Steering feel is everything — especially in drifting and performance driving. And when your inner tie rod starts to fail, you’ll notice fast. Sloppy turn-in, clunking sounds, or wandering on the highway? That’s your car telling you something’s wrong.
Here are the top 5 signs your inner tie rod is going bad, how to inspect it, and why upgrading matters — especially if you run big angle or aggressive suspension.
1. Loose or Sloppy Steering
The most obvious sign of a worn inner tie rod is steering play. If you turn the wheel and it takes a second for the car to react — or if the wheel feels vague near center — the inner tie rod joint may be worn.
This gets worse over time and leads to inconsistent cornering and loss of driver confidence.
2. Clunking or Clicking When Turning
Hear a clunk or clicking noise when turning the wheel? That’s often the ball-and-socket joint inside the inner tie rod failing. As it wears, it becomes loose, and the joint can move independently — especially under load.
This sound usually happens during parking maneuvers or quick transitions.
3. Uneven or Rapid Tire Wear
When the inner tie rod wears out, toe alignment begins to shift — often mid-drive. The result? Your front tires wear rapidly on the inside or outside edges.
If you're burning through tires and can’t keep an alignment dialed in, check the inner tie rods.
4. Steering Wheel Pull or Drift
A failing inner tie rod can cause the steering wheel to pull to one side — or feel like it won’t stay centered. This happens because the toe alignment is constantly changing with suspension movement, bumps, and throttle/braking forces.
It's also dangerous at high speeds, especially during transitions or lane changes.
5. Vibration or Shimmy at Speed
If your steering wheel vibrates at highway speed, and your tires are balanced — it could be loose inner tie rods. This is caused by the wheels oscillating slightly due to a lack of consistent toe position.
It often shows up after hitting a curb or after months of hard driving.
How to Check Your Inner Tie Rod
- Jack the car up and support it securely.
- Grab the tire at the 3 and 9 o’clock positions.
- Wiggle side-to-side — any play? If yes, inspect further.
- Remove the steering rack boot to see if the inner joint is moving independently.
If you see visible movement, it’s time for a replacement.
Why Upgrade Instead of Replace with OEM
Stock tie rods wear fast under aggressive driving, and often don’t have enough thread length or strength to support big angle or modified alignment geometry. That’s why we recommend performance-grade replacements.
SLR’s tie rod kits are made from chromoly or hardened steel, with extended threading, upgraded rod ends, and compatibility with angle kits, wider wheels, and track alignment specs.
Don’t Let Sloppy Steering Ruin Your Setup
Inner tie rods might be small — but they have a huge effect on your car’s feel, control, and safety. Whether you’re drifting, dailying, or tracking your build, don’t ignore the signs.
Get ahead of the issue and check out our full guide on how inner tie rods work, or go straight to our performance tie rod collection to upgrade now.
