I need to change the inners on my wife's 99 Caravan.

Is a special tool required or can they be unscrewed with a regular wrench?

Probably gonna need the tool. They are a pain to get to and the clamps on the boots are a pain, too.

O'Reilly's, among others have the tool for rent.

i made a couple of tools years ago when they were stupid money. i took a thick, open end wrench that fit the tie rod well, and welded on a screwed up impact socket that i had clearanced for room on a bridgeport, saving the female 1/2" drive pocket. just think of a really beefy crows foot wrench. it took longer than it sounds because it took multiple fits with grinding/milling interference points before it worked as was intended. i still have those tools and use them occasionally. with today's inexpensive imported tools, you would be time & money ahead to just purchase or rent one. especially if it will only be a one time use deal. as was said, lots of chain stores will help you out with the tool if you buy the part from them. i never throw away broken tools [unless they are lifetime warrantee items]. i never know what i might want to make into a one time use/specialty tool or socket. and i have a BUNCH of those made over a 50 year span of playing with cars.

A large crows foot will get them off.I have like 3 or 4 that I used at work for just that as different cars have different sizes.Some have a roll pin some have a flat that gets punched down to help lock them.I use loctight also.Just get the new one and go buy a crows foot or rent the tool from most big stores.Turn the wheel all the way out to the side you change makes it pretty easy.Rocky

I made mine with a cheap socket, a piece of pipe and half of a 1/2" universal joint. After I was all done I could nearly have just bought the doggone tool.

One thing I found out the hard way, you have to keep the rack from twisting with a wrench or something or else the rack will rotate and break teeth on the pinion.

I really felt stupid when I did that.

R.

Ive done hundreds and never twisted a rack or broke anything.Did them all the time at the shop.Like I said some have a pin and some are crimped where it meets the rack.Still never had a problem without removing the crimp and on soem the pin.Rocky

Rocky, maybe you were lucky. Maybe I was unlucky. But I bet you never disassembled a rack and pinion after you finished removing/replacing the inner tie rods. The R&P drove fine after that. About 20K miles later I started a total rebuild of the car and decided to change seals and bushings in the steering gear. It wasn't until I pulled the pinion that I saw the damage to the pinion. About half of each tooth on the pinion was gone, and it wasn't a factory defect.

As it was on a limited production car and not shared with any other car, it was costly to replace, and so I remember it.

R.

You still had to be unlucky or did something wrong.Ive done them since the 80s and never had a problem and these cars etc went years.It was common at the shop to do them.I guess doing them for over 30 years gave me an edge.Rocky

My inners had no flats. I bought a tool that ressembles a heavy duty muffler clamp with a 3/8s hole in it.

The most common tool looks like a long socket and has different ends that slip in for different cars.I just used crows feet as they were cheaper at the time and worked for other things.I still have a bunch in my tool box.Just use a good long extension and 1/2 inch ratchet and they are out.Rocky

Yes rocks. I also read it elsewhere thats the tool to have. Borrowed one and sadly found a round inner joint. The Moog replacements had flats😀

Yes rocks. I also read it elsewhere thats the tool to have. Borrowed one and sadly found a round inner joint. The Moog replacements had flats😀

On the round ones, I cut the tie rod off at the joint and hammer a 12 point socket over it. Fords contours were bad for that.