Tie Rods

[MoparManiac117]

So I made a dumb mistake while riding over the weekend and ended up crashing my '07 400. No major damage from what I can tell so far. Looks like two bent tie rods and maybe some bent bars. So I started doing some research and it seems everybody says get stock replacement tie rods, since they're designed to be the weak link and bend in a crash to save other more expensive stuff from getting messed up. The cheapest OEM replacements I can find are $30 a piece from Rocky Mountain. They have some after market chromoloy ones from Tusk that are $20 a piece. I'm hesitant to go with the chromoloy ones because it's stronger than the stock steel ones and I still want the tie rods to be the weak point in the front. Any advice?

[Baileygunns]

I think I have a set of used stock ones on the shelf... I'd sell them for $30 shipped if I do.

[LxMxL97]

What else would break if you had stronger tie rods because I know you're not going to break a spindle or a steering stem

[MoparManiac117]

Not necessarily break but just bend something else. I wouldn't want to bend an a-arm or a wheel. I'd rather all the energy transfer to the weakest point (tie rods) and bend those

[atvrider13]

I have broken a spindle already from hitting something.

[Scro]

Spindle arm will break no doubt, with less force than you think.

[CJM]

Tie rods are weakest link, replace with OEM or rockey mtn ones if you want. Look on ebay, bet you can find some used OEM ones for cheap.

[MoparManiac117]

Tie rods are weakest link, replace with OEM or rockey mtn ones if you want. Look on ebay, bet you can find some used OEM ones for cheap.

So you don't think the Tusk ones will create any issues, even though they are made of chromoly? They're a pretty good deal. You get two brand new rods and four brand new ends, all assembled for $80

[LxMxL97]

I would buy the aftermarket ones even though they are made from chromoly they are still probably the weakest link

[ben300]

I would buy the aftermarket ones even though they are made from chromoly they are still probably the weakest link

i agree with this. I run the tusk ones from RMATVMC and they take some good abuse. I race XC and went through two sets of stock OEM tie rods before I finally decided to pull the trigger on these. I always thought tusk stuff was junk (which it is. I can show you my nerfs lol), but these have held up great so far.

[400man]

ive never really thought about it like this, but it makes sense makeing the tie rods the first thing to take the damage in a crash or hard impact to save breaking a more expensive or important part. so......do all brands and makes of tie rods bend the same way? or do some even snap instead of bend?

[CJM]

So you don't think the Tusk ones will create any issues, even though they are made of chromoly? They're a pretty good deal. You get two brand new rods and four brand new ends, all assembled for $80

Sure they will be fine.

[ben300]

ive never really thought about it like this, but it makes sense makeing the tie rods the first thing to take the damage in a crash or hard impact to save breaking a more expensive or important part. so......do all brands and makes of tie rods bend the same way? or do some even snap instead of bend?

Thats hard to say. There is so many variables that play into whether something breaks and bends over another part or not. I Know that usually when you whack somethign hard enough (rock, tree, another atv, neighbors dog lol), they're the first thing to bend. They're definitely a weak point, but as you said, its better to have them bend and break than a a-arm, shock, or frame.

two points, 1) arent the ones that usually come with good aftermarket a-arms made of a larger diameter chromoloy than the stock ones? they still bend and break before something else does, and the tusk ones are not larger diameter than stock. 2) last year at i believe it was the general gncc, adam mcgill plowed a tree hard enough that it sent him and the quad tumbling. He starts again and immediately plows another tree because the tie rod was bent. Quick drive back to the pits, changed tie rod, and he was back out to finish the race. Long story short, the tie rod bent, but nothing else broke (that you could tell).

[CJM]

Ill admit right now Ive had my share of mishaps flying along on trails, Ive never actually bent a tie rod too bad tho. I hit a tree once and tacoed a wheel and bent the tie rod enough I could see it but it wasnt bad, new wheel and new tie rod just b/c. The stock arms are VERY strong, I have yet to figure out how people bend or damage them b/c they are tubular steel. The steering stem mostly will bend where the bars mount b/c its thin metal and easy to bend since all the stress is ont he bars if you flip.

[KKiowaTJ]

I put the ASR 12mm heavy duty replacements with better tie rods so it would hold up. Not many hours on them, But make a night and day difference with steering. Now its like having power steering compared to the stock ones and it cut the vibration through the stem down to nill as well. Well worth the $$ IMO.

[LxMxL97]

Ill admit right now Ive had my share of mishaps flying along on trails, Ive never actually bent a tie rod too bad tho. I hit a tree once and tacoed a wheel and bent the tie rod enough I could see it but it wasnt bad, new wheel and new tie rod just b/c. The stock arms are VERY strong, I have yet to figure out how people bend or damage them b/c they are tubular steel. The steering stem mostly will bend where the bars mount b/c its thin metal and easy to bend since all the stress is ont he bars if you flip.
Stock a arms are about as strong as a drinking straw

[chronicsmoke]

I put the ASR 12mm heavy duty replacements with better tie rods so it would hold up. Not many hours on them, But make a night and day difference with steering. Now its like having power steering compared to the stock ones and it cut the vibration through the stem down to nill as well. Well worth the $$ IMO.

I've been contemplating making some 12MM honda style tie rods for the yamahas in our shop.

If you guys think these tie rods bend easily, look at the some Yamaha tie rods. They are so small they bind like safety wire lol

[CJM]

Stock a arms are about as strong as a drinking straw

IDK man, hit plenty of stuff and never had an issue. Maybe Im just lucky.

[Stickman400]

I'm gunna say the stockers are a good solid a-arm too. I ruined 2 sets of them before I bought my Housers, but that was just because I was using them with stock shocks launching over an 80' freestyle tabletop that threw you 20' in the air. So I wouldn't think ANY stock a-arm would handle that for very long before failing. I've still got my last set that I broke the weld around the bottom of the arm near the ball joint. It has a crack all the way around it except for a small 1" section keeping it held together. If I had hit my jump 1 more time I probably wouldn't be typing this.