Outer tie rod

[Bonniem]

Hello everyone, do you guys know if I should replace my outer tie rod. There is no play on movement just some grease exposed.
Thanks

 

[DougR]

It's fine. A little grease leak is OK. The grease that seeped out was excess in the boot above the joint. My tie rods have seeped a little bit more grease than yours after 128K miles and I will not replace until wear is evident. My lower ball joint boots are showing wear, however the joint itself is still OK. It's a good idea to check front suspension components for wear once a year and more often if you off-road.

 

[1000MPH]

I bought new ones when mine looked like yours, but I’m waiting until they actually wear out before I install them.
List price is $61/ea now but you should be able to get them for $40 during a sale. I would go with OEM after hearing some complaints about Moog stuff. They come with the castle nut and cotter pin.
Steering Tie Rod End (Left, Right) | Part #4504669245 | Toyota Auto Parts

 

[Bonniem]

That’s my LCA also exposed grease. Yes outer is easy to replace and money wise vs lower.

 

[RVCA2]

This

This is my outer tie rod and lca ball joints look like. 9 years of use. No off roading.

 

[weberlukas74]

Hello everyone, do you guys know if I should replace my outer tie rod. There is no play on movement just some grease exposed.
Thanks

Exposed grease could be a sign of a failing boot, but it doesn't necessarily mean an immediate replacement of the outer tie rod. Give the boot a once-over for tears, cuts, or major wear. If it's just a small issue, you could clean up the joint, slap on some new grease, and throw on a new boot. But if the boot is seriously messed up or the joint is looking pretty worn, it's probably a good idea to go ahead and replace the whole outer tie rod.

 

[T4R_Canuck]

For anyone looking to replace their outer tie rod ends, these Mevotech replacement ends work well and are recommended by a few local 4x4 shops.

Mevotech MES80895

Available in Canada from Parts Avatar and in the USA/Canada from Rock Auto.

Rock auto pricing beats parts avatar even with shipping and currency conversion to Canadian moose dollars.

I've currently got replacement LCAs and Outer tie rod ends enroute to me as it was the same cost for me to replace the entire LCA as it would have been to have a shop replace just the lower ball joint.

 

[djeepin]

wasn't any play in mine after 80K but seepage. I replaced just rubber boots on tie rod ends and ball joints. Japanese rubber deteriorate faster than metal wears out. change it proactive to avoid contamination of grease and wear joints. same is for front axels boots, and more expensive: steering rack. although latter more complicated and may require alignment tor toe. my point is: it start leaking or seeping grease - replace boot.