Seized/stuck tie rod (alignment after lift)

Hey everyone,

Just finished a lift install and I'm trying to do a basic alignment, however, the tie rod is seized up (factory Y-link)... I've hit it with PB Blaster and heated both ends but am getting nowhere using vise grips. Any tips??

anthrax323 said:

Hey everyone,

Just finished a lift install and I'm trying to do a basic alignment, however, the tie rod is seized up (factory Y-link)... I've hit it with PB Blaster and heated both ends but am getting nowhere using vise grips. Any tips??

Click to expand...

Pipe wrench.

Don't I feel stupid now... lol, thanks Joe. Gonna go buy one now.

A 13" pipe wrench did the trick (had to stand on it - that thing didn't want to move). Thanks again!

Glad you got it.

Good luck.

Yeah, a big pipe wrench and stand on it. Some bouncing action might be required also- just make sure you don't land on anything sharp when you fall after it breaks loose.

I don't like jumping on it, might bend the steering and I'm not fat enough anyway. I always put a couple foot pipe over the handle and it'll turn.

Or it's a perfect excuse to upgrade your steering

X2, buy a V8 ZJ tie rod and never look back. The adjuster on those is a sleeve like the drag link adjuster and is located by the drivers side, instead of being a long thin tube. I pull them, pay 10-20 dollars at the junkyard, spend a dollar or two on a pack of 3 stainless steel 1/8" x 1.5" cotter pins, stick it in the vice, break the adjuster loose, stick it in the jeep and adjust it.

The extra 30 cents for stainless steel cotter pins is well worth it if you live in the rust belt. They just come right out instead of breaking off and leaving you shearing them off with the crown nut, then fighting the remnants out of the TRE stud with a pick and mallet...

Thanks for the info - already bought stainless cotter pins (had to disconnect the drag link when installing the lift) so I'm glad to know I made the right choice.

A V8 ZJ Y-link assembly was on the list, as LKQ had a 50% off sale this past weekend, but unfortunately I wasn't able to make it out there. It will definitely happen one of these days.

Fortunately, I got things aligned perfectly on the first try (beginner's luck). Now I've got driveline and slip yoke vibration to deal with, so it'll have to wait. Eventually I'll finish bench building my HP30 (with WJ brakes and knuckles) and spare 8.25 (KJ brakes going on it), so the Y-link might eventually be a thing of the past.

Thanks again guys!