i need to do a little front end alignment before i cn drive it to a alignment shop and ive losened the bolts on the collars. thbolts are loose and im trying to spin the threaded shaft and nothing will budge its been soaked with pb blaster and im wondering if a torch would loosen it up a little of course after i wiped away the pb blaster. any ideas on how i can break these loose i guess 1 will do for now since i am only aligning it for short drive to the muffler shop and to get an alignment.

 

Don't heat the tie rod sleaves, you'll take the temper out of the metal. Take two 3 lbs (or 5lbs) hammers, use one as an anvil, and use the other to tap the sleaves where the tie rods are screwed in. Don't go crazy and start denting in the sleaves. In fact you shouldn't leave a mark. It will help to have someone with a set of slip joint pliers or a "plumbers wrench" trying to turn the sleave while you tap on it. Also make sure that the pliers or "plumbers wrench is set on the sleave so that it wants to open the gap, not close the gap. In other words, one face of the tool on the lip of the slot, and the other about 90-120 degrees around. Basically the hammers are just to break the rust loose. I've also gotten luck by tapping a chisel down the length of the spit over the tie rods. You have to be very careful so that the chisel does not mare the threads.

Good luck,

Scott