D

dreas

New Member
Hi All - I live in Jamaica and have been told by my mechanic that I need to replace my tie rod and track rod ends - after some research I believe these are now the tie rod and drag link ends.

I have several questions:

1. Should I just replace the ends or the entire assembly?
2. Living in Jamaica my disco is RHD, diesel. But the closest place for parts is the US, so LHD. Are the ends or assembly's LHD/RHD specific or can I source my parts from the U.S. without worry?

My mechanic also said that I need to replace my LH lower ball joint, but should consider replacing all 4. these are for the suspension, correct? Sorry for the rookie questions, but I'm unfortunately one of those pour souls who loves his Disco, but is mechanically ignorant - not a good combo I know...

Appreciate any help.

Dreas
Reply With Quote
 
1. Should I just replace the ends or the entire assembly? It depends. It might be easier to replace everything, but it'll probably cost more. I don't know if you do off roading but if you do and you've bent your steering previously, but if you have it could be a good idea to replace it all, as over time, they get weaker the more you have to straighten them until they break (happened to a guy I was off roading with at 10pm in the middle of nowhere!). You might also want to consider HD steering arms, but if it's your daily driver and it's never had steering damage and your steering arms are in good nick (and the TREs aren't rusted in like on some vehicles) the thing to do would to be replace the TREs alone, unless you have money to throw at it, then you might as well buy the full load.

 2. Living in Jamaica my disco is RHD, diesel. But the closest place for parts is the US, so LHD. Are the ends or assembly's LHD/RHD specific or can I source my parts from the U.S. without worry? I know that some of the parts are specific to LHD or RHD, but I believe that if you are only buying drag links and track rods (+TRE ends), they shouldn't matter as I think that they work on both sides, but don't quote me on that!

3. My mechanic also said that I need to replace my LH lower ball joint, but should consider replacing all 4. these are for the suspension, correct? I believe track rod ends are the same as ball joints, so I assume that he was talking about one in the steering on the LH side. The only other ball joint I can think of is the one on the A-Frame in the suspension at the back, but I doubt that's the one he'd mean (but others, please correct me if I'm wrong).
 
Thanks a lot Trillo. appreciate the quick feedback.

No off-roading really, but then again, Jamaica roads are somewhat like off-roading in their own right - riddled with potholes. so they are not as easy on the car as elsewhere

I did consider replacing the entire assembly with HD replacements, but not in my budget right now.

i just wanted to double check that the ends can in fact be replaced on both sides of the rods - i think i'm reading somewhere that only one end is replaceable and the other fixed..? Any idea about that...?

Also, someone told me today that they had a similar issue on a trooper and got the joints re-built here (i'm assuming the 'bearing' part) for a lot cheaper than replacing. and 2 years in he has no issue... any experience with this?

Dream is to turn the Disco in to a 'Camel Trophy' style at some point - mostly looks ( and need to fix interior which got buggered over time froma sun roof water leak:s) but also when it comes to steering and suspension (ie upgrade to HD parts) - so i kind of want to fine the 'best fix' for now, from a money perspective.
 
Disco 2 has ball joints at the ends of both the drag link and rear steering bars. Only very early disco 1 models ie 200tdi had the defender setup of the drag link having a ball joint at one end and the other end connecting to the ball joint from the steering box. Nothing to be gained from changing the bars unless either there is something's wrong with the current one(s) or the ball joints are seized in. Fit good ones to avoid fitting twice!
 
Just double checked drag & tie rods...

For the drag link there are separate part numbers listed for LHD & RHD - whether these are physically different I do not know. Tie Rod seems to be universal

Drag link

LHD - QHG000050
RHD - QHG000040

Tie Rod

TIQ000010

I replaced mine with HD ones a while back, but I just bought an entire kit for RHD can't remember where from.
 
Ball joints are captive at one end of the track rod and one end of the drag link by memory.

Peter
 
Thank you for all the info cowasaki, bennehboy and listerdiesel. all very helpful.

I have also just discovered that the power steering pump is leaking, adding to the demise of the ball joints, etc on the LH side of the car.

re power steering pump:

1. is the td5 diesel version different to the v8 petrol/gas?
2. are they rhd/lhd specific?

i found a td5 diesel pump in the US for 290 (non OEM) but i wanna make sure it is the right part. the US only has the gas/petrol model and no diesel, and I'm wondering if the diesel was even built in LHD (for European markets?)

thanks again - dreas
 
Microcat lists a 'steering box power' and a 'steering box (LHD '(+)"CDN/MEX/USA"')

Looking at the exploded diagrams they look to be very much handed, so I'd avoid a US part if I were you.

I don't believe there's any difference between TD5 & V8 though.
 
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