briandye Posted February 9, 2015 Report Share Posted February 9, 2015 First off, gotta thank this forum for helping me replace my CV Shafts and other various things on my Edge, thank you a ton! Im a DIY guy, but haven't wrenched on a car in a few years, so i'm a bit rusty. I needed new CV Axles due to the ABS tone ring being broke, and causing havoc, leaving me unable to drive, and disabling my AWD. I finally got the old one out (Drivers side) and new one in, but in the process of figuring out what I needed to disconnect to get the hub to move, I think I may have broke my tie rod end. The bolt just spins now. I had the nut off, but it was seized in the hub, so I threaded the nut back on and gave it a few swift hits with my mallet to get it out, and then when I went to loosen the nut, the whole bolt/joint just spins. I was able to clamp a pair of vice grips on to get it off, but now i'm assuming I need a whole new outer tie rod end? There were no issues with it before leading me to want to replace it, just this. Then, at the beginning, I thought I had to take the lower ball joint out and let the whole assembly kind of hang free, but realized my setup was different (Watched a few how-to's online, and thats what they did, but it wasn't on an Edge) I was taking the stabilizer bar link off, the stupid design where you need an allen key and open end wrench to get the nut off, and the inside of the bolt where the allen key goes is pretty stripped now. The bolt is halfway off the nut, so its loose as it sits now. (Not driving it yet, still waiting on my pads and rotors to come in this week) Id really rather not spend more money on parts at the moment because i'm tapped out to the max, but I need to get my car back on the road. Even if I do need to replace the sway bar link, how the hell do I get it off now...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWWPerfA_ZN0W Posted February 9, 2015 Report Share Posted February 9, 2015 New end link needed, for sure. You can try cutting the bolt off, or use an impact wrench to get the nut off. the hex is only supposed to be used for installing, not removing BTW. The tie rod bolt I believe is supposed to spin, not 100% sure on that though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briandye Posted February 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2015 I figured as much with the end links, guess ill have to buy a saw now. Had ten reasons to in the past year but keep avoiding it, lol. As for the tie rod, thats what I thought, I didnt see how it "wouldn't" spin if that makes sense, but I have no idea how to get the bolt back on? Do I hold the bolt stationary with something? Sorry if thats a dumb question, like I said its been awhile since ive wrenched on a vehicle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briandye Posted February 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2015 Also another question, all the videos im watching on YouTube show the tie rod end going "down" into the hub/knuckle, and the bolt being on the bottom. Mine is the opposite. My tie rod end bolt was coming through the bottom, up with the nut on top... Is that normal for the Edge? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Waldo Posted February 9, 2015 Report Share Posted February 9, 2015 If you look closely at your stabar link, you'll see the metal sticking out from the rubber boot on the opposite side of the nut has a little flat on it. You should be able to get a wrench on that and hold it to turn the nut off. And yeah, it's called a "ball joint" because it's a ball. There's nothing to stop it from spinning except for the friction between it and the grease. But usually once you get it threaded down it starts to pull itself into the knuckle which makes the friction go up enough that you can torque it fully (35lb-ft). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briandye Posted February 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 9, 2015 Im just gonna have to replace them, the bolts are pretty corroded on them, so just taking them off took everything I had in me with the ratchet. I tried my hardest to get the drivers side back on, which after a good 20 minutes or so of clamping it, using various things to push it, including a hydraulic jack, I couldn't get the nut more than halfway on. Plenty to be able to get it out of the garage and turn it around to work on the other side though. Do you know if theres any special trick to getting the passenger side CV out? I have everything the same as the drivers side, but its not popping out like that side did. Are there bolts or anything that hold this one on that I don't know about/see? Im about at my whits end working on this thing today, drivers side went smoothly, but passenger side is problem after problem. Seems as if that CV was going bad anyways, so i'm glad i'm replacing them because of the broken ABS rings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWWPerfA_ZN0W Posted February 9, 2015 Report Share Posted February 9, 2015 (edited) Once you have the RH halfshaft removed from hub and have the knuckle supported on a jackstand: All wheel drive (AWD) vehicles Remove the 2 bearing support bolts. Remove the right halfshaft and intermediate shaft as an assembly. Place the intermediate shaft in a vise and disconnect the halfshaft from the intermediate shaft by striking the joint housing. Edited February 9, 2015 by WWWPerfA_ZN0W 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macbwt Posted February 9, 2015 Report Share Posted February 9, 2015 (edited) When I completely rebuilt the front suspension on my 2008 Edge the sway bar links were cut off rather then messing with them. The Outer Tie rod ends were removed and replaced with new ones since I had the whole thing being replaced. One of those items that you do since you are already there and tearing it apart. (note: take it immediately to the alignment shop) You may find it handy to remove the strut bolts also and this should provide even more moving room to remove and replace the shaft. Makes me wish I had the idea to video wha I did at the time and would have most likely helped you out a lot on this job. You are on the right track. Edited February 9, 2015 by macbwt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briandye Posted February 10, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 10, 2015 Yeah I removed the outer tie rod end, and the strut bolts to gain access to the area. Im sore as hell between work this past week, and working on this thing so im waiting until the parts get here to finish that side. Thanks for the description and diagram WWWPerfA_ZN0W. When I was out there, my light was at a weird angle, so those bolts were invisible, I saw them now though. Mind if I ask where you get those detailed diagrams from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macbwt Posted February 11, 2015 Report Share Posted February 11, 2015 Looks like you are doing the work with hand tools and I know that is not fun. Impact and air tools turn this job around and make it so much easier. Keep at it you are almost there. You will feel happy about it once you are done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briandye Posted February 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 Ok so parts are here, got the CV out with those 2 volts, very easy, got the shaft apart but now I'm having trouble putting the new cv into that intermediate shaft. The only thing I can think of is to reinstall that shaft without the new cv, and get it bolted in and then install the new CV. Can anyone confirm? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briandye Posted February 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 I got the cv in, put the shaft on first and then ended up having to take the C Ring off and bend it a tad smaller. Now I'm stuck on these horribly designed sway bar links. I put an Allen in the top of the bolt (very snug fit) and then an open end wrench on the nut, got it 3/4 of that way off getting harder to turn with every rotation. Then the end of the bolt decides to strip out where the Allen goes just like the other side. The bolt was soaked with PB blaster a good hour before hand. There is no flat side on the bolt to hold with a wrench where it comes out of the boot. It's conpletely round on the stock part as well as the replacement I have. I have never been so frustrated working on a vehicle in my life. This is the upper bolt on the link btw, not the bottom one which looks like it's inpossible to get tools on. Stupidest designed part I have ever seen in my life. Word of advice, if you have the same style, REPLACE IT BEFORE ANY RUST/CORROSION BUILDS ON THE BOLT! And no, I don't have a sawzall or know anyone that has one. Buying one is out of the question as well because I spent another large sum at Autozone today buying a few more things I needed as well to finish this job. ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macbwt Posted February 13, 2015 Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 All I can say is we cut the sway bar links off and had new ones ready to go for the job. Most mechanics will tell you it is far easier to cut them off and put on new ones especially since the price of the links is not much compared to the head aches you are describing. I got the cv in, put the shaft on first and then ended up having to take the C Ring off and bend it a tad smaller.Now I'm stuck on these horribly designed sway bar links. I put an Allen in the top of the bolt (very snug fit) and then an open end wrench on the nut, got it 3/4 of that way off getting harder to turn with every rotation. Then the end of the bolt decides to strip out where the Allen goes just like the other side. The bolt was soaked with PB blaster a good hour before hand.There is no flat side on the bolt to hold with a wrench where it comes out of the boot. It's conpletely round on the stock part as well as the replacement I have.I have never been so frustrated working on a vehicle in my life. This is the upper bolt on the link btw, not the bottom one which looks like it's inpossible to get tools on. Stupidest designed part I have ever seen in my life.Word of advice, if you have the same style, REPLACE IT BEFORE ANY RUST/CORROSION BUILDS ON THE BOLT!And no, I don't have a sawzall or know anyone that has one. Buying one is out of the question as well because I spent another large sum at Autozone today buying a few more things I needed as well to finish this job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWWPerfA_ZN0W Posted February 13, 2015 Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 Maybe you can borrow tools from the auto store or the hardware store? Save you some bucks that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briandye Posted February 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 Im calling/texting everybody I know in hopes that someone will have one. This should-have-been-fairly-easy job is just ridiculous right now! I might just grab one of those $10 hacksaws from Ace Hardware. Of course, girlfriend is at work and I just dropped my moms car back off to her, so i'm stuck here until further notice. Next car I get (Thinking about a newer 2012+ Edge Sport) is getting anti-seize slathered on all exposed bolts like the end links have! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briandye Posted February 13, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 On my way to buy a sawzall! :D 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briandye Posted February 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2015 So all is (was) well, got the new parts on, didn't even have to end up using the tie rod ends (I inspected my boots, very clean and full of grease still) so I got everytbing out back together, drove it around for some time and all the lights went off, and I was driving with AWD again. (After that, I still unhooked the battery just to clear anything else out just in case) I washed it, and took it to the state park across the street to snap some pictures, and noticed a thin black fluid all over my drivers side front wheel. All fluids under the hood check out fine, and I don't think its the brake line because my brakes still feel perfectly fine. (In fact with the new pads they feel amazing!) Now I have to figure this out....GREAT! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briandye Posted February 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2015 Well, apparently the black liquid is just that; black liquid from something I apparently drove through. By the time I got home and parked, it froze like water then when I brought it in the garage and jacked it up, it melted and ran off. I still took the wheel off and checked EVERYTHING, nothing is leaking or broke, drove it quite a bit more and checked again, all is well! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WWWPerfA_ZN0W Posted February 15, 2015 Report Share Posted February 15, 2015 That's a relief! So what's the story with the tie rod ends again? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
briandye Posted February 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2015 Well I soaked them in PB blaster, but couldn't break them loose for the life of me. I double checked the rubber boots and anything I could visually see, and they appeared to be in perfect working order still so I said screw it, and kept the stock ones on. I was able to find my other jack that could actually reach them and push hard enough to hold the stud in place. She drives like a new car! Still drives perfectly straight down the road as well. Next thing is to change my oil and TPU fluid, but it's a wonderful -20 or less outside right about now. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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