Tie Rod End Right-Hand Thread | M10 inner | to 5/68

Tie rod end with right-hand thread.
Diameter: 10 mm.
VW Beetle left inner - up to 5/68.
Karmann Ghia left inner - up to 5/68.

A worn steering ball joint or tie rod ball joint is recognized by excessive play, which on most vehicles is only noticed at the inspection. With a worn protective rubber it may be enough to replace the rubber, but it is not advisable to do so. In the time the rubber was damaged, dirt has entered, which mixes with the grease in the ball joint and leads to wear. A new tie rod end is not a big investment. On some joints you can choose between an A-quality, matching the original, and a B-quality.

To make identification of the ball joint easier, the text states whether it has a left- or right-hand thread and how large the thread on the ball pin is. The tie rods are supplied with a self-locking nut or a castle nut with split pin (see picture). A castle nut can be replaced by a self-locking nut; the reverse is not possible.

Types of steering boxes: Volkswagen used spindle steering on the Beetle up to 1965 and on the Karmann Ghia up to 1961, later replaced by worm-and-roller steering. From 1974 the Beetle 1303 and the third-generation buses (Vanagon T25/T3) were fitted with rack-and-pinion steering. The list below shows when and on which VW model each system was used.

Spindle steering: Beetle export up to 1961, Beetle domestic (standard) up to 7/1965, Karmann Ghia up to 1961.
Roller steering: Beetle export from 1961, Beetle 1200/1300/1500 from 8/1965, Beetle 1302/1303 up to 7/1974, VW Bus up to 7/1979, Type 3 and Type 181 (Thing) all years.
Rack and pinion: Beetle 1303 from 8/1974 onwards.