Tie Rod End Buyer's Guide

Tie rod ends play a pivotal role in your steering and suspension systems. Without them, it would be impossible to control your vehicle's direction. That's why it's important to check them regularly and replace them if they show signs of wearing out. This guide will show you what to look for, by covering the following:

What is a tie rod end?
How to tell if your tie rod ends are failing.
Aftermarket vs. OEM replacement tie rod ends
How to replace tie rod ends

NOTE: Tie rod ends, and ball joints are often confused for one another. Check out these articles for info on ball joints, including what they are and how to diagnose a failing ball joint.

What Is A Tie Rod End?

Your vehicle's steering wheel connects to the front wheels through a series of linkages, control arms, and parts called tie rod ends. The tie rod ends attach to the wheel knuckle, ensuring the front wheels go where they are pointed. If one fails, it causes a loss of control of one of the front wheels, which could cause you to lose of control of the vehicle.

For more info about tie rod ends, check out this article.

How To Tell If Your Tie Rod Ends Are Failing

As tie rods wear out, they exhibit one or more of the following symptoms:

Clunking, cracking, or popping sounds from the front suspension when making a turn or going over bumps. You may also feel more vibration in the steering wheel as these noises occur.
Your car's steering feels loose, vague, or has lots of play. It could also feel like it's binding or catching instead of being progressive and smooth.
Excessive tire wear or bad wheel alignment. Your tires may show excessive or uneven wear on their inner or outer edges.

If a tie rod end completely fails, you will no longer be able to control the wheel it's attached to. At best, a broken tie rod end will make your vehicle undrivable. Worst case, the loss of control could result in an auto accident or other serious damage to your vehicle. Need help diagnosing a tie rod end problem? This article is for you.

Which Is Better: Aftermarket Or OEM Tie Rod Ends?

If you need to replace your tie rod ends, you're probably wondering if you can save money going with aftermarket parts. But it may surprise you to learn that aftermarket parts may not be the cheapest or best option for the following reasons:

OEM tie rod ends meet or exceed the original standards and come with a GM manufacturer's warranty. Aftermarket tie rod ends are usually made with lower quality materials so they can be made more cheaply.
OEM tie rod ends are designed to fit your specific GM vehicle. Many aftermarket tie rod ends are intended to fit a range of vehicles.
OEM tie rod ends will save you money in the long run. Aftermarket tie rod ends may wear out faster, causing you to have to replace them more often. This means you spend more money on a cheaper part.

For all of the above reasons (and more listed here), we recommend using OEM parts whenever possible.

How To Replace Your Tie Rod Ends

Image Credits: CarTreatments

Replacing your tie rod ends is a job you can do yourself - as long as you have the proper tools and a thorough tutorial like the one we put together in this post. There are a couple important things you should remember before you start the job:

Be sure you replace both your inner and outer tie rods at the same time. If one goes, the other will be close behind, so it's better to take care of both while you're in there.
Also remember that changing your tie rod ends will alter the alignment of your vehicle. Be prepared to take it in for a new alignment once you've finished the work.

GM Parts Center Is The Best Place To Find Tie Rod Ends

If you're looking for the best price on OEM GM parts, you've come to the right place. Check out our parts catalog to find the right tie rod ends for your GM vehicle. If you've got questions, our FAQ page contains lots of helpful information, or you can contact us.

GM Parts Center is a US-based company that sells genuine GM Accessories and parts for your Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac, Pontiac, Saturn, Hummer, or Oldsmobile. All of our parts are backed by GM's replacement parts warranty and come with a price match guarantee.