You sure  are good about posting pictures so it's easy to see what's going
on.  Dang, that is nice.

pret' sure that's someone's mark , just to mark what position it was in.

Yes, most intelligently ....................both left and right tie rods
have right hand thread. ..........very smart of VW there.

I've seen them really stuck too - that lock nut.  I've had to heat one or
two with a torch.

if you just can't get it apart, you don't have to change the whole rack. The
tie rods unscrew from the end of the rack.
Scott
www.turbovans.com

----- Original Message -----
From: "neil N" <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Saturday, March 07, 2009 7:03 PM
Subject: Tie Rod Outer Ball Joint R&R Questions (searched)

> Hi all.
>
> This is for an '81 Westy.
>
> This ball joint nut is really stuck:
>
> http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/TieRodNutMark.jpg/TieRodNutMark-full;init:.jpg
>
> Any guesses as to why there is a notch on the nut? To keep it from
> coming loose?
>
> And just to double check: both tie rod outer ends are RH threads
> correct? (sure looks like it)
>
> I have a spare steering rack and could try swapping tie rods complete,
> but pointers on getting this nut loose would be *most* welcome. I
> tried: penetrating oil, cleaned threads, put tie rod in vice + pounded
> on end of wrench to "shock" nut loose.
>
> TIA,
>
> Neil.
>
> --
> Neil Nicholson '81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco"
>
> http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
>
> http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engines