Two Unfun Things: Tie-rod end boots (?) and DDM headlight suckage

[shorterthanrich]

So, now that I'm relying on 'ol 2 Face for daily driving purposes, issues are popping up regularly. The latest:

I had my alignment done a few months ago at a local brake/tire/suspension place that's been around for a few decades. To free the tie rod end bolts, the guy fired up the torch. Upon bringing it near my car, I commented "aren't there a lot of rubber bits up in there?" (direct quote) Then I suggested things like the CV boot, brake lines, other boots, wheel well cover thing, etc. He said "nah we do this all the time. It's the only way to free up these bolts"

So he went at it. Freed then, aligned everything. I took the car, still wasn't aligned, brought it back, they did it again, and it felt better.

So, several months later after the car sat most of the winter, my steering made creaking noises while turning at low to zero speed. Started only when turning right, and after just a few more hours of driving, it was any direction. Its like this creaking "something wants grease" sound, and I can almost feel it vibrating on the brake pedal. I looked up at my suspension, and it seems that the rubber boots around my tie rod end ball bearing looking thing is melter, and thus came off of the clip. It's entirely possible that this happened months ago, and I just hadn't noticed.

So, long story short, eff that guy. I'll be going back of course, but it's been months, so we'll see. Anyway, anyone know about these? Should I just replace the whole tie rod end, and if so, how hard is that? In the interim, I loaded it up with grease and half hose clamped it down, but it's already started creaking again.



________________________________

DDM Headlights:
I did a DDM 55W conversion, and have been pretty fantastically disappointed with the results. It's probably a combination of one headlight having a broken adjuster, so it's pointed kind of stupid, but it also seems that A: it's just not as bright as it should, and B: I can't seem to get the bulbs to sit in place happily.

The main problem: Constantly, only one bulb will fire. I can't even explain how frustrating this is, especially with the crazy loud beep warning you when one headlight is out. It seems to be switching sides, too. Sometimes one side works and the other doesn't, other times the switch sides, and sometimes it fires up first try. I can't find a pattern. It's all hooked up correctly for sure, too.

Anyone have advice on this or had similar problems? DDMs website suggests hooking them up directly to the battery, but it just irritates me. They're just supposed to WORK. bastards.

Also, anyone selling new or good condition depo ecodes, I want them. Or tell me the best place to get them at the best price.

Sorry for the long post, amigos, but I felt like telling full stories tonight.

-Rich

[Trigger Happy]

Damn dude I know how you feel. In the past month I've, stripped the head of my rear caliper bolt while trying to do a brake job, took an entire week to install bipipes and a meth kit because stupid little hang ups at EVERY STEP, the skipped a tooth on my timing belt, get shipped the wrong snub mount, can't get a cam lock bar, family "friend" has camlock bar, flakes out on me all weekend and can't get it from him, and now I have to rent it from someone and wait another week to et my car back on the road. Good luck amigo, I feel your pain.

[mholme]

The tie rod ends need to be replaced if the boots are open. There's no fix for that. It's a 10 min job on each side. The bad part is you'll need another alignment. Just take it to the dealer after replacement and be done with it.

[The_Jerbel]

The tie rod ends need to be replaced if the boots are open. There's no fix for that. It's a 10 min job on each side. The bad part is you'll need another alignment. Just take it to the dealer after replacement and be done with it.

^ Agree.

[dgrs4sd]

I did both my inner & outer rods with a crows foot...no torch needed just by brute strength :)

[lotusgardener]

With DDM's stuff its not really the bulbs or ballasts. They very easily slide into the housing and have an indexing tab. So I dont know how you are installing them but it should be pretty straightforward. Their adapter for the d2s bulb is also thinner than the oem one so its even easier to fit it on with the cap behind it. You do not need to used a relay with a direct battery current for the ddm 55w kit. It will work fine with stock wiring. However you have to make sure you actually make very good clean connections. You can not half as this as otherwise you will get light off issues like you are having. This is proven in point because the light off issues change sides like you said. I suppose it is possible something is wrong with them but most people who have issues with this is usually because of their wiring job.

as for the TRE good luck with them, if they are decent about it they shoudl replace them.

[shorterthanrich]

With DDM's stuff its not really the bulbs or ballasts. They very easily slide into the housing and have an indexing tab. So I dont know how you are installing them but it should be pretty straightforward. Their adapter for the d2s bulb is also thinner than the oem one so its even easier to fit it on with the cap behind it. You do not need to used a relay with a direct battery current for the ddm 55w kit. It will work fine with stock wiring. However you have to make sure you actually make very good clean connections. You can not half as this as otherwise you will get light off issues like you are having. This is proven in point because the light off issues change sides like you said. I suppose it is possible something is wrong with them but most people who have issues with this is usually because of their wiring job.

as for the TRE good luck with them, if they are decent about it they shoudl replace them.

Hm, I did a pretty good job on the wiring, and made tight clean connections. I would have had to do a crappy job on both sides for that to make sense. And if the wiring was crappy, why would it change sides like that? I guess I could take one side out and try to make it cleaner, but it was pretty straitforward. Hooked up with a but connector and heat shrink wrapped it.

The bulbs are positioned correctly, they just dont seem to sit as snugly as I'd like.

[shorterthanrich]

Thanks for the input, that doesn't sound so bad.

I think that only my outers are bad, so I'll try to just do those. Looking up the parts on PureMS, AutohausAZ and a few other sites, it seems that they tend to come just as the TRE without the boot, and the boot is separate? I don't fully understand how to replace it quite yet, and what would be necessary.

Seems both front outer TREs + boot?

This?
http://www.purems.com/products/product.php/II=1426

or

http://www.purems.com/products/product.php/II=1096

And both seem bootless...

[The_Jerbel]

Option B is what you need, and yes it comes with the boot.

[shorterthanrich]

Option B is what you need, and yes it comes with the boot.

I think it might actually be the inner TR.

This is a picture of a random TRE, and the boot that's destroyed is the long black accordion one on the left




Seems like this might cover it? I just wonder if it comes with the boot or not...

This looks a lot like the boot:

http://www.autohausaz.com/search/pro...0Pinion%20Boot

[Nexus1155]

No rich, I am sure you did a good job with the wiring, A connection is a connection it will conduct and the electricity will get there, i doubt you used dirty wires covered in a bunch of crap and you probably soldered them as well and covered them so its not grounding out anywhere..

I think wiring it to the battery directly will eliminate alot of questioning of if its this or if its that because it is directly to a 12v power source.

Its like ice cream, If i order the ice cream i want someone to give it directly to me, I don't want someone else to get it, have their fingers all in it, and then I get to eat it..... :( I want some ice cream

[shorterthanrich]

No rich, I am sure you did a good job with the wiring, A connection is a connection it will conduct and the electricity will get there, i doubt you used dirty wires covered in a bunch of crap and you probably soldered them as well and covered them so its not grounding out anywhere..

I think wiring it to the battery directly will eliminate alot of questioning of if its this or if its that because it is directly to a 12v power source.

Its like ice cream, If i order the ice cream i want someone to give it directly to me, I don't want someone else to get it, have their fingers all in it, and then I get to eat it..... :( I want some ice cream

Haha great analogy, man. Thanks for that. I guess it wouldn't be too hard to run right to the battery, anyway. Just need some 12AWG wire and to put a hole in the headlight housing, I suppose. Then disconnect the ballast power wire (red) right to the battery?

BTW, you guys coming by with the hoist and engine stand tonight?

[The_Jerbel]

Ok, you need inner TRE's, not the outers. The inners are less likely to get destroyed with a little nick in the boot. I would take them off the car, clean them up, and then inspect them for damage or heat spots. If you have nicks or heat spots, you should replace them. If not, then re-grease them and get a new boot. The new TRE's do not come with the boot, that is a separate p/n.

[shorterthanrich]

Ok, you need inner TRE's, not the outers. The inners are less likely to get destroyed with a little nick in the boot. I would take them off the car, clean them up, and then inspect them for damage or heat spots. If you have nicks or heat spots, you should replace them. If not, then re-grease them and get a new boot. The new TRE's do not come with the boot, that is a separate p/n.

The inner boots are definitely destroyed. The shop melted the ends of them off. I guess I should replace my whole TR assembly since the outer TREs are wear items anyway. It seems like the inner TREs arent destroyed, but the grease is pretty much gone.

[The_Jerbel]

The inner boots are definitely destroyed. The shop melted the ends of them off. I guess I should replace my whole TR assembly since the outer TREs are wear items anyway. It seems like the inner TREs arent destroyed, but the grease is pretty much gone.

If the grease had burned off, then the grinding within the joint can cause heat spots, which causes weakening. If you've got heat spots in the joints, then they should be replaced.

If you don't mind spending the money, then replacing the entire TR assembly is not a bad idea. You can get by without getting another alignment if you make sure the new TR assy is the exact same overall length as the old one (from where the inner TRE meets the rack, to the stud of the outer TRE), but if you want to make absolutely sure you're alignment specs are spot on, you will need another alignment.

[shorterthanrich]

If the grease had burned off, then the grinding within the joint can cause heat spots, which causes weakening. If you've got heat spots in the joints, then they should be replaced.

If you don't mind spending the money, then replacing the entire TR assembly is not a bad idea. You can get by without getting another alignment if you make sure the new TR assy is the exact same overall length as the old one (from where the inner TRE meets the rack, to the stud of the outer TRE), but if you want to make absolutely sure you're alignment specs are spot on, you will need another alignment.

It's more than likely been weakened. I'm going to replace the whole assembly on both sides probably with 2 of these:
http://www.blauparts.com/proddetail.asp?prod=L5B2010-G
and two of these :
http://www.blauparts.com/proddetail.asp?prod=L5C1102-B

Are those boots the same as these?

http://www.autohausaz.com/search/pro...0Pinion%20Boot

I guess it doesn't look too terribly difficult to do. Maybe a pain in the ass, but hopefully not more than an hour or two...?

Any special grease to use? Do you just load it up on grease on the actual ball joint, or do you fill the whole boot up?

[Nexus1155]

OH lol the balasts go into the bottom of the headlights with that kit? I keep forgetting people integrate them, I still see some Audis with them ziptied everywhere, but yeah essentially you want direct fused power, there should be some kind of writeup on the ddm site

oh and yeah its when dave gets outta work ask him lol

[shorterthanrich]

OH lol the balasts go into the bottom of the headlights with that kit? I keep forgetting people integrate them, I still see some Audis with them ziptied everywhere, but yeah essentially you want direct fused power, there should be some kind of writeup on the ddm site

Yeah, I have the ballasts in the headlights. I'll look it up on DDM and possibly call them. I also think I'm going to end up geting DEPO Ecodes anyway, since one of my headlights is all screwed up...

[shorterthanrich]

Called the shop. They said they'll take care of it Friday. We'll see if they try to charge me, but I explained it pretty clearly over the phone and he made it sound like they will fix it.

If so, they will be forgiven, and I will be happy not to have to spend $200 and a Saturday morning fixing it...I'll probably have them replace the outer TREs also, since I'll need an alignment afterwards anyway I suppose.

[drkenan]

Regarding your broken headlight adjuster - do you know if there is a fix for that? I have the same problem on BOTH headlights. They point at the ground and I seriously can't see anything.

[Raacerx]

http://www.fcpgroton.com/product-exe...ategory_id/173

$65 for the pair. Can't remember the guy's name, but one of the FCP guys is here on Audizine and he will give you 10% off if you contact him directly. Can be found for even cheaper on eBay from FCP. You will need to order another inner boot from somewhere, as they are not included with the TRE.

I used to not use FCP TRE, but they've stepped it up and its the exact same thing as the Meyle HD. They've lasted me good lately, and lots of others are having great success. Ive been using their control arms for 4+ years.