I took my 4.2L A6 to get a wheel alignment, they could not free up the adjusters. The mechanic said that he could not heat the inner or outer tie rod end because he believes they are lined with rubber and they will burn off , so I need a new set of inners and outers. Has anyone heard of rubber lined tie rods? Thanks

 

Your tie rod ends all have rubber inner bushings/dampeners in them, and like the Tech told you, if he heated them with a torch there will likely be damage to these because of the intense heat. Before buying new ones, to have your alignment performed...I would recommend spraying the adjustment nuts and threads liberally with penetrating fluid. All of these fasteners will corrode over time, escpecially if you live in a northern climate where salt is used to deice roads in the winter.

PB Blaster is a good penetrant that I use and keep in the garage for these jobs. Royal Purple also makes one that is a synthetic and very effective. You can buy them both in an aerosol and over the counter at any auto parts store.

I'd try this first....$5 bucks for this vs hundreds with parts and labor for new inner and outer tie rod ends that you may not need.

 

Thanks for your input, Do both the front and rear tie rod ends have the rubber or just the rears?

 

Both do.