Oh, yeah forgot that haha. While you are there you should replace the bushings too, probably $10-15.

 

thx for all the input and advice so far guys! we shall see how things go

 

if need be i can type in the haynes manual directions to make it a bit easier

 

never hurts to replace the inner tire rods, its cheap too $20.00 a side and will def stiffen up the steering esp while you have the vehicle up and all the suspension loose for the other r&r.

I noticed a big difference on all my autos after I replaced them

 

well i may need that haynes manual steps. the AllData program I have doesn't seem to have inner tie rod instructions for the neon, just has tie rod end info. also i'm having quite a lot of trouble trying to get off each bolt for each section of the control arm. even the tie rod end was a bitch to remove(had to cut it off with a reciprocating saw because it wouldn't unthread at the very end where it connects to the control arm).

I don't have any replacement bolts for the stabilizer bar so I'm trying to not cut them off, it looks like there aren't really any bushings around the stabilizer bar but rather metal bushings of some sort(really tough when I poke it). when i try to unscrew it, the bolt turns but the other end spins too on the other side, and the top nut part that the bolt is in, is really oddly shaped and normal monkey wrenches just slip when I try to put one on it. not sure how I'm going to get that part off without cutting it and replacing the bolt piece.

the control arm bolts one end of them seem really difficult to even get to, not sure how I'll even get to it, seems encased in metal surrounding it go figure -_- and the other end that i have access to is so tight i can't get it undone with a big monkey wrench so far.

 

so the Haynes manual doesn't have the inner tie rod either but for the stabilizer bar says to hold the top with a wrench and unscrew the bottom to remove the link from the control arm and to note the order of the bushings as you remove the bolt.

for the control arm assuming you have the knuckle already separated from the ball joint and the stabilizer bar removed.

1. remove the bolt and nut that attach the front of the control arm to the cross member (note: turn the bolt the nut has an anti-rotation tang)

(if removing the right control arm you will have to remove the engine torque strut to remove the front pivot bolt)

2. remove the bolt that attaches the rear of the control arm to the cross member
(remove the pivot bolt and nut first and then the vertical mounting bolt

 

How do I remove the engine torque strut? I feel like there's quite a bit of other stuff to remove to get the control arm off and also the inner tie rod boot I couldn't get off, there is a clip on it which I'm not 100% sure how to get the clip off and its in the most tight spaced area I feel like the whole bottom chassis or something needs to be removed so I can get to the inner tie rod boot. Also I noticed there is a bar/pipe that connects into the tie rod boot and then connects to the other tie rod boot. What is this bar/pipe? it had a clip on it as well which I removed but was a bitch to get the clip off because of the 1 inch space i had to get my pliers in and then I ended up not being able to get the boots clip off so I tried to put the little pipes clip back on to the boot but barely got it on, its like 1/3rd clipped on. Also I noticed liquid comes out of the boot when I was moving it around a lot, what's all this liquid? i think it originates from the pipe connected to the boot. My guess is it's oil of some sort. I thought the inner tie rod was just a joint with a boot overtop of it for protection, didn't realize there's some sort of liquid that gets injected into the boot from what that pipe appears to be doing.

 

that is your rack and pinion and the fluid is power steering fluid the rack and pinion is what pushes and pulls the tie rods to turn the wheels

 

so how do i take the boot off to get to the inner tie rod to remove it then? is there anything special i need to do to make sure steering fluid doesnt drain out? i also noticed fluid coming out of the boot itself when i was trying to pull the front of the boot towards me to try to get it to shake the clip which didn't work.

 

nah just cut the clip not the boot, and use commercial a/c zip ties to hold the boot on to the rack