Raise the front of the vehicle and support it securely on stands.
Remove the front wheel.
Figure 11.15. Tie rod end and steering gear boot: 1 – steering gear cover; 2 – lock nut; 3 – steering rod end; 4 – nut and cotter pin; 5 – outer clamp; 6 – inner clamp
Remove the cotter pin and loosen the nut securing the ball joint of the tie rod end to the steering knuckle by a few turns (figure 11.15). Use a puller to push the ball joint pin of the steering rod end out of the steering knuckle. Completely loosen the self-locking nut and remove the ball joint pin of the tie rod end from the steering knuckle.
Figure 11.16. Marking the position of the lock nut on the steering rod thread
Mark the position of the lock nut on the tie rod thread so that you can later install the tie rod end in its original position (figure 11.16).
Loosen the lock nut on the steering rod a few turns.
Unscrew the tie rod end from the tie rod.
Figure 11.17. Removing the boot from the tie rod end
Figure 11.18. Using special tool 491243785 to press in the tie rod end
(The article is based on website data: MazBook)
Check the tie rod end boot for tears or lubricant leaks. To replace the boot, clamp the tie rod end in a vice and carefully knock it off with a hammer and flat chisel (figure 11.17). Be careful not to damage the sealing surface. Apply a small amount of lithium-based lubricant to the new boot and install the boot onto the tie rod end. Press the boot onto the tie rod end using a vice and a mandrel of the appropriate size or a press and special tool 491243785 (figure 11.18).
Turn the lock nut until it reaches the previously made mark on the steering rod. Thread the tie rod end onto the tie rod until it contacts the lock nut.
Install the ball joint pin of the tie rod end into the steering knuckle. Screw the tie rod end ball joint fastening nut onto the steering knuckle and tighten it to the specified torque.
Tighten the lock nut.
Install the front wheel and lower the car to the ground. Tighten the wheel nuts.
Check the front wheel alignment angles.