U.S. General 96558 User manual

INNER TIE ROD TOOL
Model 96558
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
®
Diagrams within this manual may not be drawn proportionally.
Due to continuing improvements, actual product may differ slightly from the product described herein.
Distributed exclusively by Harbor Freight Tools®.
3491 Mission Oaks Blvd., Camarillo, CA 93011
Visit our website at: http://www.harborfreight.com
Read this material before using this product.
Failure to do so can result in serious injury.
SAVE THIS MANUAL.
Copyright©2009 by Harbor Freight Tools®. All rights reserved. No portion of this
manual or any artwork contained herein may be reproduced in any shape or form
without the express written consent of Harbor Freight Tools.
For technical questions or replacement parts, please call 1-800-444-3353.

Page 2SKU 96558 For technical questions, please call 1-800-444-3353.
SAVE THIS MANUAL
Keep this manual for the safety warnings and precautions, assembly,
operating, inspection, maintenance and cleaning procedures. Write the product’s
serial number in the back of the manual near the assembly diagram (or month and
year of purchase if product has no number). Keep this manual and the receipt in a
safe and dry place for future reference.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION
In this manual, on the labeling, and all other information
provided with this product:
This is the safety alert symbol. It is used to alert you to potential
personal injury hazards. Obey all safety messages that follow this
symbol to avoid possible injury or death.
DANGER indicates a hazardous situation
which, if not avoided, will result in death or
serious injury.
WARNING indicates a hazardous situation
which, if not avoided, could result in death
or serious injury.
CAUTION, used with the safety alert
symbol, indicates a hazardous situation
which, if not avoided, could result in minor
or moderate injury.
NOTICE is used to address practices not
related to personal injury.
CAUTION, without the safety alert symbol,
is used to address practices not related to
personal injury.
DANGER
WARNING
CAUTION
NOTICE
CAUTION

Page 3SKU 96558 For technical questions, please call 1-800-444-3353.
GENERAL SAFETY RULES
WARNING! Read all instructions
Failure to follow all instructions listed below may result in serious injury.
SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS
Work area safety1.
Keep work area clean and well lit. Cluttered or dark areas invite accidents.a.
Keep children and bystanders away while using this product. Distractions canb.
cause you to lose control.
Personal safety2.
Stay alert, watch what you are doing and use common sense when using thisa.
product. Do not use this product while you are tired or under the inuence of
drugs, alcohol or medication. A moment of inattention while using this product
may result in serious personal injury.
Use safety equipment. Always wear eye protection. Safety equipmentb.
such non-skid safety shoes, hard hat, or heavy duty work gloves used for
appropriate conditions will reduce personal injuries.
Do not overreach. Keep proper footing and balance at all times. Thisc.
enables better control of this product in unexpected situations.
Dress properly. Do not wear loose clothing or jewellery. Keep your hair,d.
clothing and gloves away from moving parts. Loose clothes, jewellery or long
hair can be caught in moving parts.
Product use and care3.
Do not force this product. Use the correct product for your application. Thea.
correct product will do the job better and safer at the rate for which it was
designed.
Store this product out of the reach of children and do not allow peopleb.
unfamiliar with the product or these instructions to operate the product. This
product could be dangerous in the hands of untrained users.
Maintain this product. Check for misalignment or binding of parts, breakagec.
of parts and any other condition that may affect the product’s operation. If
damaged, have this product repaired before use. Many accidents are caused
by poorly maintained equipment.
Use this product in accordance with these instructions and in the mannerd.
intended for this particular type of product, taking into account the working
conditions and the work to be performed. Use of this product for operations
different from those intended could result in a hazardous situation.

Page 4SKU 96558 For technical questions, please call 1-800-444-3353.
Service4.
Have this product serviced by a qualied repair person using only identical a.
replacement parts. This will ensure that the safety of the product is
maintained.
SPECIFIC SAFETY RULES
Maintain labels and nameplates on the Inner Tie Rod Tool. These carry important1.
safety information. If unreadable or missing, contact Harbor Freight Tools for a
replacement.
Wear ANSI-approved safety goggles and heavy duty work gloves when using this2.
product.
Prior to servicing a vehicle,3. turn off the vehicle’s engine and refer to the vehicle
manufacturer’s service and repair manual for instructions on how to safely secure
the vehicle in place with jacks, stands, etc.
The warnings, precautions, and instructions discussed in this instruction manual4.
cannot cover all possible conditions and situations that may occur. It must be
understood by the operator that common sense and caution are factors which
cannot be built into this product, but must be supplied by the operator.
SAVE THESE INSTRUCTIONS.
SPECIFICATIONS
Product Applications
For use with rack and pinion assemblies on front wheel drive vehicles.
Not for use with Saginaw®type rack and pinion assemblies.
For hand use only. Not for use with power tools (impact wrenches, etc.)
Crows Foot Wrench Sizes S.A.E. 1-3/16”, 1-1/4”, 1-5/16”, 1-7/16”, 14mm, 17mm, 33.6mm
Drive Tool 1-3/4” O.D. x 20”L with 1/2” female drive
Construction Forged steel
Weight 7.45 Pounds
UNPACKING
When unpacking, check to make sure that the item is intact and undamaged. If
any parts are missing or broken, please call Harbor Freight Tools at the number shown
on the cover of this manual as soon as possible.
SET UP INSTRUCTIONS
Read the ENTIRE IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION section at the
beginning of this manual including all text under subheadings therein before set
up or use of this product.

Page 5SKU 96558 For technical questions, please call 1-800-444-3353.
NOTE:1. Applications and operating procedures can differ depending on the make
and model of vehicle. A generalized description of procedures is as follows:
To replace the inner tie rod, remove the wheel from the vehicle.2.
Loosen the jam nut on the outer tie rod. Then remove the outer tie rod from the3.
steering knuckle.
Turn the outer tie rod off the inner tie rod counterclockwise, making sure to count4.
the turns so that when you install the outer tie rod onto the new inner tie rod it is
installed the same distance as it was.
Remove the tie rod boot.5.
Slide the Inner Tie Rod Tool over the inner tie rod and wrench it off.6.
Use the Inner Tie Rod Tool to install the new inner tie rod.7. NOTE: If the new
inner tie rod has a small allen bolt, tighten the bolt after tightening the inner tie
rod to the rack. Also, it is recommended to apply a small amount of blue Loc
Tight®on the inner tie rod to rack threads.
Re-install the boot. If necessary, use hose clamps to secure both ends of the8.
boot.
Thread the outer tie rod on the specic number of turns. Then install the outer tie 9.
rod back into the steering knuckle. NOTE: Even if you turned the outer tie rod
the exact number of times as you did to remove it, you should have an alignment
shop set the toe (and check out the other angles).
Note: For additional information regarding the parts listed in the following pages, refer
to the Assembly Diagram near the end of this manual.
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
Read the ENTIRE IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION section at the
beginning of this manual, including all text under subheadings therein
before set-up or use of this product.

Page 6SKU 96558 For technical questions, please call 1-800-444-3353.
MAINTENANCE AND SERVICING
Risk of serious personal injury. Always wear ANSI-
approve safety goggles and heavy duty work gloves before
performing any inspection or maintenance procedures.
Damaged equipment can fail, causing serious personal
injury. Do not use damaged equipment. If abnormal noise or
vibration occurs, have the problem corrected before further
use.
Inspection, maintenance, and cleaning
BEFORE EACH USE,1. inspect the general condition of the tool. Check for
misalignment or binding of parts, cracked or broken parts, and any other
condition that may affect its safe operation.
AFTER USE,2. clean external surfaces of the Sway Control unit with a garden
hose. Then dry and lubricate all moving parts. Do not use solvents.
STORAGE:3. Always keep the Inner Tie Rod Tool and its accessories in its
Carrying Case and store in a clean, dry, safe location out of reach of children and
other unauthorized people.
CAUTION!4. All maintenance, service, and repairs not mentioned in this manual
must only be performed by a qualied service technician.
WARNING

Page 7SKU 96558 For technical questions, please call 1-800-444-3353.
Record Product’s Serial Number Here:
Note: If product has no serial number, record month and year of purchase instead.
Note: Some parts are listed and shown for illustration purposes only, and are not
available individually as replacement parts.
PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING CAREFULLY
THE MANUFACTURER AND/OR DISTRIBUTOR HAS PROVIDED THE PARTS LIST AND ASSEMBLY DIAGRAM IN THIS MANUAL
AS A REFERENCE TOOL ONLY. NEITHER THE MANUFACTURER OR DISTRIBUTOR MAKES ANY REPRESENTATION OR
WARRANTY OF ANY KIND TO THE BUYER THAT HE OR SHE IS QUALIFIED TO MAKE ANY REPAIRS TO THE PRODUCT,
OR THAT HE OR SHE IS QUALIFIED TO REPLACE ANY PARTS OF THE PRODUCT. IN FACT, THE MANUFACTURER AND/
OR DISTRIBUTOR EXPRESSLY STATES THAT ALL REPAIRS AND PARTS REPLACEMENTS SHOULD BE UNDERTAKEN BY
CERTIFIED AND LICENSED TECHNICIANS, AND NOT BY THE BUYER. THE BUYER ASSUMES ALL RISK AND LIABILITY
ARISING OUT OF HIS OR HER REPAIRS TO THE ORIGINAL PRODUCT OR REPLACEMENT PARTS THERETO, OR ARISING
OUT OF HIS OR HER INSTALLATION OF REPLACEMENT PARTS THERETO.
Part Description Q’ty Part Description Q’ty
1 Main Socket 1 6 1-7/16” Crows Foot Wrench 1
2 Carrying Case 1 7 14mm Crows Foot Wrench 1
3 1-3/16” Crows Foot Wrench 1 8 17mm Crows Foot Wrench 1
4 1-1/4” Crows Foot Wrench 1 9 33.6mm Crows Foot Wrench 1
5 1-5/16” Crows Foot Wrench 1
PARTS LIST & ASSEMBLY DIAGRAM
1 2
3
789
456

Page 8SKU 96558 For technical questions, please call 1-800-444-3353.
LIMITED 1 YEAR WARRANTY
Harbor Freight Tools Co. makes every effort to assure that its products meet high
quality and durability standards, and warrants to the original purchaser that this product is
free from defects in materials and workmanship for the period of one year from the date
of purchase (90 days if used by a professional contractor or if used as rental equipment).
This warranty does not apply to damage due directly or indirectly, to misuse, abuse,
negligence or accidents, repairs or alterations outside our facilities, normal wear and tear,
or to lack of maintenance. We shall in no event be liable for death, injuries to persons or
property, or for incidental, contingent, special or consequential damages arising from the
use of our product. Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or
consequential damages, so the above limitation of exclusion may not apply to you. THIS
WARRANTY IS EXPRESSLY IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS.
To take advantage of this warranty, the product or part must be returned to us with
transportation charges prepaid. Proof of purchase date and an explanation of the complaint
must accompany the merchandise. If our inspection veries the defect, we will either
repair or replace the product at our election or we may elect to refund the purchase price
if we cannot readily and quickly provide you with a replacement. We will return repaired
products at our expense, but if we determine there is no defect, or that the defect resulted
from causes not within the scope of our warranty, then you must bear the cost of returning
the product.
This warranty gives you specic legal rights and you may also have other rights
which vary from state to state.
3491 Mission Oaks Blvd. • PO Box 6009 • Camarillo, CA 93011 • [phone]