember those old cars are much worst and body rusted so bad, but people spend their many hours or days some time years to restored them to be the beautiful cars, at least the X-Type had excellence sheet metal and paint job, rarely see one that rusted out.