Need to replace inner tie rod on a 1998 ford ranger two wheel drive , driver side . engine size is 2.5. do i have to take outer tie rod off as well?

suspension squeeks are common in all trucks. as they get older front end components need replacing front shocks, inner and outer tie rods if 4 wheel drive upper and lower ball joints ect plus control arms each of these components will squeak over bumps

It may be stuck on defrost cycle due to a bad timer... is there an adjustable switch that you could adjust it should start up... let me know......

What you describe is most often caused by a bad tie-rod end, which is part of your steering. This causes the clunking that you feel when you turn, and the tire wear.
Jack up the front drivers side and when the wheel is off the ground, try to force it left and right. If you feel any play in it, a tie rod end is bad.
To find out if it is the inner or outer tie rod end, look underneath and locate the tie rod for that wheel- it will look like a pole about an inch thick. Get somebody to move the wheel left and right like you did, and look on either end of the tie rod for which end is moving. That will be your bad tie rod end. The "outer" is the one by the wheel- the other one is the "inner". Most often it is the outer tie rod end that goes bad.
It is important to get a bad tie rod end replaced as soon as possible because it can separate and cause you to lose control of your car when the wheel will suddenly turn either in or out, depending on which way you are steering when it fails. After a tie rod end is replaced, your car will need an alignment to set the adjustment correctly. If you are changing it yourself, mark how far the old one is threaded in so your alignment will be fairly close to where it was.
Good luck, and Thank You for using FixYa!

You will need to rent or borrow in inner tie rod tool but here are the directions.
1. Break the jam nut on inner tie rod to outer loose.
2. Remove nut from outer tie rod attaching it to steering knuckle.
3. Use hammer to get tie rod out of knuckle.
4. Unscrew outer tie rod then jam nut
5. Remove clamp from boot and slide off inner tie rod.
6. Using side cutter or hammer and chisel break off metal clamp on the inside of inner tie rod boot.
7. Using inner tie rod tool, unscrew inner tie rod from rack and pinion
8. Reinstall parts and have it aligned

Very simple. 1. Remove the front wheel 2. Take the proper size wrench and loosen the nut on the tie rod and rack and pinion 3. Remove the cotter pin from the castle nut where the tie rod goes through the spindle(hub assembly) 4. Remove the castle nut and hit the area where the joint goes through until the shaft comes loose with a hammer 5. spin the outer tie rod off counting the number of spins 6. Reverse this procedure to install. If you need the inner tie rod(inner socket), let me know and I should be able to find a diagram and instructions.

Real simple, assuming you know how to take the outer tie rods off. You have to take the clip that holds the plastic boot on off, then slide back the plastic boot, and you'll be able to unscrew the whole inner tie rod assembly. The hardest part of the whole process is installing the new ones to the exact settings of the old ones

no this is not normal and you need to determine if its the inner or outer tie rods. make sure you have no up and down movement though. that is signs of bad bearings. if you need to replace the tie rods, after youre done, make sure to get it aligned.

You have left and right inner tie rods and outer tie rods on your car.
You also have lower ball joints which can wear loose too....not to mention the left and right struts and upper strut bearings.

A cheap (China) tie rod may last only a year.(plastic inner wear points)
A good quality tie rod may last 10.(nylon and/or metal wear points)

you don't need to remove the whole rack but do need a special tool called inner tie rod tool. can be bought or borrowed form most auto parts stores. first remove wheel. next loosen the jam nut on inner tie rod at the end of outer tie rod. remove cotter pin and nut on outer. use seperator or pickle fork to seperate outer from knuckle. then remove the clamps on boot and remove. then take tie rod tool and find the right size end and turn with 1/2" ratchet or breaker bar. it will turn hard at first cause of it being staked on to the threads. when it is off install new part with loc-tite on threads and tighten. when tight crimp inner flanges with either plier or hammer and punch to the rack. install in reverse order. remember to measure distance from clamp on outer side of boot to jam nut so you can get the alignment close until you get to shop for alignment.

There is a tool that you can use that will make it easier for you. To get to the tie rod end, remove the wheel and take the outer tie rod end loose from the hub. You will have to use a hammer and hit the socket where the end goes into the hub to free it up. Once you have the tie rod loose from the hub, loosen the nut behind the outer tie rod end. Count the revolutions as you unscrew the outer end off and write te number down so you will know how far to put it back on. This will save your alignment. Now, the end that is still there is your inner tie rod end. You will have to undo the bellows boot to get to the nut. The tool will slide over the end and secure onto the nut. Now you just unscrew this and replace with you new inner tie rod end.
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