Hi guys, long story short I slid into a curb last night on sheet ice and hit both offside wheels :bang:. Now it's christmas eve and I'm rapidly trying to find parts to fix the car with as quickly as I can. I think I have pretty much identified the damage. The rear left wheel has lots of negative camber... but the suspension arm, shock and spring seem in their original position so I beleive I have either bent the "rear steering knuckle" see item 7 http://eper.fiatforum.com/eper/navi...=3&WINDOW_ID=1&SGRP_COD=5&SGS_COD=0&DRW_NUM=2
or the mounting point that it mates with :/ the knuckle doesn't seem too expensive, although Platts have just quoted £60 and if it is the mounting point that is bent then I'm guessing a whole new rear suspension setup may be needed fingers crossed though...

As for the front, I seem to have bent the track rod and track rod end but eper states it is integrated with the rack http://eper.fiatforum.com/eper/navi...=3&WINDOW_ID=1&SGRP_COD=1&SGS_COD=1&DRW_NUM=2
Platts say I need a new complete rack as the rod can't be brought seperately which they want £300 for, and £60 for the track rod end. However, I have found this on ebay http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Inner-Tie-Tra...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item255bf5f7a3
and wondered if it would fit, providing I take off the boot from the rack and reaplace accordingly. I am hoping this is possible and my question is has anyone being able to replace JUST the track rod without having a whole new rack

Any help will be muchly appreciated, I just need a cheap solution as it's christmas, erm... TOMORROW

Regards Adam

Pictures of the damage might help some people diagnose what you need to fix it

Ah good point, I haven't actually taken any as of yet, I will go get some now. Just spoke with Vauxhall and they have the rod that goes from the rack to the track rod end, (is it actually called a track rod or tie rod? or just middle thing :s) they want £44.42 inc. VAT so I'm going go pick that up before work :/

As you can see, the threaded part of the "tie rod" as I'm calling it is bent, the track rod end doesn't look particularly bent so this may be ok, but I might get it checked anyway. Haven't got time to get under the rear as I am of to work in a minute but you can just about make out the camber on the rear

Fiat supply the track rod end seperately but not the tie rod. If you got the tie rod from eBay, or elsewhere, you would probably also need shims and tools to preload the ball and cup joint. As Fiat don't supply the tie rod, they wouldn't have the tools.

If you've hit it hard enough to damage the tie rod, you may have also damaged the rack and pinnion teeth.

To fit a complete new steering rack, the suspension/engine crosmember needs to be lowered.

The ePER page you've linked to is for a Punto, not the GP. The forum copy of ePER is from 2004 and doesn't have the GP. To see the the track rod ends, you need to click the blue arrow in the "C" column to the right of the steering rack to show what parts are available seperately.

Thanks for your help, Vauxhall had a inner tie rod for a Corsa D for £44.42 which I am hoping is the same part, fingers crossed, it seems the same length boot without taking the boot off I cannot say for sure :/ I need to get some tools from my dads house so I can actually jack the car up rather than freezing my ass off lying on the snow

Davren said:

Fiat supply the track rod end seperately but not the tie rod. If you got the tie rod from eBay, or elsewhere, you would probably also need shims and tools to preload the ball and cup joint. As Fiat don't supply the tie rod, they wouldn't have the tools.
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do I need to preload the ball and cup even though it comes as a complete unit and just needs threading on to the rack?

I've never fitted a GP one before so can't be sure.

ah ok, my cousin fitted one to his megane last week and says it's just a simple case of undoing the one thats on and then ftting the new one and tightening it up, making sure it's roughly set to the same length as the one that came off, once hammered straight

If the tie rod you've bought or are going to buy comes pre-assembled, then it's likely that it doesn't need preloading. Last time I did one they were supplied as seperate parts and needed shimming.

Davren said:

To fit a complete new steering rack, the suspension/engine crosmember needs to be lowered.

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Tech tip- no it doesn't. May have to unbolt the rear gearbox mount for more room, but the rack will swing out without disturbing the bed.

OP- That's a fairly hefty whack to bend the track rod that much. The rear axle stub is a pretty solid lump, so I'd suspect the rear beam to have taken the brunt of the force. It'll be hard to confirm without removing both roadwheels and comparing the angle the stub/axle is sitting at on both sides.

ps. It's positive camber if the top sticks out more than the bottom.

To be honest the front end didn't seem to hit that hard, the rear took the brunt of it, having said that I was barely doing 5mph but it seems the momentum did the damage, I had a mate in the car and a boot full of crap :/ I can turn the steering wheel without judder or anything untoward happening, which I hope means the rack is ok :/ ... having said that I have just noticed the time. Happy christmas everyone
Adam

Hi guys, Merry Christmas does anyone know what torque I should tighten the inner tie rod to onto the rack?

As Fiat don't supply the part seperately, there won't be a recommended torque figure published.

You'll need to guesstimate it.

hi mate
how the car now?
hope u got all sorted

The car is still buggerd mate, we have had the stub axle off and it turns out I have ever so slightly bent the mounting point the stub axle attatches to, so we are going to *attempt* a 'heat a and whack' method on wednesday (as thats when the garage is open) to try and get the mounting bracket back in line... My dad says he has straightened worse when he was a mechanic so thinks it shouldn't be too bad... as for the front, we are going do it while it's in the garage, or if I can't get the flatbed back out, or the garage doesn't open, we will try and fix the front end outside and crawl it to the garage, or my dads, where the oxy-acetelane torch is:devil:.

Or it all fails and I am on the search for a new torsion bar setup as it's a complete unit and a new rack

Still pretty gutted to be honest, but what can I do. Just need get it fixed and on the road again.

willeywilson said:

Or it all fails and I am on the search for a new torsion bar setup as it's a complete unit and a new rack

Still pretty gutted to be honest, but what can I do. Just need get it fixed and on the road again.

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was there not one on here being broken for parts?

ooo hello I have not seen this, time to start scouring adverts, classifieds and the breakers yards. Hoping it can be put right without shedding out tonnes of money to be honest :/ I can't believe it has done it to be honest, after it happend I assumed everything would be fine, maybe cracked the alloy.... but not all this :'(

wooo!!! after a hard days work the car is back on the road, the Vauxhall Corsda D inner tie rod DOES fit!. and it took hours to try and get the back end in line. it's not bad now. I'm still on the look out for a rear axle though. and a steering column, as the shock to the system seems to have upset the already failing column and it now shuts off upon startup sometimes, and I recharged the battery whilst we were working on the car

does anybody know if a corsa d rear axle will fit? I am under the impression it will. also do I have to get a rear axle from a diesel or will any sporting Grande punto do, with abs and discs?
Thanks
Adam