Snapped a tie rod on the Rubicon Trail near Lake Tahoe last summer

I was about 3 miles in on the Rubicon Trail when my steering went loose. Turned out the tie rod end snapped clean off on a big granite slab. Had no cell service and it was getting dark. Luckily I had a spare tie rod and a hi-lift jack in the back. Took me 2 hours to swap it out on the trail with just hand tools. Has anyone else carried spare steering parts on long trails?

2 comments

2 Comments

michael_bennett1121h ago

Actually a hi-lift jack is NOT the safest way to support a vehicle for tie rod work. You REALLY want a proper jack stand under the frame or axle if you're crawling under there. That trail is no joke and a slip could mess you up bad.

amyh2120h ago

Has anyone thought about how a hi-lift jack can actually shift the vehicle sideways if the ground isn't perfectly level (which it never is on a trail), sending the whole thing off balance while you're under there? That rock-crawling instability alone makes me cringe even with jack stands added later, because you're relying on that jack not to skate or tilt during the initial setup. A buddy of mine had his hi-lift let go on a slanted rock face and the truck slid a good two feet before the frame caught on a boulder (he was lucky), so I'd rather dig out a level spot for stands first than trust that jack for anything but lifting.