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Steering Rack / Outfitter Design Tie Rods

F

Faded501s

Member
Messages
19
Location
chicago
I had to replace my steering rack last year. It was an AC Delco OEM part from Amazon that came with tie rods. I just had the front end completely rebuilt and my mechanic showed me how the new "OEM" rack had male connections connecting to the tie rods with female connections. My new Outfitter Designs HD tie rods have threaded male connections so obviously could not be fitted.

I've never messed with the steering on a vehicle so have no idea what to think. I'm not sure why some tie rods would have male connectors and some would be female for the same truck. Did I somehow get the wrong rack from Amazon? Am I missing part of the Outfitter kit? I'm pretty baffled.

This is on a 2009 5.3 CE
 
A

atvspeed4

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,173
Location
massachusetts
Faded501s said:
I had to replace my steering rack last year. It was an AC Delco OEM part from Amazon that came with tie rods. I just had the front end completely rebuilt and my mechanic showed me how the new "OEM" rack had male connections connecting to the tie rods with female connections. My new Outfitter Designs HD tie rods have threaded male connections so obviously could not be fitted.

I've never messed with the steering on a vehicle so have no idea what to think. I'm not sure why some tie rods would have male connectors and some would be female for the same truck. Did I somehow get the wrong rack from Amazon? Am I missing part of the Outfitter kit? I'm pretty baffled.

This is on a 2009 5.3 CE
Click to expand...

The H3 rack has female threads that the tierods thread into. Can you post up a picture of the rack you received? Sounds like the wrong rack or he did not remove the inner tierods that came with the rack you bought to install our tierods. I would be concerned about this mechanic working on my vehicle if he cannot figure this one out...
 
F

Faded501s

Member
Messages
19
Location
chicago
Thanks for the quick reply. Wish I could spend more time dicking around trying to post pictures on this site but I guess it's just not going to happen. Taking the truck to someone else for a 2nd opinion. Thanks again for the reply....great products BTW
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J

JPaul

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,401
Location
Way up north, UT
If that was a new OEM rack put in, why is there a zip tie on the boot??

I doubt there are any other racks out there that fit the same in every way except for how the tie rods are attached.

Also, just use Imgur to store your pictures and then you can add them to your post, the BBCode option when viewing your picture (you'll be given a list of different types of links to use for sharing the image) is what you'll want to use. It's free and there's no stupidity like you get with photobucket and others.
 
A

atvspeed4

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,173
Location
massachusetts
Yeah thats the right rack, just a stupid mechanic. Cut the ziptie, slide the boot down and you will see the inner tierod that needs to be unthreaded from the rack. Once it is unthreaded you will thread our new inner tierod and sleeve assembly into the rack make sure to use the included red loctite. Next trim the inner boot per the instructions and slide onto the hex adjuster sleeve. Then you thread the new outer tierod into the hex adjuster sleeve and adjust to the length of the factory tierod assembly. Repeat for other side and get an alignment. Did the mechanic read the instructions?
 
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