Car Tie Rod Functions & Its Signs of Damage
18 February, 2022
Car has many components and it’s reasonable that you are not aware of each and every one of them. However, there are some important parts to keep in mind, because they directly affect your comfort while driving. One of them is a car tie rod.
This component connects the steering and front wheels, so that it directly affects the front wheels if there is damage to this part. For a further explanation of this car component, you can read more below.
Car Tie Rod Functions
The following is a description of some of the functions attached to the tie rod:
Moving The Wheels Forward
The tie rod is located at the end of the steering gear and steering knuckle. When the steering wheel is turned, the movement of the steering wheel will be pulled and pushed towards the steering gear box. This movement continues to the tie rod which can be used to pull and push the front wheels. These wheels will shift according to the direction of the steering wheel.
Adjusting The Front Wheelbase
There are two types of tie rods, toe in and toe out. Toe-in is responsible for adjusting the front wheels so that they are straight and stable. Toe in can also prevent uneven wear on tires. Owners can do this by adjusting the short length of the thread on the long tie rod and tie rod end.
Dampening Vibration
Tie rod has a function to dampen the vibrations that exist due to rotation in the steering wheel. This tool has a ball joint that will create movement in all directions. Long tie rods help dampen up and down vibrations. Tie rod end can direct the left and right movement of the car. This will prevent the movement of the car from reaching the steering wheel.
Car Tie Rod Damage Signs
There are signs of damage to the tie rod that you can easily spot. The following are the characteristics and explanations.
Vibration When Steering Wheel is Turned
You can tell if the tie rod is damaged when you turn the steering wheel. You will feel a vibration in the hand holding the steering wheel in the event of a breakdown. This vibration occurs because the knot on the tie rod is worn out which makes the vibrations on the wheel unable to be overcome.
Sound on Car Feet
Worn tie rod knots make the wheels vibrate, which can make a noise in the car’s feet. The sound appears not exclusively due to worn out tie rods, however, you can think of it as one of the possibilities that you need to pay attention to.
Steering Not Straight
One of the other signs of damage is a car that is pointing in one direction. This can occur due to the car tires rotating to the right and left at a large angle so that the possibility of turning the tires themselves can occur. You can feel this on a straight road. If this happens, it means that the tie rod is badly damaged.
That’s some information related to car tie rods. As we mentioned earlier, this component is a fairly important part of the car because it directly affects your comfort while driving. If you feel any discomfort in the steering wheel, then you should probably have this tie rod checked before it’s too late.
Be sure not to use this component until it wears out because it can damage other parts. You can check the legs of the car to find out the problem in this component and eliminate all the problems. Hopefully the information we provide can help you to understand your car better.
