L2800 front tie rod ball joint broken—replace just the ball joint or the whole tie rod assembly?

KubotaHawg

Member

Equipment
L2800DT, LA463, Landpride ΒΒ1260, RCR1260
Jan 9, 2022
53
52
18
NW Arkansas
So I broke the right front ball joint on the main steering assembly end today while up on the hill from the cabin. Thank goodness for a bungee cord to get me back down to the cabin, held in place to creep back down.

Question is: I knew they were pretty much shot already due to previous owner, had (slightly) bent both tie rods. Rubber has been gone for awhile from both ends’ ball joints, on both sides.
Replace just the ball joints, or go ahead and bite the bullet/wallet and replace the whole tie rod with new ball joints on both ends?

I think I know the answer—but haven’t looked on Messicks yet to see what that answer is going to cost me.

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Yeah they really were that bad. Can’t believe they lasted as long as they did.
 

KubotaHawg

Member

Equipment
L2800DT, LA463, Landpride ΒΒ1260, RCR1260
Jan 9, 2022
53
52
18
NW Arkansas
I need to replace all 4 ball joints—each end of tie rod on both sides. The tie rods aren’t bent badly and it tracks true, but obviously it has put quite a bit of camber on the center joints, and I figure it will be a helluva lot easier/less PB blaster and cursing to just remove the whole tie rod assembly and bolt new ones in place.