318i Repair Procedure -
Tie Rod Replacement

Like the rest of my steering and suspension components, my tie rods were shot and needed to be replaced. They were horribly bent from some off road experience the previous owner had with my car and were causing multiple problems with the car including improper tire wear and massive vibrations.

On the E30, the tire rods screw into the steering rack and are locked on there using a lock plate. This lock plate is essentially a washer that you bend. The other end of the tire rod has a ball joint that connects to the spindle.

The difficulty of replacing the tie rods really depends on if you have the correct tools. I will describe this in more detail in my procedure description.

Below is a table of parts needed for the procedure. I highly suggest purchasing quality Lemforder tie rods instead of the junk you can find on eBay. This is a list of parts for my 1991 318i. I know the tie rods on the 325ix are different. You should check to be sure these parts also work on your car. Go to www.realoem.com/bmw for an online version of the ETK.

BMW Part	BMW Part Number
Tie Rods (left are right are same part number)	32 11 1 125 186 (x2)
Tie Rod Lock Plate	31 11 1 124 540 (x2)
Steering Rack Boot	32 11 1 127 104 (x2)

I purchased all these parts from www.eap4parts.com.

Click on the thumbnails for larger pictures.

	Jack up the car and secure it properly. Remove the bolt holding the ball joint end of the tie rod to the spindle. Remove the tie rod from the spindle.
	Use a pair of pliers and unclip the fasteners that hold the steering rack boots in place.
	Here is a close up of the end of the tie rod that connects to the steering rack. Removing this end can be somewhat difficult if you do not have the proper tools. Notice the brass washer that is bent? When on the car, the lock plate is bent over the grooves in the end of the tie rod. You need to use a chisel and pry those up. After they are pried up, grab them with a pair of pliers and bend them out of the way. If you have a great supply of tools, use a 32mm wrench. In reality, the width of the groove for the wrench is only approximately 5mm wide, so you need a rather thin wrench.
	If you are like me and don't have a great selection of tools yet, you'll have to use a large adjustable wrench. Typically an adjustable wrench of this size is very wide. You have to really bend the lock plates out of the way to get the huge wrench in there. They will come out after enough skin and blood are shed.
	There are the old ones. While you are replacing the tie rods, replace the rack boots too. They are inexpensive. E30s are old cars and rubber boots don't last forever. If they tear and dirt gets into them, you will be paying out for a new or rebuilt steering rack.
	Here is a picture of my old tie rods next a new one. Do your best to match the lengths of the new ones to the old ones. This will keep your car driving relatively straight until you can go get an alignment. Installation is the reverse of removal. Use new lock plates and bend them down to lock the tie rods into the steering rack.
Performed:	April 24, 2004

Difficulty:
2.5 /5

Disclaimer: I am not a professional mechanic. Information this page should be used at your own risk and discretion. Different models and model years may be different than my 1991 318i. Read: If you screw your car up following my instructions, sorry. Isn't it sad that in this sue crazy world you have to put a disclaimer on your web page?