Be sure that the tie rod is actually faulty by getting a second opinion. I'd put money on the fact that it's just fine.

 

Not quite what I was expecting. I got my inner tie rod and outer tie rod in yesterday. Is there supposed to be two to each side?

 

I wouldn't put money on anything that I haven't seen and tested in person, but that's just me. It's quite simple to verify on your own whether or not any suspension or steering component needs to be replaced. Signs are obvious.

For the entire vehicle you have two inner and two outer tie rods. One assembly per side. Inner connects to the steering rack and pinion while the outer connects to the knuckle. You have to have a firm understanding of this before you attempt to make any repairs. You will also need an alignment when completed.

 

im some what mechanically inclined. i actually have never messed with the steering componenets before. so this will be new for me. I have a buddy who is a mechanic and he will be helping me with this. Now I dont know if should buy the inner and outer tie rods for the other side of the truck...

 

Replace the tie rods in pairs. So if you have one outer tie rod that's bad, replace them both. If you have one inner tie rod that is bad, replace them both. You need a special tool for the inner tie rod. The lower ball joint requires a ball joint press. Your mechanic friend will have these tools. He will also need to do an alignment when you're finished.

 

thanks for all the help man, I really appreciate it.

 

Well I got everything done last friday night thanks to my buddy. and wow! all of my ball joints were wore out. truck rides much better now, I can easily tell the difference. had the truck aligned and the shop said I needed new "cambolt kits" put in on both side. they were going to charge me $150 for both parts. I said no and just do the alignment. I logged on rockauto and they have the same part for $25... should I replace those too? or will I be fine?

 

I wouldn't bother with a Cambolt kit unless you have extremely high mileage and have adjusted/altered your suspension height (lift kit/drop kit).

 

well my truck has 107,000 on it and it does have a leveling kit on it...

 

Sorry for the delayed response, been working my *** off for the past couple of weeks...

In that case I would recommend going ahead with the cambolt kit. 107,000 miles is nothing but if you have a levelling kit with that mileage then it wouldn't hurt to spend the extra money, especially if you're running a 2.5" levelling kit or higher.