How to detect a faulty tie rod dust boot

A faulty component may be detected by inspection. Place your vehicle on an inspection pit, or use a jack and lift the wheel. Place wheel chocks under the wheels. Next, inspect the dust boot. A broken or cracked component requires urgent replacement.

You may notice that the tie rod dust boot requires diagnostics by the following symptoms:

• steering wheel wobbling;
• extraneous sounds in the steering mechanism while driving;
• increased steering wheel resistance when turning;
• vehicle deviation from the path;
• problems with steering at high speed.

The reasons of tie rod dust boot malfunctions

During operation, the tie rod dust boot is subjected to intensive mechanical stress. The component is damaged due to its constant movement, and changes in the ambient temperature. Quite often, ruptures occur due to excessive tightening of the clamps that secure the dust boot. Hitting curbs may cause damage not only to the dust boot, but to the tie rod joint as well.

On the average, the service life of a tie rod dust boot kit is one year, but it may vary depending on the operating conditions. In addition, the service life of components may be reduced due to ingress of technical fluids on them. Often the cause of premature wear of the tie rod dust boot is poor quality of the material it is made of. Components made of silicone and neoprene last longest, keep this in mind when purchasing.

Replacing the steering rod dust boot

To replace the component, do the following:

1. Place the vehicle on an inspection pit.
2. Unscrew the fastening nut of the tie rod. If the nut is rusted, pretreat it with a special agent, such as WD-40.
3. Remove the clip and unscrew the nut that fastens the ball joint.
4. Using the remover, knock out the ball stud from the steering knuckle arm.
5. Unfold the ends of the lock plate, and loosen the tie rod mounting bolts.
6. Remove the tie rod.
7. Grip the tie rod in a vice, and loosen the lock nut of the tie rod end.
8. Remove the o-ring that secures the tie rod dust boot.
9. Remove the dust boot.
10. Install the new component.
11. Assemble the unit in reverse order.

If you don't have a car lift, you can use a jack. Before starting the work, put chocks under the rear wheels, and make sure the vehicle in secured in place.

When finished, realign the wheels. This should be done by a competent specialist. If you do not have necessary knowledge and experience, please contact a service station.