From: csr684@NOTyahoo.com   
      
   Arlen Holder wrote:   
   > On Thu, 24 Dec 2020 17:25:08 +1100, Xeno wrote:   
   >   
   >> I wouldn't have thought it a difficult task at all. If you are careful   
   >> and methodical you won't even need to do a wheel alignment afterwards.   
   >   
   > Hi Xeno,   
   >   
   > Merry Christmas!   
   >   
   > Thank you for always being purposefully helpful.   
   > o You're a dream come true as you are, like me, a good person indeed.   
   >   
   > I've never owned a FWD vehicle in my life, so I don't really know how to   
   > work on them, but they sure look pretty jam packed in there down below.   
   >   
   > I've done clutches on SUVs and cooling systems on almost anything, and   
   > starter motors and BMW CCV valves (which was the hardest of all, given it's   
   > _under_ the bimmer engine), etc.   
   >   
   > For the drive train, long ago, when I was a kid, I did a drive shaft   
   > U-joint on a Chrysler (my Dad was a Chrysler man), and the pitman arm,   
   > idler arm, ball joints, and tie rod ends on a Dodge Dart (that's when I   
   > learned that alignment shops charge you for an alignment and they don't do   
   > a single thing - they lie and cheat and steal left and right).   
   >   
   > When I was a kid, I did the motor mounts on that Dodge Dart (where I   
   > learned that AAMCO lied and cheated and stole from people left and right   
   > because they insisted I needed a new transmission and they put OLD OIL back   
   > when I told them I didn't have the money and as it turned out, they lied).   
   >   
   > A decade or so ago I did the struts on a Toyota SUV (the compression was no   
   > more dangerous than when I did wound my garage door torsion springs)...   
   >   
   > But... but... but...   
   > 1. I've never worked on a FWD car in my life, and,   
   > 2. It's not my car   
   > 3. So there are all sorts of pitfalls when working on someone else's car   
   >   
   > Mostly people blame you for everything that goes wrong.   
   > o I've learned this the hard way.   
   >   
   > So unless it's changing the oil or brakes (where nothing really goes   
   > wrong), I'm worried about putting a new boot on this 2005 Camry LE.   
   >   
   > I just don't have the experience or knowledge of how to do it without   
   > hiccups, I think, but I don't really know what it entails.   
      
   It's not all that hard really. The hardest part is usually getting the   
   outer tie rod off the end.   
   The basics are to get the car up so you can get under it. Then you pop   
   the tire off for room. Now lock the steering in position, either with   
   the key or a steering lock or whatever, you don't want it to be able to   
   move. Next take an accurate tape and measure from the stud on the tie   
   rod to a fixed point or two on the car, something like a bolt or control   
   arm mount. Then from the lock nut on the tie rod to another fixed point.   
   Then across from one tire to the other like you were setting the toe.   
      
   The next step depends on what method you want to use, I generally will   
   simply break the tie rod lock nut free after marking it's position with   
   a marker, then once it's out of the way make a mark on the tie rod where   
   the end is positioned. Then turn the tie rod and keep rotating it until   
   the tie rod end comes free. The inner joint is nothing but a ball and   
   socket like a tie rod turned on its side. Once they are apart, you   
   remove the remnants of the boot, then clean out the rack with a seal   
   safe solvent and keep flushing it until nothing comes out like grit,   
   dirt or anything else. Do not use high pressure as you could push crud   
   in past the seals. Once clean you put the new boot on apply a small bit   
   of the same power steering fluid the car uses into the rack to act as a   
   lube for the seals, but don't fasten the boot clamps yet. You still need   
   to rotate the tie rod to put the outer back on. Rotate the tie rod until   
   you get back to the mark you made before you took the rod end off, if   
   you were careful toy shouldn't even disturb the toe. Then put the   
   locknut back, and check that mark. Now verify that by using the   
   measurements you took to verify that it's back in the same spot.   
   Now that you have it all together rotate the steering wheel back and   
   forth a couple times, check that fluid isn't being pushed out of the   
   rack due to a bad seal, now center the steering and tighten the boot   
   clamps.   
   Put the tire back on, torque the lug nuts, return the car and collect   
   your fee.   
     If it's not rusted or totally jammed together the replacement   
   shouldn't take more than a 1/2 hour.   
      
   --   
   Steve W.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)