Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting mystery missing tie-rod end pin

My car's been rattling a long time (going over bumps, driveways, etc), which I thought had something to do with the front suspension. When I took it in to one place, they told me it was strut mounts, but I got doubtful responses from other forum members. So I took it to a second place, and they told me that the pin to hold in place the tie-rod end was completely missing on one side. He thought that maybe someone took it apart and didn't put it back right. I haven't had any major work done to that part of the car recently. Only an oil change and catalytic convertor replaced by the dealer. Is it necessary to get through that part of the car to get to the pre-cats or the cats? Is it possible it just fell out, or rusted out (67K miles)? If it's the dealer's fault I'd like to know so I can get Ford to reimburse me for the cost of the repairs due to their negligence.

Thanks for any ideas.

IIRC the only 'pin' on the tie rod end is a small cotter pin that makes sure that the nut can't loosen up or fall off and cause a loss of steering on that side. If the pin is missing, it could mean that the bolt on the tie rod end has loosened up, which could be dangerous. If the bolt is loose, tighten it up asap and put in a new cotter pin. (10 cent part) If the threads are damaged, you may need a new tie rod end ($30?) and an alignment.