Justwondering
Well-Known Member
I learned about castle nuts and cotter pins.
Each tie rod has a vertical tapered, threaded shaft and near the top of the shaft is a hole.
Once the tie rod is in position, you thread the castle nut on it and run it down far enough that you can see the hole inbetween the 'cut outs' on the nut.
Then you put the cotter pin in the hole and bend up the ends on the other side so the nut won't back out.
Course, I was taking it off so - cotter pin out, nut off and tie rod shaft backed out.
Socket on the castle nut.
breaker bar for leverage.
lovely dirt shot
Once the nut is off, you will be tempted to whack it with a hammer.
Don't.
IF you want to use a hammer cause you don't have the special tool, then take the castle nut flip it upside down and thread it on the end of the tapered shaft (cut outs going towards the tie rod).
Only run it down far enough to meet the top of the shaft.
WACK that with a hammer.
If you run it down too far, you wind up with a castle nut trapped below a squished shaft end.
If you don't use the nut, you wind up with a squished shaft end.
Far better to use the proper tool.
Set it up and use a box wrench to wind the center theaded shaft down until the end pops out.