Hello everyone. I am a new ranger owner and this is my first vehicle so I'm trying to figure things out. It appears that some sort of bushing or seal thing near my wheel has exploded/deteriorated. I was hoping someone would be able to identify more clearly what this part is called and let me know what actions I should take if any. Please see the attached images to see what I am referring to. I have included an image of the exploded/deteriorated side and an image of the side that appears to be fine.

Good

BAD

 

They are called Tie Rod ends, easy to replace but you will need a front end alignment after they are changed

The steering wheel shaft connects to the power steering box on the frame, when you turn the steering wheel the steering box moves the "Tie Rod" left or right, which turns the wheels/tires left or right
The Tie Rod ends are used because they can be changed since they can wear out, and you don't have to change the whole system

You actually have a "Rack and Pinion" steering system which is different than the older style tie rod system, but those parts are still called tie rod ends, lol, instead of "rack ends"

As seen in this diagram: https://www.autozone.com/znetrgs/rep...528005009f.gif

This is not a Ranger rack and pinion diagram just a general diagram to show how things work

 

this is exactly the information I was looking for. Thank you so much RonD!

 

Just as a "heads up" if you are "****" about steering wheel position when going straight down the road

Many alignment places use the steering wheel LOCK to hold steering wheel in the center, and its NEVER perfectly in the center, lol

A good alignment guy will unlock the steering wheel and tie it off so it IS in the dead center, and THEN do the alignment
But if you don't ask for that it may not be done that way

 

Thanks for the tip. Could you go into more detail about what you mean by them using the steering wheel lock? Are you just referring to how the steering wheel locks when the key is out of the ignition? or is there some other locking mechanism that can be accessed

 

If I just replaced the cracked boot would I still need to get an alignment done?

 

Well moisture has gotten inside that fitting so its done, and needs to be replaced, BUT..........you can leave it as is and push more lube into it to displace the moisture
At the top of that tie rod end is a Zerk fitting, seen here: https://www.suspension.com/blog/wp-c...rk-fitting.jpg

This is there so you can push grease inside the fitting, with a grease gun, like this: https://static.grainger.com/rp/s/is/...ei=536&wid=536
The Boot holds the grease in and keeps the moisture out

So yes, you could take out the cotter pin(part sticking out of lower nut) then loosen the nut<<< this part is hard because the stud its on is SUPPOSE to spin when steering, so no way to hold it in place if its start to turn when it loosens a bit
You loosen the nut until its top(crown) is even with top of stud
THEN you hit it with a hammer, lol, the stud is tapered so its wedged into to its hole, it can take some good HITS to get it to pop up
You leave the nut on so you don't ruin the threads on the end of stud since YOU plan to reuse it
Then take the nut off and lift out the tie rod end
Install new boot

No alignment needed

IF you can "find" a boot for it, you would push the current grease and moisture out and then wipe it off and install a new boot, re-install tie rod end, tighten nut, install cotter pin, then regrease to fill the new boot

 

Depending on year, you can buy the 'Tie Rod End Boot' for $8-10 from Autozone or RockAuto.
Tie Rod Ends start at around $25, but then you will have to spend about $80 for an alignment.

 

Do you recommend just replacing the whole tire rod end? And if I do one should I be doing both? Thanks

 

Im thinking I'll just replace both since they are a lot cheaper than I thought

 

Yep, just replace both and then get an alignment.

 

do you think i should do the inner tie rod ends as well?

 

That depends on whether they have an play. If you remove the tie-rod from the knuckle and then pull outward on the tie-rods, that will tell you whether they have play. You'll be able to feel the tie-rods moving in and out. You'll have to remove the retainers from the inner tie-rod boots to be able to slide them down and gain access to the inner tie-rod.

 

So that isn't something I would be able to know until the wheels are off? My alignment is fine even with this cracked boot right now if that means anything

 

With the wheels off the ground and the steering wheel in the "locked" position, you can grab the wheel/tire at the 3 and 9 o-clock positions and "shake" them. The wheel should barely move. If it seems to have a good amount of play, the inner, outer, or both tie-rods are worn.

With that cracked/torn boot, it's only a matter of time before the joint wears out from lack of grease (grease loves to fly out of the torn boots while you're driving). You can try to re-boot it, but the damage may have already been done depending on how long you've been driving it with a cracked boot.