Before getting an alignment I want to replace the tie rods if necessary. Not, if not necessary.
I can't get any up and down or side to side movement but there is rotational play on both sides of anout 30 degrees. They rotate pretty freely until meeting a metal "clank" from the knuckle (if the video attaches, you can see). Is this rotation a normal drivable motion and I have another 50K on them, or is it the deathknell... need info! Thx

 

I would replace them as they seem a bit loose to me but I had a tie rod end separate while driving last week. I may be a bit too conservative because that experience.

For the $140 for Moog Tie Rod ends and the 1-3 hours to change them out I would replace them.

 

As it is a safety concern, I would replace them. Neither too expensive nor difficult to do. Buy yourself some peace of mind.

 

Could I get some specifics on the safety issue? Such as where the failure point would be in a case like this?

The 9 and 3 O'clock test showed no looseness. And the tie rod will not move horizontally. So I'm thinking, if the only movement is the ball rotating inside the socket, there is not a safety issue like there would be if the stud had gotten worn down. Also, I didn't mention this before but both sides have the same rotational resistance, so I don't think a socket is cracked.

I am no mechanic for sure. Maybe I'm just rationalizing, that has been known to happen. However I can't find an source authoratative enough that I would accept without question that rotation is - or is not - a safety or alignment issue. Which means I have to see the reasons and figure it out myself. So, if it's not too much trouble, lay the specifics on me. Ah needs to know!

 

The rotation you're seeing is normal, that's just how a ball & socket joint such as a tie rod end works (to an extent of course).

What stands out to me out to me about those tie rod ends is the lack of grease in the boots. They look pretty dry in the video; if the joints had plenty of grease in them you would be able to see the boots bulge as you moved the joint around like that. That can contribute to both the loose feeling and the clanking sound you're getting when rotating them by hand like you are in the video. The dark area around the links ends indicates that the grease has been pushed out of the boots over time. Not ideal, but not uncommon either. All they really have to seal the rubber boot to the components is a metal spring type clip that holds tension down onto the boot and it's sealing surface, and it doesn't take much to push the grease pass this seal. Over the years nearly all the grease can be pushed out. That's why most reputable shops will put a few pumps of grease in there when they're doing a routine service. I know that many moons ago when I worked for a Jiffy Lube we use to (well, I use to when I was under a vehicle... can't speak for the rest of the crew...). If my tie rod ends were as yours are, I would pump some grease into the fittings until the boots expand a little (some like to pump grease in until the old grease starts to push out; I think that's a little excessive, but everyone is entitled to their opinion and method of doing things ) and call it done, but I'm not one to spend money where I don't feel I need to :P

Are they worn? Yes. They show their age and you can tell just by looking at them in the video.

Are they an immediate safety hazard? My opinion, no...

Typically you'll get a lot of play in the socket as if the ball end that's bolted to the center link or spindle/knuckle is trying to pop out or come loose from the socket end that's threaded into the adjuster between the two ends. That play is pretty much always accompanied by side-to-side play in the socket as well, which will give you all kinds of sloppy steering and alignment issues as a first clue that something is wrong. But if you start getting any play like that in the joints in either of those directions, replace them IMMEDIATELY! A tie rod end worn to that point can fail at any point, which will cause loss of steering control, and would happen in best case scenario in a parking lot or drive way when they see the most stress, worse case scenario when your on the interstate doing 70mph...

 

Blazen, thx. Yes I have been lax in greasing the joints. And I admit that lately the steering wheel seems to have some extra play, as you predicted.

 

These Blazers are not known to have the tightest steering response and feel, and it's even worse on the 4x4's with larger tires and slightly different steering geometry, so don't mistake the slight steering slop for dangerously fatigued parts. There's a lot of components that can cause the steering play aside from the tie rod ends (idler arm, pitman arm, control arm bushings, ball joints, steering shaft coupler, even the steering gearbox itself), none of which might be worn to the point of near failure, but gradual ware on all of them together combine to create the steering play you'll find in a 20 year old truck.

 

My local garage does alignments for $90. While there I asked about the tie rods rotating. The salesman said "yes" they would definitely need replacement before the alignment and he could replace them for $300. Plus he would check the undercarriage out and see what else is needed.

I wonder if he meant that price to be for all four tie rod ends. I think the outer ones are by far the most commonly replaced but of coursee, because they are connected, it would seem that if one needed replacing, both did.

 

My opinion again, but it sounds to me like they're trying to just make money... But, I'm not the type of person to pay someone to do a job that I know I could do myself for MUCH cheaper... I don't know what brand tie rod ends they plan on using, but you can get good quality Mood tie rod ends, all the inners and outers, off Rock Auto for maybe $150 and do the job in your driveway in under an hour...

I would never recommend doing just an inner or outer without doing the other, or a left and not the right, etc...

 

Ok, I put in a new inner and outer on one side and took it for a test drive. I did notice there was less play in the steering wheel. Guess I'll do the other side.