Fabtech tie rods

[devilsfan]

I've taken my truck out twice now since having the Fabtech tie rods put in, and both times I've ripped the boot on the passenger side. Is this common with these tie rods? Or is there something I can watch out for while wheeling to avoid doing this again?

Stacy

[KenP]

The only damage to the boot we get is on the top side where the TR makes contact with the frame. The boot tears there.

[h2co-pilot]

I have notice the little o ring comes off some times too and kind of a mess to put back on. Used a plastic zip tie right off the trail to hold the lube in.

Since they are larger I wonder if there are accordian types that would fit. I will check into it. Wouldn't hurt to switch them out.

[devilsfan]

Seth - different than Cline. The O ring stayed on this time - I haven't seen the damage to the boot yet. It looks fine from every angle I can see, I can't get to where it faces the engine tho. I had taken it to the dealer and had the guys look it over for me. They said the boot was pretty chewed up. I need to take it to the Max sometime this week for an alignment, so I'll see what they say there.

Phil - the scenarios you described for potential breakage happened at just about every obstacle at Katemcy. ;) I'll take pics once I get the boot off - right now, I can't see a single tear in it from my angles. My camera's too big to get it behind the boot to photograph, and that seems like the only place the tear could be - since the boot looks fine everywhere else.

Stacy

[H2 Maverick]

Check your idler arm and pitman arm for excessive wear(movement at the ball stud). The centerlink cannot contact the frame unless these parts are worn.

[PARAGON]

Check your idler arm and pitman arm for excessive wear(movement at the ball stud). The centerlink cannot contact the frame unless these parts are worn.Sorry, but it can and does. The stock centerlink rotates, as Phil described earlier, allow for the ends of the center link to move upward. On the PS, the TR is closer to the frame and I noticed on one H2 this weekend that the frame itself STOPPED the centerlink and TR from moving further up and completely failing, in all probability, even though it was a beefy upgraded TR.

We have been suspecting this to be the case for a while now, but I actually saw the rotation of the stock centerlink on Phil's truck, even though he has the Fabteck Tie Rods and the Cognito steering supports. I have both also and have a light scrub on the PS frame where the tie rod boot lightly brushed the underside of the frame.