How to Replace Outer Tie Rods 2003-11 Honda Element
Created on: 2018-12-19
How to repair, install, fix, change or replace a broken, busted, bad, or damaged tie rod on 03, 04, 05, 06, 07, 08, 09, 10, 11 Honda Element
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step 1 :Removing the Wheel
- Loosen the lug nut covers with a 19mm socket
- Pry off the center cap with a flat blade screwdriver
- Loosen the lug nuts with the vehicle on the ground
- Raise the vehicle with a floor jack
- Secure the vehicle on jack stands
- Remove the lug nuts
- Pull off the wheel
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step 2 :Removing the Outer Tie Rods
- Spray the jamb nut and castle nut with rust penetrant
- Straighten and remove the cotter pin with pliers
- Loosen the castle nut with a 19mm socket and breaker bar
- Remove the tie rod with two 19mm wrenches, one on the inner jamb nut and one on the tie rod neck
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step 3 :Installing the Outer Tie Rods
- Spin the outer tie rod snug, and turn it back one full rotation
- Insert the tie rod end into the knuckle
- Tighten the jamb nut with two 19mm wrenches
- Torque the castle nut to 40 foot-pounds
- Insert a cotter pin into the castle nut
- Bend the cotter pin end down with pliers
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step 4 :Installing the Wheel
- Slide the wheel into place
- Start the lug nuts by hand
- Tighten the lug nuts preliminarily
- Lower the vehicle to the ground
- Tighten the lug nuts to 80 foot-pounds in a crossing or star pattern
- Reattach the center cap
- Tighten the lug nut covers with a 19mm socket
Tools needed
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Side Cutters
Hammer
Socket Extensions
Torque Wrench
Rust Penetrant
Pry Bar
Jack Stands
19mm Wrench
19mm Socket
Ratchet
Floor Jack
1/2 Inch Breaker Bar
Hi, I'm Mike from 1A Auto. We've been selling auto parts for over 30 years.
Sue: Hi, everyone. Sue here from 1A Auto. Today I'm going to show you on our '06 Honda Element how to replace the outer tire. If you need that part or any other part for your car, click on the link below and head on over to 1aauto.com.
Like usual, before you do any front end suspension or steering work, make sure you schedule an alignment, so that you can get it done. Right after your repair, you can drive straight there. To remove the tire, you need a 19 millimeter socket. The vehicle has weight on it, so I can loosen up each lug nut as I go around. I'm using a two post lift. At home, you can use a jack and jack stands.
Now I have it up in the air. I'm just going to remove all the lug nuts. Beautiful. We can discard the hubcap. Now I'm going to spray the jam nut on the tie rod ends and the castle nut on the outer tie rod end. First thing I like to do is I'm going to make sure that the jam nut, now that I sprayed it, will break free because that has to break free. You got to leave everything intact to make sure that that moves. That's 24 millimeter on the factory inner tie rod end jam nut. Wow, that's awesome. Let's hope that the outer tie rod end comes off just as easy.
Now, I'm going to take the cotter pin out and remove that. Discard it. That's not something that you reuse. Cotter pins are to be removed and thrown out. Now the outer tie rod end castle nut is a 19 millimeter. I'm going to put that on there with my breaker bar. Break that free. You're going to hit the arm on the strut tower. You're going to tap it right about there. Now that's out.
Now to remove the outer tie rod end, we're going to have to put a wrench on the inner, which has a nice cut out for open-faced wrench. We're going to hold that, and then we're going to turn this outer tie rod end off. The inner tie rod end that hex cut out is a 19 millimeter. I'm going to hold it with my stubby wrench because the outer tie rod end is also a 19 millimeter. You're just going to want to turn both of them. I'll hold the inner and turn the outer one. I'm leaving the jam nut where it is because that way I know how far I have to put the new tire rod end in for adjustment prior to getting it lined up.
Now I take the outer tire rod end off. Here we have our new outer tie rod end for our Honda Element, and here is the factory. This one came from 1A Auto. It is the same thread diameter. It's got a nice boot that's meshed down and tight. It's a sealed system just like the factory. It comes with a self-locking nut, so that's a one time use. The factory is a regular bolt, and it requires a cotter pin afterwards. That's nice that you don't need to deal with a cotter pin. Once that tight, torqued down, you're all set and ready to go. If you need this part, or any other part for your car, click on the link below and head on over to 1aauto.com.
Now the new outer tie rod end, I don't know to take the jam nut off, so that's cool because it's on there, and the new one doesn't come with one. It doesn't need to. You have this one, and ours moves, so that's thumbs up. I like to take some spray. As you can see, I put some little ATCs in there, so that it won't seize up on the next guy. I just thread it on. Now I don't have to count turns as all because I know that I turned my jam nut. I did like maybe one full turn to back that off. I'm just going to bottom it out, and then I'll turn it back one full turn and install it. It has to get an alignment anyways, but I like to get it as close as possible, so that way the alignment person is not spending two hours trying to free things up. Plus, it won't wear my tires out even if I'm only going a mile. Now I'm just going to turn it back one like that. Put it right in the strut tower. Put the nut on.
You're going to put the 24 millimeter on the jam nut and just hold the inner tie rod end in the same position. You don't want to turn that because that's part of the adjustment. We'll just have to keep turning the head of the 24 millimeter back and forth till we bottom out like that. Now we're ready to tighten this. 19 millimeter socket, and I'm going to attempt to start tightening this up before the tie rod end stud spins. Maybe because I have pressure on it, I might get it done. A situation to that when the typical tie rod end spindle starts to spin in place, you just take a pry bar and put some pressure on that. This is, obviously, if you don't have an air gun. There you go. Once you feel it's seat, the torque specs for this manufacturer's specs is 40 foot-pounds. There you go.
I'm going to mount the tire again. Grab your hubcap because this particular Honda does not have extra wide cutouts for three lug nuts. Rim up on the hub and put your lug nuts on. The wheel torque. Now I've got the weight of the vehicle down on the tire. I'm going to torque up the wheels. The wheel torque manufacturer spec is 80 foot-pounds.
Thanks for watching. Visit us at 1aauto.com for quality auto parts, fast and free shipping, and the best customer service in the industry.
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