Tom F&L GoR
Enthusiast
I had a bad inner tie rod on my '94 steering rack and found that the inners aren't serviced. (They are on other types of vehicles.) The symptom (besides the loose clunk when the wheel is in the air) is even worse rut tracking than usual. The service fix is a new rack, which is roughly a $500 part, depending on where you go.
I recall reading that the Viper rack and pinion system was taken from a Dakota, so I ordered the inner tie rod from a '94 2WD Dakota, Moog EV 252. Lo and behold, the important inner end does fit, although the threaded end where the outer tie rod screws on is 1.5" too long. (Vipers and Dakotas do share the same outer tie rod.) However, it's easy enough to cut it shorter, thread the remaining end an additional 1.5" with a 15mm x 1.5 die, and presto-> Viper inner tie rod.
The replacement Dakota part is about $30; if you can't turn down the Dakota part and run new threads, I can't imagine a machine shop would charge more than $50 to do two of them. So for roughly $100, you can avoid a $500 steering rack replacement.
In truth, I bought both the Dakota part and as a back-up plan Bob Woodhouse sold me a used Viper piece. I put the Viper part on because of timing (tri-state AX event tomorrow) so I appreciate his help. But a few years from now, when the routine maintenance stuff hits and there aren't used parts to go around, you can go for the Dakota part.
I recall reading that the Viper rack and pinion system was taken from a Dakota, so I ordered the inner tie rod from a '94 2WD Dakota, Moog EV 252. Lo and behold, the important inner end does fit, although the threaded end where the outer tie rod screws on is 1.5" too long. (Vipers and Dakotas do share the same outer tie rod.) However, it's easy enough to cut it shorter, thread the remaining end an additional 1.5" with a 15mm x 1.5 die, and presto-> Viper inner tie rod.
The replacement Dakota part is about $30; if you can't turn down the Dakota part and run new threads, I can't imagine a machine shop would charge more than $50 to do two of them. So for roughly $100, you can avoid a $500 steering rack replacement.
In truth, I bought both the Dakota part and as a back-up plan Bob Woodhouse sold me a used Viper piece. I put the Viper part on because of timing (tri-state AX event tomorrow) so I appreciate his help. But a few years from now, when the routine maintenance stuff hits and there aren't used parts to go around, you can go for the Dakota part.
