Replacing Tie Rod Ends Caprice

It will help to have the car on jackstands 1) to fit under the car easier and 2) to allow the hubs/knuckles to swing back and forth for easier access to the components. I can't imagine performing this on the ground esp. when jackstands and a basic jack can be had for cheap.

Toyota MDT in MO

yeah yeah. of course he'll use jackstands. i have the same situation with an 87 caprice. give me some tips. any problems i should look out for? i'll get an alignment afterwards but how can i get it close? count threads? thanks...theick

Yes. I could be wrong, but I don't see why you should necessarily get it realigned.

The only difficult job of removing tie rod ends in that era auto can be separating the joint from the wheel assembly. I assume it is like similar GM products I have worked on. Loosen the nut, but dont remove it. You can tap on the nut and even heat a little if you need to in order to loosen the taper fit.

I put a mark on the tie rod and measure to a reproducible point on the end. Then, when I put the new end on, I screw it in to the same index mark (or as close as I can come).

You would be wise to have the alignment checked, at least.