You can just mark your tie rods (paint) and unscrew the tie rod ends
leaving the connecting rod loose. Slip your new boot over. Also a good
idea to count the rotations and make a note. Otherwise you'll be in need
of front end alignment which takes the savings out of doing it yourself.
It is best to consider working with the steering rack and getting some
lubrication back into the rack while you've got the boots off.

Stan Wilder

On Thu, 24 Oct 2002 09:09:00 -0700 Tom Young <tomyoung1@ATTBI.COM>
writes:
> Hi there:
>
> My Westy has a torn bellows or boot that covers the connection of
> the
> steering box to the tie-rod.  There's no specific "Replace a torn
> steering
> bellows" procedure in my manuals, though they cover removing the
> steering
> box and removing the tie-rod.  So...
>
> 1) The procedure for removing the tie-rod requires that you first
> remove the
> steering box.  If you're only replacing a torn boot, is this really
> necessary?
>
> 2) The procedure for removing the tie-rod has you first removing
> the
> balljoint on the tie-rod then removing the tie-rod from the steering
> rack.
> Again, if all you're doing is replacing a torn bellows, this second
> step
> doesn't seem necessary.  Correct?
>
> 3) Is it possible to replace the bellows by only separating the
> tie-rod
> balljoint from the steering knuckle, removing the tie-rod balljoint
> from the
> tie-rod (tie-rod and steering box still in car) and slipping the
> bellows off
> and on over this "loose" end?
>
> TIA.
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
> Tom Young                        '81 Vanagon
> Lafayette, CA 94549          '82 Westfalia
> ----------------------------------------------------------------
>
>

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