Bent tie rod, how to remove?

[WNYPCRepair 1,923]

I bent a tie rod on my 522xi. How do these ball fittings come apart? I don't have a small enough ball joint fork, and I'm not sure if that is how they come apart anyway

Edited June 19, 2018 by WNYPCRepair

[WNYPCRepair 1,923]

I think I answered my own question, they do not appear to come apart. 

[gwest_ca-(File Mod) 11,285]

[WNYPCRepair 1,923]

I was trying to figure out how to separate the ball joint, as the way it is ben't, I can't get the end out at the spindle. I'm going to have to straighten it enough to move the wheel so I can get the end off.

 

[wallfish 17,660]

1 hour ago, WNYPCRepair said:

as the way it is ben't, I can't get the end out at the spindle

 

From the illustration posted, why not remove the steering arm from the spindle, then remove the tie rod end from the steering arm?

Then you can unscrew the entire tie rod from the other tie rod end. You should be able to straighten it now that it's off the tractor and re-assemble

[WVHillbilly520H 10,376]

3 hours ago, WNYPCRepair said:

I think I answered my own question, they do not appear to come apart. 

Unless they are totally worn out then they tend to fall apart, but looking at the parts illustration if you loosen the splined #8 bolt #9 nut #7 (depends which side) then you could pry that up to get enough room to remove the "tie rod" #12, Jeff.

[WNYPCRepair 1,923]

1 hour ago, wallfish said:

 

From the illustration posted, why not remove the steering arm from the spindle, then remove the tie rod end from the steering arm?

Then you can unscrew the entire tie rod from the other tie rod end. You should be able to straighten it now that it's off the tractor and re-assemble

I misread which end you meant, see below. 

 

 

Edited June 20, 2018 by WNYPCRepair

[WNYPCRepair 1,923]

1 hour ago, WVHillbilly520H said:

Unless they are totally worn out then they tend to fall apart, but looking at the parts illustration if you loosen the splined #8 bolt #9 nut #7 (depends which side) then you could pry that up to get enough room to remove the "tie rod" #12, Jeff.

I tried that, but couldn't get #8 steering arm loose, was afraid I was going to break something. The end of the ball joint is sitting right over the spindle, so I either have to remove the steering arm, or turn the wheel enough to get the bolt past the spindle, and couldn't do either. 

I'll try again tomorrow, it broke right at the end of the day, and I didn't have much time to mess with it. If I can get that end loose, then I can get the other end off and pull it out and straighten it. And possibly strengthen it, it bent when I was backing up and the wheel went into a hole

 

 

Edited June 20, 2018 by WNYPCRepair

[WNYPCRepair 1,923]

Actually, looking at the drawing, if I get the back end off, and I think I can, then I should be able to turn the wheel to clear the spindle. May not be as hard as it looks. 

 

[WVHillbilly520H 10,376]

After you loosen the bolt/nut on, the splined drag link you need to "spread" it with a screwdriver or chisel so it will be easier to pry up/off the spindle.

[WNYPCRepair 1,923]

11 hours ago, WVHillbilly520H said:

After you loosen the bolt/nut on, the splined drag link you need to "spread" it with a screwdriver or chisel so it will be easier to pry up/off the spindle.

Did that and still couldn't get it off. 

I took the tie rod off at the steering shaft end and was just barely able to get the front end off by turning the wheel all the way left. 





It was bent just a little. Straightened it all out, put it back on, carried 4 bucket loads of mulch and on the 5th bucket, it bent again, worse than before. I have a new one coming, so hopefully it is a bit stronger. This time it bent when the left front wheel hit the pile of mulch. It should have driven right over, hopefully it is just because the rod was weakened. 

 

It is really hard to drive like this.  

[WVHillbilly520H 10,376]

For as nice the xi series is, it's still hard to beat the tie rods on a classic 520H for durability,  on a side note that 523Dxi I tried to save had bent tie rod links with less than 300 hrs on it.

[WNYPCRepair 1,923]

1 hour ago, WVHillbilly520H said:

For as nice the xi series is, it's still hard to beat the tie rods on a classic 520H for durability,  on a side note that 523Dxi I tried to save had bent tie rod links with less than 300 hrs on it.

I wonder if smart steer has anything to do with it. It is weird how easy it bent. It was a lot of work to straighten, both times. 

 

 

[WNYPCRepair 1,923]

Looks like Toro recognized the tie rods weren't thick enough

[shallowwatersailor 3,214]

You beat me to the punch. The tie rods were strengthened around 2001 and replacement tie rods were then made thicker and stronger.

 

Toro really kept up on the quality and improvement of their tractors until discontinued.

 

 

Edited June 26, 2018 by shallowwatersailor