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Hi, I'm Don from 1A Auto. I hope this how-to video helps you out, and the next time you need a part for your vehicle, think of 1AAuto.com. Thanks.
In this video, we're going to show you how to replace an outer tire rod on this 2007 Pontiac G6. It's pretty much the same as any 2005 to 2010 G6, as well as a Saturn Aura. We show you the right-hand or passenger side, but the left-hand driver side is the same procedure. You'll need a new tie rod or tie rods from www.1AAuto.com, jack and jack stands, 18mm and 19mm sockets with a socket wrench, maybe even a breaker bar or a pipe for leverage, tape measure, 18mm wrench, large adjustable or a 13/16 wrench, hammer, and a torque wrench.
Depending on what wheels you have, start out be removing the lug caps, and then we'll cover if applicable. Then, if you don't have the benefit of air tools, you're going to want to loosen the lug nuts with the vehicle on the ground. Then raise and support the vehicle. I'll remove the lug nuts, wheel, and tire.
Use a tape measure to get a general idea of a total length. You can use a reference point of the outer part of the boot, and then the outer part of the tie rod end, and just remember that number. On the end of the tie rod is an 18mm, so I'm using the socket and socket wrench to remove that nut. I'll fast-forward as I take off that nut.
Locate the nut at the end of the outer tire rod. We're going to go ahead and just loosen it just a little bit. I'm using a 13/16 wrench. You can use the metric equivalent. With a hammer, go ahead and give the end of that spindle a whack and pull the outer tie rod out. Then you can go ahead and unscrew it. I'll fast-forward through that. Be as careful as you can to not turn the inner tie rod.
Here, we're going to reinstall. You'll notice we are reinstalling the old one. There's nothing wrong with the tie rods on this vehicle. We just are doing this to show you how to do it. Tie rods from 1A Auto are going to be an exact match to the original. You may want to just measure the length. There could be a slight difference in length, and you would want to make sure you align it well.
Go ahead and put that 18mm nut back on the outer tire rod. I'm using a small pair of vice grips to hold the other part of the ball joint so that it doesn't spin as I tighten up that 18mm nut. There might be other ways that you would find easier to do it, but that's the one that I use. Then once I get it through, I'll be able to put the vice grip on the end that's coming through the nut. You can see here that once I take that socket off, I'll have plenty of room to put that on, and then use an open-ended wrench.
Here, I'm using that vice grip on the bottom, and I'm going to use an open-ended wrench to finish up tightening it up. I'll fast-forward through this. Now tighten up the nut on the inner tie rod that we just slightly loosened. Make sure that's snug up against the back portion of that outer tie rod. I'm just verifying that the tire rod is in somewhat of a right position, and it will be ready for me to take over to have an alignment done.
Install the wheel, and tighten up on your lug nuts. I'll go ahead and fast-forward through this. In a star pattern, go ahead and torque your lug nuts to roughly 100 foot-pounds. Reinstall your hubcap, and make sure that you line up the notch in the hubcap for where your valve stem is. Then, by hand, use your 19mm socket to tighten up those plastic lug nut covers. I'll fast-forward through that.
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