Without proper steering control, you and your vehicle are not safe while driving down the street. Do you often feel that your car has a tendency to pull the vehicle to one side? There can be a lot of possibilities behind this situation, but the most prominent reason can be your tie rod alignment fault. The Tie rod connects your steering to the front pair of wheels. It has total control of your vehicle while cornering. Basically, this rod ensures your vehicle’s wheel alignment’s best performance. That’s why when it gets defective, you can lose control of your vehicle, and that can be a severe safety concern. However, Tie rod replacement cost can vary with numerous factors, but if it gets into a fault, any of the users should consider repairing or replacing it.
In the following article, you are going to have a look at how the cost varies and when you should replace it.
What Is an Average Tie Rod Replacement Cost?
Well, Tie rod replacement cost varies with different factors like the year or model of the car, the brand of the part, and whether it is in new or used condition. It also depends on the defect that the tie rod is facing.
First, if we talk about repair, in this scenario, you might spend less money as you are going to make the old part usable and defectless. In this case, labor charges are the only amount. However, the repair process can take up to 2-3 hours as it is an integral part of the steering assembly. On average, the tie rod repair cost is between $30-$100.
On the other hand, if we talk about replacement, then you might need to spend a bigger amount. Tie rod replacement cost tends to be little high. But on average, it costs you somewhere around $200-$500. This is the cost of the part itself. Additionally, labor charges may get added to your total bills. The replacement process can take a longer duration than the repair. And some more time for the perfect wheel alignment. Pre-lubricated and factory-sealed high-quality tie rods do have a tendency to fall on the higher side of this price spectrum.
Additionally, you can also check for your vehicle’s warranty. If your papers are carrying any type of part warranty, then you might need to spend fewer bucks from your pocket.
What Is a Tie Rod? – In-Detail Description
Now, we have a brief introduction about tie-rods. But if we need to understand the function of the tie-rod in detail, first, we need to understand what it is and what it does.
So basically, the Tie rod is an essential and critical steering assembly component that can be found within the front end of cars, SUVs, trucks, and jeeps. We can consider it as a linkage between the front wheels and the steering. This part distributes mechanical force to both of the front wheels just to rotate in an inward or outward direction properly.
There are many other steering parts that help to function the steering properly. Rack and pinion of a steering also plays a vital part in the steering assembly.
Foremost Symptoms of a Defective Tie-Rod
If you have a defective tie-rod in your steering assembly, it can be indicated by a couple of signs. Some of them can be less severe, while some of them can be more. The following are the most common symptoms that a faulty tie-rod can have.
- Inappropriate or irregular tire wear is the foremost symptom of a faulty tie-rod. Because this is straightly connected to the front wheel alignment.
- Unresponsive or less-responsive steering comes up as the other symptom. This is the result of increased freeplay between the outer end of a tie-rod and the steering knuckle.
- Abnormal popping or clunking noises while using the steering wheel can be different symptoms. This is because of the heavy wear of the ball and socket of a rod’s outer end.
- If the tie-rod wears too much, an inappropriate vibration can be felt through the driver’s steering. Especially when you are driving over rough surfaces or turning the car at a lower speed.
A Broken Tie Rod: Possible Reasons
There can be several reasons that a tie-rod can fail. Standard wear causes to stand for the following:
- Different parts of the inner and outer tie rods, such as ball joints, are made for a certain amount of stress in their service life. Eventually, it causes degradation.
- If a vehicle’s tie rod ends are not lubricated sufficiently, damage wear can happen to the tie-rods.
- Less amount of grease to the joints can cause accelerated wear.
- It can also get damaged from pothole strikes or collisions. It can also become a reason behind substantial alignment-related issues.
If you are facing any issue in your tie-rod then you can contact us for the best tie rod replacement cost.
Tie Rod- FAQs
According to automotive experts, tie-rods should be replaced in pairs. Replacing one tie-rod can make you feel like one opposing the other. There is also another reason. The only motive is just to make you secure from another expense of wheel alignment.
It depends on various factors like the brand or year of the vehicle or the manufacturer of the part. But on average, it costs you around $200-$500.
Can you drive with a broken tie-rod?
Experts never advise driving with a broken tie-rod This is one of the most important car parts that is directly related to your safety. So driving with a broken tie-rod can cause you severe safety issues. The steering assembly is all about safety in nature; that’s why no one should drive a vehicle with a broken tie-rod.
Wheel alignment is very necessary after a tie-rod replacement. This is just because the tie-rod is related to the front wheels. That’s why the alignment of the wheels is very important for a steering assembly and a vehicle with full control. It ensures your safety.
