How to Check Tie Rods

Properly adjusted tie rods ensure the steering components of a vehicle track properly. If the tie rods are bent or the tie rod ends are loose or worn out, the steering system will either have excessive play or be misaligned with the steering wheel and steering infrastructure. Checking the health of your vehicle's tie rods and tie rod ends is a simple process that can and should be done on a regular basis.

Things You'll Need

• 2 people
• Drop light

Instructions

1. Ensure that the vehicle is in park for an automatic transmission or neutral for a manual transmission. Set the parking brake.

2. Use a drop light to illuminate the steering infrastructure. Locate the tie rods and tie rod ends.

3. Inspect the tie rods for damage. If the tie rods are bent, the vehicles will not track well. If the tie rods are damaged and not replaced, failure in the steering system is inevitable and dangerous.

4. If the tie rods appear in good working order, have one person watch the tie rod end joints while another person operates the steering system. If there appears to be more movement in the tie rod ends than in the tires, the tie rod ends need replacing.