When I rebuilt my TR-6 front suspension, I too replaced the steering
boots (and the tie-rod ends). Here's what I learned:
DON'T try to pop the ball out of the knuckle -- that will ruin the
ball joint. There is a taper pin permanently attached to the ball
that is threaded on the end. These threads are what you see at the
bottom of the "eyelet" attached to the hub assembly. Remove the
nut and washer at the bottom. Get a scrap nut, place it on the end so
that the threads are protected, and whang it gently with a mallet.
BE CAREFUL!! since the car is no doubt up on jackstands (you *do* have
jackstands, don't you?) and you don't want it to fall on you. I spent
a lot of time figuring out where to put my arms and legs so when the
car fell it wouldn't get me.
Back already? Yeah, that didn't work for me either, so I got a
tie-rod separator. Dunno the size, my store only had one. I whanged
it between the tie-rod-end-knuckle-housing and the "eyelet" on the
hub assembly and after a suitable amount of swearing it came loose.
Now, back off the lock nuts on the tie-rods, and unscrew the tie-rod
ends. COUNT THE TURNS! You will need to put them back on in the exact
same position, and counting the turns is the easiest way to make sure.
If you mess this up, your front-end alignment will be totally screwed.
It might be a good idea to do an alignment when you get done anyway,
but I digress....
Off with the lock nuts, and you should be able to slip off the
tattered remnants of the old boots and slip on the new ones. I'm not
sure about MGB's, but on a TR-6 they are not interchangable, left for
right, so be careful.
Snug down the boots (mine came with these funky wires like a champagne
bottle cork holder), back on with the lock nuts, on with the new tie
rod ends (well,you went to all this work, and they're not all that
expensive, so might as well, went my reasoning) the SAME NUMBER OF
TURNS.
Now, don't tighten the tie-rod-end-lock-nuts until te suspension is
reassembled, so that the tie-rod-end-knuckle isn't cocked to the side
and wearing badly.
Does this help?
--berry
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