Tie rod end unties.

[Don Hoefer <hoefer@jaxom.eng.pko.dec.com>]

Hi all,

Last night in the grocery store parking lot, my left front tie rod
end pulled off of the strut.  The tie rod end itself failed.  The
ball pulled out of the socket.  I asked the tow truck driver if he had
ever seen this happen before.  "Yes" he said, "It happened to my mother
on I495.  She went right into the ditch."

This tie rod end is several years newer than the original ones.  Are some
better than others?  I actually drove about 200 yards, straight.  Turning
was the challenge.  Once the left wheel got turned it would never straighten
out.  I thought the car felt funny because of all of the ice and sand on
the pavement.  Not being able to go at all made me catch on that something
was really wrong.

Don Hoefer
'82 Coupe

Massachusetts, USA