Even the comfortable Pontiac Bonneville may need to have its tie rod ends replaced when there's too much play in the tie rod ends. Too much play in the tie rod ends means that the steering will be affected and only replacement of the tie rods will rectify the situation. You can do this yourself.
Get the right tie rod ends for your Pontiac Bonneville. These can vary from model year to model year, so you want to get the right ones for your car.
Disconnect the cable from the negative post of your battery, then loosen the lug nuts of the front wheels. Jack up the car, and when it's safely secured on jack stands, remove the tires.
Loosen the retaining bolt that secures the tie rod end to the rack assembly. Use a puller to separate the tie rod end from the steering knuckle.
Unscrew the tie rod end from the tie rod, and keep track of the number of turns it takes. Write that number down.
Screw on the new tie rod end and slip it into the steering knuckle. Tighten the nut to 52 to 55 foot pounds. If your Bonneville is a 2005, use 22 foot pounds plus one whole turn more.
Repeat the steps for the other tie rod, then put back on the tires. Tighten the lug nuts to the specified torque, and reattach the battery cable. Get your Pontiac Bonneville aligned.
