Perhaps, something may be happening with the 'non-existant' (Ford's point of view) tie rod end 'problem'.....hopefully.

Last week I received communication from the Automobile Protection Association in Montreal. They asked for permission to pass my name along to a national investigative TV program in Canada. I had sent the APA an e-mail relaying my problem of losing a tie rod end while on vacation in the US.

Cheers.

 

I recently got the letter too. Just after warranty expired. Found the driver side outer failed one of the tests.

Went ahead and replaced all 4 tie-rods with MOOG parts. $122 in parts online plus a $14 tie-rod puller.

I'm recently married with a baby on the way. Didn't want to chance it.

 

Does anyone know of a problem like this on a 1995 f-150? Just wondering.

 

no just 97 to 03 are having this problem.

 

Does anyone know where to go to get the procedure for checking the tie rods????

Thanks!

 

I need this too..

Thanks

 

Get aftermarket adjustable rods like those custom made for my lowered L. Eric at www.x-m-p.com has designed a high quality set for our trucks. Many of the L owners are now running them.

 

Maybe I'm lucky or stupid, but I have 270,000 miles on the original front end parts on my 2wd truck. The drivers lower ball joint has been sqeeking for the last 10,000 miles. I poked a hole in the boot and lubed it. The noise went away for a while, but it came back.

I was under the truck fixing an exhaust manifold leak (a huge common problem with these trucks) and, found that the lower ball joint had about 1/4" of up and down play. I'm not driving the truck until I change all four ball joints (uppers come with the control arm). The uppers don't have any real load, but I'll spend $100 for the piece of mind.

The front end has been popping as I stop. I think it is the ball joint, but the I'll be scrutinizing the tie rod ends at the same time. I don't really want to change them, as the tires wear perfect.

 

Just replaced mine today, with regular hand tools, and a tie rod seperator of course. No one said suspension parts are supposed to last forever, right? I know failure of a joint is unacceptable, but we're talking about normal wear items here. They shouldn't be covered for the life of the vehicle?,,,,98

Leaking exhaust manifolds are a huge common problem on these trucks? I have 115k on my truck, and this is the first I've heard of it??

 

Screamer,

The manifold to head studs are tiny. As time goes on the metal fatigues and the studs start to break off. You wind up with a tick, tick, tick exhaust leak. My local dealer repairs lots of these. The Ford procedure is to replace all the studs with copper plated stainless steel and replace the manifold. The average ticket is about $400 per side

 

Hopefully they will last until I sell the truck, which should be coming up soon. If I don't trade the truck, I would probably do the job myself, and buy some some shorty headers.,,,,98

 

I have never got the letter about the tie-rods, However in August I had my Missouri state saftey inspection done and the outer tie-rods where bad. The inspector said the inner's where fine.Very easy job to replace$68 for 2 Moog tie-rod ends and about 40 minutes of my time and $60 for a alignment comparied to the $400 the shop wanted to charge. Should I have replaced the inner's too ? I have 162,000 on the truck now.

 

I would have. Kill two birds with one stone so to speak. I don't really like doing front end work, so I do as many parts as I can that are connected, or work together. I didn't realize quite how worn mine had become, until I replaced them.,,,,98

 

I have a 1997 f-150 xl with 113000 on it and heard that POP sound b4 i headed home from work and drove 30 min. I had left for my bro-in laws and when i went to back out of driveway, the inner tie-rod end popped out.......well pulled out of the socket. Had to kick the tire straight to get the truck back into the driveway. I replaced all 4 tie-rod ends and i noticed a squeek somewhere in the front end. Maybe ball joints. Needless to say, i will be replacing the ball joints too. Total scaryness that FORD wont back up their product on newer vehicles. This is my first FORD and by the sounds of problems in the forum, it might be my last.

 

You're saying this might be your last Ford because the suspension only lasted 113,000 miles? That's a pretty good life out of a suspension system if you ask me. Think about it, those parts in motion 100% of the time, whenever you drive the truck. It's a wonder they last as long as they do. I put about $300 in parts and my own labor into the front end on my truck, and it's driving like new, or very close to it. It must have been really bad off, if the improvement is any indication.,,,,98