It isn't for nothing that they call a fool a nut case. Imagine someone loafing down the street in an oblivious and careless manner as if he has lost his mind...

In the automotive technology, one way for a vehicle to hold itself together is through a durable tie rod. While the vehicle's steering system turns the wheels at the same rate and along the same plane in any condition, the tie rod secures the wheels firmly. It is the tie rod's function to prevent wandering and erratic steering.

The Honda tie rods can be connected to the vehicle in various ways, but it is advised that the strength of the connection should be at least equal to the strength of the rod. The tie rod ends may be threaded and fitted through drilled holes or shackles and retained securely by nuts. This is normally done on Honda cars that sport a conventional suspension system. In this case, the Honda tie rods connect the vehicle's center link to the steering knuckle, and re-circulate its ball steering gears to maintain fluidity of wheel motion. With MacPherson strut suspension and rack and pinion steering gears, the tie rods connect the end of the rack to the steering knuckle.

A Honda tie rod consists of an inner and an outer end. In principle, the Honda tie rods serve as conduit for the force from the steering center link or the rack gear to the steering knuckle, making the wheels turn. The outer end of the tie rod connects with an adjusting sleeve to allow the length of the tie rod be adjustable and suit the vehicle's requirement. This adjustment is used to set a vehicle's "toe," a critical alignment angle necessary for safe and comfortable riding.

You don't have to wait for any signs of erratic driving to know that your Honda?s tie rod has worn out. A worn tie rod end can be spotted by raising the suspension and shaking the front wheel back and forth. If there is any noticeable slackness, it means the tie rod ends are in bad condition and need replacement. Toe alignment must be reset once the new tie rods ends have been installed.

A worn out tie rod end can cause excessive tire wear. If tie rod replacement is necessary, a wheel alignment is also required because the tie rod replacement disturbs the toe setting. For best results, consult a qualified service technician for professional advice and service on your vehicle's suspension and steering systems.

The Honda tie rod may be simply a slender structural rod, but it is capable of mastering tensile loads at great speeds. The ratio of a tie rod's length to the radius of gyration of its cross section is usually very large, that it is prone to buckle down under the action of compressive forces. This is the reason why tie rods are model specific. Depending on the make of a Honda vehicle, tie rods sport a precision engineered finish aimed at servicing either speed or utility vehicles.