When the tie rod becomes bent or damaged, it ill affect the steering of your Chevy Cobalt. When this happens, you'll notice that your car won't track straight, and won't improve after an alignment. The fix is to replace the tie rods and get your Chevy Cobalt aligned. The improvement will be immediate.
Buy tie rods that are specific to your Chevy Cobalt. These can vary from model year, so you want to make sure you get the right ones.
Lock the steering wheel by taking the key from the ignition, and turning the wheel counter clockwise. Loosen the lug nuts on the front wheels with the lug nut wrench, then jack up your car. Support the car on jack stands and remove the tires.
Use a wrench to remove the pinch bolt that connects the steering gear to the tie rod, then separate the steering gear and the tie rod.
Take off the nuts that secure the outer tie rod to the steering knuckle.
Separate the outer tie rod from the steering knuckles. Unscrew the tie rod end.
Insert the intermediate shaft into the steering gear, and install a new pinch bolt, tightening it to 25 foot pounds.
Screw on the tie rod end, and connect it to the steering knuckle. Put on new nuts, and tighten them to 44 foot pounds.
Repeat the steps for the other tie rod. Put back on the tires, tightening the lug nuts to 58 to 72 foot pounds. Get your Chevy Cobalt aligned.
