Tie rod upgrade, CHEAP!! New compatible parts!

[shadow_tek001]

Recently broke a tie rod... Wasn't about to spend nearly a thousand dollars on used parts...

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[NY_Rob]

Pretty impressive work Ed!

What was the total Rivian wanted for the replacement parts?
What was the total for the aftermarket Moog parts?

Did you end up going to an Alignment Shop to get your rough toe alignment properly dialed in?

 

[shadow_tek001]

Pretty impressive work Ed!

What was the total Rivian wanted for the replacement parts?
What was the total for the aftermarket Moog parts?

Did you end up going to an Alignment Shop to get your rough toe alignment properly dialed in?

I haven't gotten the alignment done yet, as I literally finished this yesterday...
Can't buy new tie rods from Rivian yet, at least not in Canada. But the used parts would have totaled over $2000 for both sides. But I got all the moog parts brand new for about $200

 

[NY_Rob]

^ wow!!! You saved yourself a buttload of cash! Rivian parts pricing is crazy

Any idea if the left and right side use the same length outer rod? It would be nice if you could pre-mod just one set and keep it in your bag of on vehicle spares.

 

[shadow_tek001]

^ wow!!! You saved yourself a buttload of cash! Rivian parts pricing is crazy

Any idea if the left and right side use the same length outer rod? It would be nice if you could pre-mod just one set and keep it in your bag of on vehicle spares.

Yep both sides are identical. I did purchase both sets, but there was no point video recording the passenger side. But I'm just going to wait until the passenger side breaks before doing it anyway.
(The cost of used rivian gen 2 16mm parts for both sides would have cost about 2 grand)

 

[NY_Rob]

Great! Now you can relax a little knowing you have a ready spare onboard. It tells you something when Rivian beefed up the Gen2 tie rods to 16mm vs the original 14mm rods.

 

[shadow_tek001]

Great! Now you can relax a little knowing you have a ready spare onboard. It tells you something when Rivian beefed up the Gen2 tie rods to 16mm vs the original 14mm rods.

Exactly!

 

[3wisemonkeyz]

Gen 1 here…should I be concerned about the 14mm rods?

 

[shadow_tek001]

Gen 1 here…should I be concerned about the 14mm rods?

If you wheel it, then yeah, get yourself a spare for the inevitable break.... And pack some tools

 

[superfluid]

You literally made a field splint for a broken "bone" that let you drive home. Truly impressive!

For anyone interested in an OEM tie-rod upgrade from Gen 1 to Gen 2 on their Gen 1, this is how I did it. Cost me about $1600.

https://www.rivianforums.com/forum/...e-rods-to-stronger-gen-2-16mm-tie-rods.44916/

 

[shadow_tek001]

You literally made a field splint for a broken "bone" that let you drive home. Truly impressive!

For anyone interested in an OEM tie-rod upgrade from Gen 1 to Gen 2 on their Gen 1, this is how I did it. Cost me about $1600.

https://www.rivianforums.com/forum/...e-rods-to-stronger-gen-2-16mm-tie-rods.44916/

Thanks!

Yeah it was your post that gave me the idea to look for 16mm options. Being in Canada, that would have been over 2000cad

 

[100jacks]

Great job on retrofitting these. Does anyone know anyone who replaced the half shafts on their own?

 

[shadow_tek001]

Great job on retrofitting these. Does anyone know anyone who replaced the half shafts on their own?

Thanks!

 

[R1Thor]

My only gripe here is the language suggesting this is an eventuality.
I've been off pavement plenty of times and zero tie rod issues.

The one time I did witness someone else with a tie rod issue was when he cranked his wheel *while fording* and basically bent it while trying to turn against some underwater obstacle. And it actually didn't self-destruct until he approached another obstacle afterwards (noticed steering was less ideal, but didn't take heed and tried to do a steep technical climb).

Furthermore, the coaches and professionals I've taken lessons from are really eager to point out that people damaging their vehicles are the ones who don't know how to drive them off-road. (Professional lessons are greater than experience. Experience+lessons trump either) (using a hammer when they need a scalpel type approach: typically speed is the enemy).

Just my .02. OP seems like he might know what he's doing, but for anyone else wandering in here thinking these things aren't off-road adventure vehicles, you're very wrong. They're plenty capable, and I've hit some pretty hard corners and obstacles without fanfare. The truck takes it like a champ.

I'm sure there's a modicum of unfortunate luck in here too, and being prepared is also cool. So, I'm also being careful not to suggest that there's zero risk or that OP did anything inherently incorrect. I'm just not cool with the idea that " get yourself a spare for the inevitable break... "
It's absolutely not inevitable. This is unnecessary FUD.

And it's cool not to need Rivian to fix everything (I'm a huge fan of DIY and self-repair/maintenance). So, not taking away from that.

 

[shadow_tek001]

My only gripe here is the language suggesting this is an eventuality.
I've been off pavement plenty of times and zero tie rod issues.

The one time I did witness someone else with a tie rod issue was when he cranked his wheel *while fording* and basically bent it while trying to turn against some underwater obstacle. And it actually didn't self-destruct until he approached another obstacle afterwards (noticed steering was less ideal, but didn't take heed and tried to do a steep technical climb).

Furthermore, the coaches and professionals I've taken lessons from are really eager to point out that people damaging their vehicles are the ones who don't know how to drive them off-road. (Professional lessons are greater than experience. Experience+lessons trump either) (using a hammer when they need a scalpel type approach: typically speed is the enemy).

Just my .02. OP seems like he might know what he's doing, but for anyone else wandering in here thinking these things aren't off-road adventure vehicles, you're very wrong. They're plenty capable, and I've hit some pretty hard corners and obstacles without fanfare. The truck takes it like a champ.

I'm sure there's a modicum of unfortunate luck in here too, and being prepared is also cool. So, I'm also being careful not to suggest that there's zero risk or that OP did anything inherently incorrect. I'm just not cool with the idea that " get yourself a spare for the inevitable break... "
It's absolutely not inevitable. This is unnecessary FUD.

And it's cool not to need Rivian to fix everything (I'm a huge fan of DIY and self-repair/maintenance). So, not taking away from that.

First let me just explain a little bit about who you just implied "seems like he might know what he's doing"

-I've been wheeling for 23 years
-I've owned 5 different off road trucks
-I run an off road group
-I'm also a member of the 4wdabc
-I have a Canadian class 5, and a class 1 (trucker's license) including air brakes, and a Dutch license
-I've been repairing vehicles since I was 15 (31 years ago)
-I've never paid a mechanic for anything but wheel alignments
-I run 2 separate automotive YouTube channels plus a 3rd channel dedicated to back country exploration (for 6 years)
-I have formal track race training and experience
-I've been in the auto industry for 10 years
-I've taught several people how to wheel

I AM a professional. And any "professional" that suggests that only inexperienced people break their trucks, is a complete idiot. That's literally the dumbest thing I've ever heard.

Rivian specifically upgraded the tie rods on Gen 2 because they KNEW they were a bit too weak, despite being used as a "fuse" to protect the steering rack.

There's an entire industry around beefier tie rods... THEY BREAK, it's a fact of life, not inexperienced wheeling. Quite frankly your comment was a little insulting.

I go wheeling about 4 times a month, and have done so for over two decades. I know what I'm doing.

And yes, if you do the kind of wheeling that I'm doing, then eventually you'll probably break a tie rod. If you don't think so, then you're not off roading, your soft roading.

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