Track rod ends, hacked off

uk66fastback

Club Member
No, I haven't sawn them off, I'm the one hacked off. Most of the afternoon I've been out here to replace these, and I haven't even got ONE off yet!

I think I have the originals on here both sides ... The boots had gone completely so they needed replacing. The bellows were superb and full of 44yo grease even though I have new ones which I'll be putting on.

Needless to say, being the originals the locknuts have not having undone for 44 years I reckon, so they're a bit tight to say the least. Can someone please confirm which way I need to be undoing these things as I've read one side is a left-hand thread.

US car, so LHD. I've read driver's side (so LH side) is left hand thread ... So the locknut would be the same, left hand thread, yes? So clockwise to undo the (US) driver's side?

I've had the mole wrench on these already and they're gonna get rounded off before I do much more.

Any help appreciated ...
 

johnymd

Club Member
Can't remember which side is left hand thread but you should be able to just look at the bit of thread showing and work it out. They are often a bit of a git to get started so I usually heat up the nut with a blow torch to break its grip. I usually use a big pair of stillsons on the nut and maybe a length of Scafoldin tube. Good luck with the tapper joint at the other end. I've replaced the track rod ends on most of the zeds I sold so done a fare few in the last year.
 

toopy

Club Member
have you got any rust remover?

not the converter type stuff but the liquid that acts more like an acid and eats into the rust, not done it myself but i have read of people using in on rusted nuts/bolts as it seeps into the thread and helps release the rusts hold :)
 

Jimbo

1978 260z in yellow
Club Member
apologies are we talking about getting the castellated nut off the tapered ball joint bit or getting the lock nut and track rod end off the track rod arm?
 

johnymd

Club Member
From my experience there are very few rusted nuts on a Californian car or have I just been really really lucky. On all of my cars the nuts and bolts were tight but I did not find any trace of corrosion. Just one of the bonuses of these cars.
 

uk66fastback

Club Member
apologies are we talking about getting the castellated nut off the tapered ball joint bit or getting the lock nut and track rod end off the track rod arm?

The second one. The castellated nut came off without too much bother, saying that it did need a decent shove. It's the locknut ... 22mm I think.
 

Jimbo

1978 260z in yellow
Club Member
ah right, then you will need to apply the heat to it, try soaking some plus gas into it and leave overnight to soak in then get the stillsons on them tomorrow.
failing that take it to a garage with oxy accetalene blow torch and get them to undo them
to be honest it will need to go to a garage to set up the tracking after anyway.
probably not the best idea to cut the nut off seeing as you will need to use it again if its LH thread.
 

Farmer42

Club Member
Just read this after spending most of the day trying to replace the bellows on my steering rack. Wish I had seen it before starting & would have taken it to a garage with all the gear to do the job.

What a pig of a job!!!:cuss:

I couldn't get the locknut undone and it is the nearside one which on a RHD car is left hand thread on that side. Was tempted to chisel the nut but was reminded that I would need to use it again as being a left hand thread, I probably wouldn't get a replacement.

I ended up having to remove the rack end after marking the locknut on that. It then took loads of heat and a lot of persuasion to get it all apart but that wasn't the end of it. The new bellows was really tight at the rack end and was a struggle to get over the lip where the retaining band goes. Almost had it and then split the bellows so I am back to square one and need a new one.:( To add to the misery, I haven't quite got the adjustment right when re-assembling the rack end so I now have a slight clunk when I turn the steering wheel.

At least the locknut will be reasonably straightforward next time but I am dreading when the other side goes!
 

adrianf240z

Active Forum User
When refering to R/H or L/H no matter what side the steering wheel is it is as you are sat in the car looking forward so L/H will always be on the left. Adrian
 
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