positron

I swapped out my stock rear toe control rods with some aftermarket rods today...here's the pics.

Tools needed:
Jack
Jackstands
Socket wrench
17mm/18mm sockets
Breaker bar
Torque wrench
3/4 wrench
Crescent wrench

First, I jacked the car the up and put the stands under it.

Next, I used a 18mm socket and a 3/4 wrench to remove the toe rod bolt from the spindle. You'll need a breaker bar to bust both ends of the rods loose by the way.

One end down...one to go!

Use a 17mm socket and the 3/4 wrench to remove the bolt from the other end of the toe rod.

When you take the nut off you'll see the eccentric washer. Mark it off so you know exactly where it needs to be when you place it back.

Eccentric washer...for the alignment shop.

Pull the eccentric bolt from the other side near the differential...

...and boom you're half way there!

This may not happen to anyone else but I ran into a problem. The outer toe rod bolt on one of the spindles was facing toward the strut so when I tried to remove it I couldn't because it was ****-blocked by the strut. I just used a 17mm socket to take off the lower strut bolt and then moved the strut to the side so I could remove the toe rod bolt.

Here's a pic of the stock toe rod and the aftermarket toe rod. I went with Megan Racing.

Use a cresent wrench to adjust the new toe rod to the same specs as the stock one.

Next, you insert the toe rod then place the eccentric bolts and nuts back remembering to use the mark-off points you placed earlier to make everything line back up.
Use the 17mm socket and 3/4 wrench to cinch everything back on the inner part of the rod...

...and also on the outer part of the rod.

Now you'll need the crescent wrench to tighten the adjusting nuts on the toe rod down.



Torque the bolts down to 57-72 ft. lbs. and you're done. Time for an alignment. If you had to remove the strut like I did then you'll need to put the lower strut bolt back and torque it to 72-87ft. lbs.

jspaeth

Good write-up

I have some comments...I am doing this soon, it is basically the same as installing RUCAs


Anyone that answers this gets "bonus points":

When you install adjustable aftermarket toe rods or RUCAs, you still use the eccentric bolt/nut...I am worried that even once you get the car aligned properly, although the aftermarket linkage is now fixed in its length, what is to stop the car from getting out of alignment again due to the eccentric bolt rotating.

I am wondering if anyone has any good ideas for this? I mean obviously, you can make the eccentric nut REALLY tight to try to lock that end down, but the thought of it moving still pisses me off.....I wish there was some way to ensure that the eccentric bolt/nut stay in place....(and welding isn't an option bc then that piece is not coming off!)

positron

That's a good question. If everything gets torqued down to spec then it shouldn't rotate though should it? Unless you just curb check the hell out of your rear-end.

JDMxDrift

Well the reason that eccentric washer is there is to provide adjustability for alignment shops. Since the new toe rods and RUCA's have more adjustability than that eccentric washer i don't see why you can't just use a regular washer now.

positron

I hope so because I wasn't able to use the eccentric washer and bolt because of the lower control arm bar.

jspaeth

You CANNOT use a regular washer....

The slot that you put the bolt through is like an oval, this provides room for the bolt to slide closer or farther from the wheel via the eccentric bolt....

If you just put a regular washer on, there is nothing really preventing that bolt from sliding within that slot....

Granted, if you tighten the nut alot, its got alot of force on it, but I would stick with the eccentric

positron

I've been constantly thinking about that since I put those back on and I think I'm just gonna take that bar off and put my eccentric washers and bolts back in. Better safe than sorry. You see the problem is those extra long bolts that they provide with the lower control arm bar don't have the the oval shape or the grooves for the eccentric washer to fit on with.

Bryan

nice write up

Babyrightside

Okay wtf is with all these random posts about ****.

If there real members then they must of gotten hacked if not then there robots.

Its really f u c k ing annoying.

positron

I agree! I look but I agree LOL!

Levi SPL S14

^ at least your honest.