You know the ongoing joke about Pennsylvanians, about how we pretty much drive on what’s left of the road rather than the left or right side?
Unfortunately for us pothole season is all year long, which isn’t funny because it takes a toll on our vehicles, one tie rod at a time. Actually, they can affect our whole steering system, but I’ll start with Tie Rod Ends. I’m sure you’ve heard the term before, most likely around your yearly inspection. Well, let me tell you a little more about how and why they’re so important.
Tie Rod Ends are components in your steering system, I say components because you have two. You have an inner and an outer tie rod end, they connect to your rack and pinion or steering linkage (depending what kind of system you have) to your steering knuckle. These small but important parts assist you while you turn left or right. So, if you have recently become a victim of one of our wonderful PA Potholes, you might also notice you may have a slight pull on your steering wheel.
Here are some other ways you might be able to tell you may need some work done without waiting for your state inspection. You may notice that your steering wheel may feel loose or isn’t quite as responsive. Possibly even have some clunky or squeaking noises while making a turn. The easiest way to figure out if it is your tie rod end, or if it could be something else, is getting it up on one of our lifts. When we get the vehicle up on the lift, we can physically see the play in the tie rod ends by moving the wheel.
As shown in the video, you can actually see the outer tie rod end is moving, that’s not good. Regardless if you brushed a curb, normal wear and tear or you simply drove over a pothole, we can get you set up and back on the road.