Nuts and Bolts with Buffalo Jim

Buffalo Jim,

What in the world is a tie rod, and why do I need a new one? I have a 1996 Dodge Intrepid with 82,000 miles, and the front end shakes and pulls when I try to make a right turn. The steering wheel also seems loose. A local mechanic (not a dealer) told me I had a bad tie rod and that it would cost me about $225 to fix. Is that a fair price? Is there anything I can do to be sure this is the problem? Is it dangerous to drive on or can I wait a few weeks to fix it?

--Ami Brightman

Damn, I wish I had a miracle fix for you, sister, but it sounds to me like your mechanic was right on with both his diagnosis and his estimate. Without getting too technical, the tie rods serve as the link between a car's steering mechanism and its front wheels. On cars with rack-and-pinion steering like your Intrepid, the tie rods connect the ends of the rack to the steering knuckles on the inside of the wheels.

Usually when these rods go bad, your car will exhibit symptoms like you've described, but if you want to know for sure, you can jack the front wheels off the ground, set the car on jack stands and try to shake the tie rods. If they seem loose or wobbly, you know you've got a bad rod. Unfortunately, your mechanic can't fix the rod; he'll have to replace it in its entirety. He'll also have to give the car an alignment afterward (hence the added expense). In my opinion, you should get them checked and fixed right away because if a rod breaks while you're driving, you could lose control of the car. If you want to drive around for a better price, do so at your own risk, but keep in mind that your mechanic seems to have given you a straight answer and good mechanics are worth their weight in chrome.

Buffalo Jim is the owner of Allstate Auto Marine. The first car he ever owned with rack-and-pinion steering was a 1974 Jensen Interceptor that had previously been owned by Mr. Las Vegas, Wayne Newton. The car had a top speed of 136 mph and could go from 0-60 in just over six seconds, but it did not sing "Danke Schoen." E-mail him your car questions at buffalojim@lasvegasmercury.com.