The tierod end on my running 1990 245 needs to be changed badly; the tie rod itself does not have the two flat surfaces which would be helpful to unscrew the tie rod end . On the other hand I have a 1986 245 which I use as a parts car and its tierod ends have less than 25,000 miles on. I foresee some difficulties in removing the worn out tie rod end from my running car to make room for the new one I have bought.

I was wondering if it would not be easier to swap the tierod ends. I can't tell if my cars have the male or female tierod ends and if the steering racks are the ZF or Camgear type. Where would be the plates identifying the type of rack on each car and how could I have a hint on the gender(!) of the rods?

Would it be easier to tranfer the whole rack and tie rods from my parts car to the running car than trying to hack,grind or otherwise remove the worn out end from its tierod or having to remove two tierods and reinstall one to the running car?I do not have any specialized tool to remove tie rod from the rack.

What do such tools look like , how do they work and what type is recommended by Brickboarders