D

2013 - 2016 CX-5 Outer Tie Rod End Replacement

The information below is presented for informational purposes, please refer to the service manual and do your own research as well prior to attempting the below steps.

A. OEM Parts Required
  1. (x2) KD31-32-280: Outer Tie Rod End
  2. (x2) T060-26-169A: Tie Rod Cotter Pin
  3. (x2) 9YB0-41-208: Outer Tie Rod Nut
B. Tools Required
  1. 17 mm wrench or flare nut wrench: Used to loosen the outer tie rod.
  2. 1/2 17 mm deep socket: Used to remove the top nut that holds the outer tie rod to the steering knuckle.
  3. 1/2 Torque Wrench
  4. 22 mm wrench or flare nut wrench: Used to loosen the the inner tie rod adjustment nut.
  5. (Optional) Impact Wrench: This would definitely make extracting the 17 mm bolt a lot easier but not necessary.
  6. MAPP/Propane Torch: If you live in an area where there's a ton of road salt, you will most likely need a torch or some sort of heat in order to loosen the rust between the surface where the adjustment nut and the outer tie rod mate as it is rust welded very tight.
  7. (Optional) Needle nose pliers: Used to remove the cotter pin that sits inside of the bolt. I didn't really need to use this much for removing/installing the tie rod cotter pin but YMMV.
  8. (Optional) Pitman Arm Puller: Used to separate the Outer Tie Rod from the steering knuckle. You could probably use this or the tie rod separator.
  9. Tie Rod Separator: Used to separate the Outer Tie Rod from the steering knuckle. I used the tie rod separator to create a gap between the steering knuckle and the outer tie rod.
  10. 3-4 lb. hammer: Used to hammer the bolt out of the outer tie rod out from the steering knuckle. Since I was going to replace the outer tie rod anyways, I did not worry too much about damaging the studded portion but if I was planning to reuse the old outer tie rod, I would put a nut on top of the bolt and hammer it out or use the Pitman Arm Puller.
  11. (Optional) Vibra-TITE Viz-Torque Tamper Detection Marker/Oil based paint marker: You could use one of these to mark where the inner tie rod adjustment nut sits prior to loosening it.

C. Torque Specifications

NameTorque Specifications
Outer Tie Rod Nut51 - 72 ft•lbf

D. Tips
  • When using the tie rod separator, it may take a a few good whacks with the hammer in order to fully separate the area between the outer tie rod/steering knuckle depending on the type of condition it's in.
  • When trying to remove the outer tie rod from the adjustment nut, you will need to see which direction you are working on. I don't recall the exact direction when loosening as it has been a while but it was either 17 mm wrench (counterclockwise) + 22 mm wrench (clockwise) or vise versa depending on which side of the vehicle you are working on.
  • Count the number of turns when you are loosening the outer tie rod as this would save you the hassle of having a vehicle that is completely out of alignment or use an oil based paint marker.
E. Observations
  • I recall that there was a torque spec for the outer tie rod portion that mates to the adjustment nut but I did not think it was worth the hassle to torque this as it would need to be aligned either way and it would probably not allow me to properly insert the stud through the steering knuckle.
  • I had to heat the outer tie rod/adjustment nut for a while as it was seized in order to loosen it.
  • I initially heard some clunking noise when driving as I did not fully tighten the outer tie rod to the adjustment nut as there was a 2-3 mm gap.

F. Pictures

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