Tie rods and steering problems

[Adventurewagen]

I bent my left tie rod a few years ago and got a new left rod put on along with the drag link because it's boots were torn. End of last year my steering began to get progressivly difficult and right now I'm in the process of trying to fix my most annoying problems.

Now that I've worked through most of my big issues I noticed the other night while hanging out under the bus that my very old right tie rod boots have now split. I didn't notice it before until my tires were off, but both boots have split toward the front of the bus.

I don't think they've been split since I got the bus, in fact I know they were good at least summer before last, but I'm wondering if that could have attributed to my horrible steering issues? I had my tires aligned in before I left for a trip and a few thousand miles later my steering became progressively worse. I took it in for another alignment thinking some of the rough roads I was on and switching out a flat put my steering out of alignment, but the next job never really did much. I've had difficult steering more or less since then.

I know I probably need to replace it, but there goes another 50 bucks. It would be nice to know if just a split in the boots and maybe dirt getting in there could really screw with my steering?

[spiffy]

I have been cruising with two torn boots for over two years...no problems and until either less stiff replacements come out or I HAVE to change them...I won't.

Is your steering overly stiff or sloppy?

[Amskeptic]

Split boots do not lead to stiff steering unless you can see rust in there. Grab the tie rods and try to rotate them throught the socket's range. If you can twist them easily enough, but still feel a sort of stickiness, they are fine and not responsible for bad steering.
Can you tell where the stickiness occurs. If the steering wheel is sticky from the get-go, the box may be tight.
If you can feel a sloppy play in the wheel that runs up against resistance, the stiffness is downstream of the box.
The above applies if the symptom is difficult/stiff steering and not difficult/sloppy vague steering.
Colin

[Adventurewagen]

Split boots do not lead to stiff steering unless you can see rust in there. Grab the tie rods and try to rotate them throught the socket's range. If you can twist them easily enough, but still feel a sort of stickiness, they are fine and not responsible for bad steering.

So i grabbed the tie rods, both the new and old ones and can't rotate either AT ALL! I had to get my Big Ol wrench and use that to barely get them to move at all! I have one new non-adjustable rod and one adjustable old rod. Neither turn or rotate worth crap. i've turned the wheel and tried again. I tried it jacked up and sitting on the ground and they are so tight neither of them rotate at all. it's like they are under so much stress they don't have anywhere to rotate?

Any ideas?

[Amskeptic]

they are so tight neither of them rotate at all. it's like they are under so much stress they don't have anywhere to rotate?

Sometimes the adjustable tie rods are secured in a bind, because the technician did not center each end on the socket. If one end is rotated all the way one way and the other is all the way in the other direction, that will bind the tie rod. The non-adjustable tie rod will not have that problem.

The fact that old and new have the same stiffness makes me think that you and I have a possibly different definition of "tight."

With the front end off the ground, you should be able to grab a wheel and go from lock-to-lock without undue strain. Use whatever slop you discover to help you localize the stiff component(s).
Center pin lubricated? Steering dampener smooth?
Colin?

[Adventurewagen]

The adjustable tie rod is aligned and not in a bind like you mentioned, I actually thought of that while testing it. My center pin is new and doesn't look to be a problem. The dampener is old and not very good, but isn't binding.

My definition of tight is with the wheels off the ground it still take two hands to crank the steering wheel of the bus. if I grab an individual tire I really have to put my back into it to make both of them turn. I get maybe 2 inches of easy play when pulling at a wheel before it turns into a back breaking effort to turn the wheel another 30 degrees.

The left wheel has the new tie rod and has more play than the right wheel which is stiff and nearly impossible to move by hand.

So the question is, with the front off the ground, how easily should I be able to move things at each wheel, at the steering wheel, and how far and with how much play should I expect?

Easy would be two hands (push,pull) with not much strain, hard is what i have which is lean my shoulder into the bus and push/pull really hard to get the wheel to rotate. It feels like I'm having to really strain to make both wheels move.

As for moving the tie rods, I can not for the life of me rotate them at all by hand. They are totally stuck it position.