Tie Rod issues

MadJoe · 06-12-2010, 08:17 AM

Hi,

Has anyone ever had their tie rod assemblies seize together and need to be replaced? I had new tires put on last Saturday and Sears told me they couldn't align my car because the tie rods, both sides, were seized together.

I've found Lemföder tie rods on koperformance.com, and Sears said they would install them, but only warrant the labor, not the parts.

I have contacted 3 places for estimates, and this is what each told me:

Sears said $238 labor, +$70 alignment. Add about $164 for parts for a total of $472 before tax. Tulley BMW in Nashua, NH wants over $1100 before they even align it! Finally Alpha Cars in Boxboro, MA said ~$670 using OEM parts with alignment and full warranty.

So it boils down to: For the extra leg-work, and lack of a parts warranty I save ~$200 (not to mention the $13 of taxes MA would charge on that extra $200) and this makes my budget happy.

But I guess before I can commit, I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with Lemföder parts, and/or koperformance.com, or Alpha Cars in Boxboro, MA (they always have E9*'s sitting out front, so I am confident they know something about them, but are they shady?).

And, even more importantly, when the garage that I do pick has the front end tore apart to extract the offending tie rods (which I would just torch in half if I had a torch), is there anything else I should have done; like bushings and what-not? koperformance.com has a ton of steering/suspension bushings and after 63,000 miles I'm sure I could use some.

Car details: 2006 325i with Sport Package, 63,000 hard-earned miles, nothing ever replaced in the suspension/steering.

Oh yeah, and when they pulled my old tires off, the inside edges of both rear tires were significantly more worn than the outside edges, like the back end is squatting. Any suggestions for that issue? Could it be all the bodies in the trunk weighing it down? They're starting to smell, so it might be time to get rid of them, anyway.

Thanks in advance (except to the "Search is your friend" snobs

). I have searched, and this forum either feels that tie rods are taboo, or hasn't had many members with actual issues with them. Only mentions I could find were suggestions of what might be wrong with a car when someone complains about a steering issue.

P.S. this post seems to go on forever, doesn't it? Anyways, Sears said the reason the tie rods were seized was because they're steel on aluminum. Which for us non-metallurgists, the different metals cause a galvanic reaction if not properly buffered from actually touching each other by something like Anti-Seize, or if the anti-seize is somehow displaced. Apparently my anti-seize went on vacation somewhere down the line.

GMWNashville · 06-12-2010, 06:44 PM

from what i remember..e90 tie rods inner and outer are steel...but its been a while since i've really looked while i was messing with one. also, ive seen them seize before but ive been able to get every one ive done loose..though not much issues with rust here in TN. they did loosen the 16mm bolt right?

ENINTY · 06-12-2010, 09:28 PM

Every BMW I've been under has steel tie-rods both inner and outer. BMW is way smarter than to have aluminum and steel mixed to cause a galvantic reaction between the metals. Throw in some New Ingland road salt however, and you may have an issue. Have they tried soaking the parts in penetrating oil to get them loose?

m_thompson · 06-13-2010, 08:38 AM

The same thing happened on my E36. The dealer said that they had a torch on one of the tie rods for an hour and the couldn't get it loose. I have never found anything that I couldn't get loose within a few minutes with a torch. My guess is that they heated it for just a few minutes and decided that the labor cost to loosten them was going to be more than the replacement parts cost. Bavarian Autosport has your tie rods for $127.95 each. It looks like the list price at a dealer is $163.18 each. You should consider replacing the bellows ($55.43 each) at the same time.

MadJoe · 06-13-2010, 05:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by volkswackin

they did loosen the 16mm bolt right?

That's an excellent question. I'm guessing this bolt is there to lock the adjustment in on the tie rods? I'll have to ask.

I have an appointment tomorrow with Alpha Cars because I wanted a second opinion. They want $55 to inspect the front suspension and steering. A little pricey, I think, but if it saves me over $400 for a repair a didn't need it'll be well worth it. If not, at least I won't be asking myself the whole time if I really needed the repair. They seemed pretty knowledgeable on the phone when I was describing to them what Sears had said about the tie rods, anyway.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ENINTY

Throw in some New Ingland road salt however, and you may have an issue.

This car started out in NE, but I moved to VA soon after I got it, and then to NC from there. So out of it's 5 winters, only 2 were here in NE. I hope that wasn't enough to corrode everything to badly, but of course with my luck it was.

Quote:

Originally Posted by m_thompson

My guess is that they heated it for just a few minutes and decided that the labor cost to loosten them was going to be more than the replacement parts cost. Bavarian Autosport has your tie rods for $127.95 each. It looks like the list price at a dealer is $163.18 each.

Exactly why I have that appointment with Alpha Cars tomorrow - to see if they either just didn't know what they were dealing with, or got lazy. And thanks for the heads-up on those prices; Alpha Cars is asking $128 each as well, and they said they were OEM. The only thing I take issue with is their price for alignment, $165!

Thanks guys! I'll let you know what they say tomorrow.

pokerface · 06-13-2010, 10:05 PM

BMW warrantied my tie rods. Had the same issue. The deal was that I had to pay for an alignment and the dealer's claim for warrantying the item was that they couldn't adjust the alignment without replacing the rods.

MadJoe · 06-14-2010, 07:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pokerface

BMW warrantied my tie rods. Had the same issue. The deal was that I had to pay for an alignment and the dealer's claim for warrantying the item was that they couldn't adjust the alignment without replacing the rods.

Was this within the regular warranty period, or did they make an exception (mine's out of warranty)? And did the dealer at least tell you why they seized? Sears said it was because of different types of metal coming into prolonged contact with one another (and made it sound like this should be a common issue with the car), but from what ENINTY says, both ends are made of steel. I'll know more after work today once the garage has a chance to look at it. Hopefully they can put it up on the lift during my lunch break so I can look at it myself, and maybe get some pics.

Thanks again, everyone!

F32Fleet · 06-14-2010, 10:22 AM

Your tire wear is normal. Negative camber at the rears is part of the reason why the car handles so well.

pokerface · 06-14-2010, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadJoe

Was this within the regular warranty period, or did they make an exception (mine's out of warranty)? And did the dealer at least tell you why they seized? Sears said it was because of different types of metal coming into prolonged contact with one another (and made it sound like this should be a common issue with the car), but from what ENINTY says, both ends are made of steel. I'll know more after work today once the garage has a chance to look at it. Hopefully they can put it up on the lift during my lunch break so I can look at it myself, and maybe get some pics.

Thanks again, everyone!

I got mine replaced before warranty ended. I took it to an independent shop to get it aligned but the guy complained about how the tie rods seized after so little mileage (something about cheap parts blah blah LOL the guy was pretty pissed off about it) so I took it back to the dealer and they replaced it for free.

MadJoe · 06-29-2010, 02:35 PM

Sorry this took so long, but I got the car back that Monday and Alpha Cars was able to free up both sides. They said there was just a bunch of grime in there and they freed it up, cleaned it out, and lubed everything that needed it. Ended up costing about $140; but that's better than replacing perfectly good tie rods. Still haven't gone to get it aligned though.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Socom

Your tire wear is normal. Negative camber at the rears is part of the reason why the car handles so well.

Thanks; I should have realized that.

Thanks again, everybody.

06-12-2010, 08:17 AM	#1
MadJoe Private First Class 45 Rep 157 Posts Drives: 2011 328i Join Date: May 2008 Location: Attleboro, MA iTrader: (0) Garage List 2011 BMW 328i E93 [0.00]	Tie Rod issues Hi, Has anyone ever had their tie rod assemblies seize together and need to be replaced? I had new tires put on last Saturday and Sears told me they couldn't align my car because the tie rods, both sides, were seized together. I've found Lemföder tie rods on koperformance.com, and Sears said they would install them, but only warrant the labor, not the parts. I have contacted 3 places for estimates, and this is what each told me: Sears said $238 labor, +$70 alignment. Add about $164 for parts for a total of $472 before tax. Tulley BMW in Nashua, NH wants over $1100 before they even align it! Finally Alpha Cars in Boxboro, MA said ~$670 using OEM parts with alignment and full warranty. So it boils down to: For the extra leg-work, and lack of a parts warranty I save ~$200 (not to mention the $13 of taxes MA would charge on that extra $200) and this makes my budget happy. But I guess before I can commit, I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with Lemföder parts, and/or koperformance.com, or Alpha Cars in Boxboro, MA (they always have E9*'s sitting out front, so I am confident they know something about them, but are they shady?). And, even more importantly, when the garage that I do pick has the front end tore apart to extract the offending tie rods (which I would just torch in half if I had a torch), is there anything else I should have done; like bushings and what-not? koperformance.com has a ton of steering/suspension bushings and after 63,000 miles I'm sure I could use some. Car details: 2006 325i with Sport Package, 63,000 hard-earned miles, nothing ever replaced in the suspension/steering. Oh yeah, and when they pulled my old tires off, the inside edges of both rear tires were significantly more worn than the outside edges, like the back end is squatting. Any suggestions for that issue? Could it be all the bodies in the trunk weighing it down? They're starting to smell, so it might be time to get rid of them, anyway. Thanks in advance (except to the "Search is your friend" snobs ). I have searched, and this forum either feels that tie rods are taboo, or hasn't had many members with actual issues with them. Only mentions I could find were suggestions of what might be wrong with a car when someone complains about a steering issue. P.S. this post seems to go on forever, doesn't it? Anyways, Sears said the reason the tie rods were seized was because they're steel on aluminum. Which for us non-metallurgists, the different metals cause a galvanic reaction if not properly buffered from actually touching each other by something like Anti-Seize, or if the anti-seize is somehow displaced. Apparently my anti-seize went on vacation somewhere down the line.
	Appreciate 0 Tweet Quote

06-12-2010, 06:44 PM	#2
GMWNashville Colonel 172 Rep 2,373 Posts Drives: 19 G05, 16 F80, 10 E70x5D Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Nashville, TN iTrader: (2)	from what i remember..e90 tie rods inner and outer are steel...but its been a while since i've really looked while i was messing with one. also, ive seen them seize before but ive been able to get every one ive done loose..though not much issues with rust here in TN. they did loosen the 16mm bolt right?
	Appreciate 0 Quote

06-12-2010, 09:28 PM	#3
ENINTY Banned 173 Rep 3,415 Posts Drives: 2006 325i Sport Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Virginia iTrader: (0)	Every BMW I've been under has steel tie-rods both inner and outer. BMW is way smarter than to have aluminum and steel mixed to cause a galvantic reaction between the metals. Throw in some New Ingland road salt however, and you may have an issue. Have they tried soaking the parts in penetrating oil to get them loose?
	Appreciate 0 Quote

06-13-2010, 08:38 AM	#4
m_thompson Major 133 Rep 1,416 Posts Drives: M-Sport 128i, 328xi, 3.0CS Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: New England, USA iTrader: (0) Garage List 2009 128i [0.00] 1972 3.0CS [10.00]	The same thing happened on my E36. The dealer said that they had a torch on one of the tie rods for an hour and the couldn't get it loose. I have never found anything that I couldn't get loose within a few minutes with a torch. My guess is that they heated it for just a few minutes and decided that the labor cost to loosten them was going to be more than the replacement parts cost. Bavarian Autosport has your tie rods for $127.95 each. It looks like the list price at a dealer is $163.18 each. You should consider replacing the bellows ($55.43 each) at the same time. __________________ '09 128i - Black Sapphire Metallic\Coral Red\Glacier Silver\N51 DISA\6MT\Navigation\Premium\M-Sport\Heated seats\Xenon\Headlights\iPod\Smartphone\Euro Delivery
	Appreciate 1 Quote

06-13-2010, 10:05 PM	#6
pokerface Colonel 433 Rep 2,527 Posts Drives: F25 X3 N20 / F80 ZCP Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Toronto iTrader: (1)	BMW warrantied my tie rods. Had the same issue. The deal was that I had to pay for an alignment and the dealer's claim for warrantying the item was that they couldn't adjust the alignment without replacing the rods.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

06-14-2010, 10:22 AM	#8
F32Fleet Lieutenant General 3611 Rep 10,373 Posts Drives: 2015 435i Join Date: May 2005 Location: Southeastern US iTrader: (0)	Your tire wear is normal. Negative camber at the rears is part of the reason why the car handles so well.
	Appreciate 0 Quote