inner tie rod plastic cup/collar thing

[sashainwy]

Doing the whole front end on a 2008 Trailblazer (2wd 4.2L). I've lost one of the little white plastic cups from the original inner tie rod that I guess serves to protect something from rubbing against something else. Before I go to the junkyard, is it possible to get them new? I'm not even sure what to search for. Pic from a youtube video screenshot. Any info is much appreciated.

 

[movietvet]

How does that get lost? Looks like is a complete round piece. Was it cracked or normal cut with a slit down one side to allow for removal and replacement?

 

[Mooseman]

It looks like it would protect the inside of the boot from rubbing on the rough metal of the inner tie-rod. You have to slide it off to be able to remove/unscrew the tie-rod from the rack. While the tie-rod is off, it probably just fell off and rolled to that place where parts go to hide forever.

Looking at parts microfiches, it doesn't look like it was available separately and new tie-rods don't come with them neither. Only way to get them would be off a yard truck.

 

[sashainwy]

We're back in business after a quick trip to the salvage yard.

 

[02FailBlazer]

For anyone reading this in the future, these are called the "shock dampener ring" in one diagram, if I've got this right they're also called a Steering Gear Shaft Dampener, GM part 26088111.

I did my front end recently and no, these are not available anywhere. You MIGHT be able to call a dealer and see if they can locate some, but either that or what OP did by pulling some off a parts car are your only options to replace these. (Unless you want to try fabbing some up anyway.)

Somehow, they can become dislodged and destroyed by the movement of the steering rack, as both of mine were. They were in pieces and both had fallen off the inner tie rod. I didn't have the time to pull some off a parts car, so I just went without them. Given that they appear to have failed a long time ago and that my TB appears to be doing just fine without them, I'd hazard a guess that they're not really that important, so I wouldn't sweat it if yours are damaged and you can't find replacements. Just send it.

Speculation - I THINK their purpose was to insulate the inside of the steering rack from the body of the inner tie rod so in case the rack moved it wouldn't mar or damage the rack housing. The fit between the shock ring and the inside of the rack housing is pretty close, plus the words "shock" and "dampener" in the name, so that's the assumption I made.

 

[02FailBlazer]

Just wanted to add something for future readers since I've been thinking about these - if they're destroyed as mine were, a possible replacement option might be to acquire an appropriately sized piece of oil resistant heat shrink tubing.

You could cut a piece just long enough to extend past both ends of the inner tie rod "body", so that when you shrink it down the ends of the tubing wrap around the ends of the tie rod body, preventing the tubing from slipping off. I'd use an extra thick and/or harder piece of tubing than the regular hardware store stuff. Could even opt for the stuff that has glue on the inside, though I don't know if I'd trust it not to leech into the rack lubricants and do funny things to it. Either way, the primary concern once you've found oil resistant tubing would be to make sure the inner tie rod to rack housing clearance is good before completing assembly.