inner tie rod removal and rear wishbone bush

Chat about your facelift 9n3 Polo - Including the 9N3 Polo GTI!
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s-gx
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inner tie rod removal and rear wishbone bush

Post by s-gx »

I’m going to be changing my inner tie rods and also my rear wishbone bushes on my 9n3 GTI i was just wondering if anyone has bought or knows of the correct tools for doing each, ive seen a few for sale on ebay but sellers can’t confirm if they will work on the 9n3 GTI.

Thanks
RUM4MO
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Re: inner tie rod removal and rear wishbone bush

Post by RUM4MO »

Well is my experience of buying tools to replace the track rods on a 2002 9N Polo, which will be very similar/same as your car steering system.

I bought replacement track rods complete with TREs from ECP, maybe manufacturer was TRW who is the supplier of these hydraulic steering systems for Polo etc.
Based on the dimensions of the new track rods inner joint, I bought a Nielson's steering/track rod removal tool, its range was 28mm>35mm.
Armed with the new tool and new parts, I set about removing the original track rods from that car - my new tool was just too small - oh bother! So back to ebay and I bought the next size up which was 35mm>45mm and that one worked perfectly as a tool to remove the VW original track rod. I'm guessing that that size of tool would not work with the non VW sourced track rods though, so the first tool was used to fit the new track rods.

Now, if I had bought genuine VW sourced track rods I would have only needed to buy one size of tool, but, the price of TRW track rods complete with TREs plus the £34 for the extra tool was a lot less than the price of VW sourced track rods complete with TREs.

Other issue with using ECP sourced TRW track rods was, the carefully removed bellows small clamp can not be reused on the TRW track rods as they are ever so slightly bigger in diameter at the clamping point, so I just used a couple of small plastic tie wraps, which is quite acceptable.

The type of track rod removal tools I bought was the one that has a long hollow shaft with a hexagonal end - so you remove the TRE and its locking nut and the rack bellows, and pass this tool over the track rod and grip the knuckle housing, extend the rack almost fully one way for one side then across to the other side for the other one.

It could be that you are thinking about buying a simpler design of tool, ie the small cheaper version that just fits over the knuckle and has a 3/8" or 1/2" square hole in it for a socket set extension, that might be a better idea if that type of tool has a "wider" range.

Where do you plan to buy the track rods from anyway?

The rear axle bush tool, I've never been there - yet, though I am tempted to buy a tool to let me replace the front TCA rear mounting metalastic bushes on my wife's 2015 Polo as while still within warranty, it has ended up splitting a bush, which will get replaced FOC but maybe I need to think about the future, ie Meyle HD versions as I replaced the console bushes on her 2002 Polo, or at least got them replaced when wrecked with Cupra solid ones which then lasted the remainder of that car's life with us, ie from 2006/7 to mid 2015.

Edit:- ah front wishbone rear bush, maybe get an Indie to fit SEAT Ibiza Cupra bushes, 6LL instead of 6Q0 I seem to remember.

Another Edit:- if your GTI has the same as 9N aluminium consoles with the voided bush in them that the "peg" from the rear of the wishbone fits into, then what suited the 9N will suit your 9N3 GTI. If Polo moved across (back) to the earlier Golf etc way of doing things, ie like 6R and 6C Polos, then someone is selling a tool for that right now it seems on ebay, that is what I'm thinking about buying for the future!
RUM4MO
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Re: inner tie rod removal and rear wishbone bush

Post by RUM4MO »

Well, any feedback on how that job progressed?
s-gx
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Joined: Mon Sep 28, 2015 10:55 pm
Drives: polo 6n2

Re: inner tie rod removal and rear wishbone bush

Post by s-gx »

Unfortunately i haven’t even managed to get round to doing them yet, hopefully will get them done in next few weeks, still trying to find somewhere to get the tools. thanks
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