I don't use the truck much, but I need it today. About a month ago I put on a driver's side tie rod end. Did a hillbilly alignment and it was good for awhile, then it started to death wobble every time you hit a bump. I thought it was the steering because there was about 1/2 turn of play in the steering wheel. So I put a borgeson knuckle and fixed that. Still death wobble, so went to realign it again to see if that would, started turning the tie rod and noticed both sides were going the same way, meaning one side would go in while the other goes out...shouldn't both sides move in together or out together? So with there being a right and a left, I thought maybe I put the wrong side when I replaced the driver's side one awhile back. So I picked up 2 new ones, one for each side, took it all apart, spun both ends out, and they both came out backwards... Now shouldn't one come out backwards and one come out normal (righty tighty, lefty loosey)? Or one tie rod end should be reverse thread, correct? So I looked at all 4 of the ends, thinking maybe one side is reverse thread, well all 4 of the ones I have look the same. So I spun the new ones in to see what happens, both sides went in backwards. Shouldn't one side spin in normal, and one side backwards? Should the threads on the tie rod end on either side be the same? I'm thinking one side of the tie rod ends should be opposite thread, and for some crazy chance. I got the wrong ones twice(they have the wrong side in the wrong box or something). Can anyone verify this for me?

 

One side usually is fine thread & the other is coarse thread. That will give you the adjustment you need.
Jim

 

Both sides came out fine thread, even before I replaced any.

 

Just having one side fine thread and the other coarse won't give you the adjustment that you are looking for. I have always assumed that one side was left hand thread and the other side right handed thread. I have never messed with the tie rod adjustment myself so someone who knows better will speak up here.

 

Well I don't know what adjustment sleeve you have but it defienetly is not right. One side should be left hand thread, and the other should be right hand thread. To be a stickler, the inner tie rods are the reverse, or left hand thread, and the outside tie rods are the regular, right hand thread.

Your tie rods are fine, just need new, proper, adjustment sleeves.

 

one is right hand and the other is left hand on my w-250.

 

same on my w350. i know because i just replaced them

 

Finally got the right part, I kept getting LH ones, finally a RH! For some reason I had just been getting the same sides in the wrong boxes. Third time is the charm I guess!