Technical Questions and Discussions - Drivable?

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Drivable? - tie rod end

Printed From: West Coast Fieros
Category: Technical Topics Forum
Forum Name: Technical Questions and Discussions
Forum Description: Got a technical question about your fiero? ask it here.
URL: http://www.westcoastfieros.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=1428
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Topic: Drivable? - tie rod end

Posted By: Matt
Subject: Drivable? - tie rod end
Date Posted: 10 July 2009 at 9:48pm

I would guess that my rear inner tie rod end is on the way out, or gone all together as my d/s rear tire tips slightly inward at the top. I'm not sure if that's toe or camber, but it's definitely at a different degree than the p/s rear tire. We're talking 1-3 degrees, not much but a little.

I checked the tie rod end and it seems that the rubber "bushing?" is cracked, but the whole thing is till intact.

My question is, is it safe to drive for a week or two until the replacement arrives? Is the only real danger, wearing my tire unevenly?

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I wanna go fast.

Replies:

Posted By: Bobz0r
Date Posted: 10 July 2009 at 10:59pm

When I bought my 85 it had that problem. The previous owner drove it for a year with the camber in, horribly wearing the inside right-rear tire. It was actually the reason he took it off the road before I bought it, lol. The car was all over the place on the freeway. It was pretty bad, but I kept it below 80kph for the two weeks before I could get it fixed and everything was fine. Just be careful not to give it too much throttle and keep the speed down.

I needed new bushings and a tie rod as well.

Posted By: Capt Fiero
Date Posted: 10 July 2009 at 11:42pm

Usually a Tie Rod will cause the tire to be pointed in at the front or rear not at the top, unless the Tie Rod is SO SHOT that it actually turns in far enough to really effect the top. So I would get it to a shop and have them check to see exactly what is going on. If you honestly feel safe enough to drive it, the club meeting is the best "free" advice from other owners and mechanics. The meeting is tomorrow night.

Just adding one last thing, if the suspension took a "really" hard hit, the strut to hub bolts could have jared up, which would cause the tire to "tip in" at the top. However I have seen 200lb guys on the end of a 10ft breaker bar and not budge those bolts. It usually takes an impact gun with 600+ lbs of torque to get them out easily. They have to be tight as those 2 bolts hold the entire suspension up. The entire car would drop like a rock, tearing the CV shaft up, and destroying the lower ball joint and toe link rod.

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Capt Fiero
88 Fiero GT 5spd V6
Eight Fifty Seven GT V8 5spd.

Posted By: Matt
Date Posted: 10 July 2009 at 11:50pm

The car still drives straight as an arrow, and when I jack the rear end up I can't budge the wheel in any direction so maybe its been like that since I bought it and just never noticed.

I know that in 89 the car was hit, but repaired by icbc.

If it has been like that since I've bought it, I've done multiple 4+hr trips with it and it was fine.

**I just checked some pictures from a year ago, and the wheel is ever so tipped in at the top**

Also I'd love to come to the meet, however 4 months ago I moved out of the Lower Mainland.

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I wanna go fast.