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About a week ago, I checked my wheels to see which one was sticking. While doing this, I noticed that the front driver’s wheel could be moved (about half an inch) back and forth, whilst looking at it. I looked over the wheel and noticed that the track rod end nut had come loose a few turns, thus resulting in the play. I tried to tighten it up, but no joy. The nut and bolt just keeps on spinning in the ball joint. Luckily, the nut is a nylon one so it is not moving, holding for a bit, but I need to get the track rod end off to replace it.

I think I can hold the bottom of the thread with monkey grips to move the nut down and then go to the top of the thread to get the nut off. Is there a simpler way to get the track rod end off when the nut and bolt are just spinning?

Hi Phil,
Tap the tie-rod end ball joint on the back of it to drive the male tapered section above the nut into
the female section. This will usually bind enough to allow you to get the nut off.

If that doesn't work (it happened to me on the Tercel were I had popped the tie rod with nut attached so it wouldn't fly off but too much resistance on nut so it turned the joint) I was able to get a thin walled pliers in there to provide the resistance to take the nut off (basically what you are suggesting). You'll wreck the boot (replaceable) but if you are going to replace the tie rod any way......

Stag76 wrote:Hi Phil,
Tap the tie-rod end ball joint on the back of it to drive the male tapered section above the nut into
the female section. This will usually bind enough to allow you to get the nut off.

Or use a pry bar to Engage the taper whilst spannering the nut from the opposite end. If the nut was at the top like some cars, a trolley jack could apply pressure from below to stop the spindle from spinning.