Ford AC3Z-3A130-M
Inner Tie Rod, Driver Side

The process of servicing the inner tie rod end on F-250 and F-350 rear-wheel drive vehicles requires having the steering wheel facing straight ahead while the vehicle is in neutral position on a hoist. You should first loosen the outer adjusting sleeve clamp nut followed by removing the inner tie-rod end cotter pin nut retainer and nut and you must discard the cotter pin. When reinstalling the nut it requires tightening to 175 Nm (129 lb-ft). A Steering Arm Remover tool enables you to disconnect the inner tie-rod end from the inner drag link. Record the turns required to separate the inner tie-rod end along with adjusting sleeve during this operation for proper assembly but remove them together as one unit. The remaining adjusting sleeve clamp nut requires loosening before refitting while its final torque must reach 55 Nm (41 lbft). Repeat the count of turns between the inner tie-rod end and adjusting sleeve to use later during reassembly. Keep the tie-rod end nut retainer directable for the cotter pin installation stage because handling the nut improperly can misalign its retainer slot from the cotter pin hole which could trigger premature failure of steering components. To install the parts use reverse order of elimination and include a new cotter pin before conducting a toe check for required adjustments.

Avoid adjusting the nut to align the retainer slot with the cotter pin hole, as overtightening may lead to premature failure of steering linkage components.