Stock Tie Rod

[Boar-Ral]

It looks like a very unusual location to have the tie rod break. I am worried about the tie rods on my rig but have been careful when offroad. Some of the offroad locations we have gone to have been terrifying but going slow and keeping an ear out helps. (One thing I noticed is that with excessive strain on the steering components, you can hear the telltale metallic "ping ping ping." That is my first sign to stop what I am doing and attempt a different maneuver.) That being said, upgraded tie rods are at the top of my list of things to replace.

One quick question for those who have replaced tie rods: can you replace them without jacking up the vehicle? It looks like you just need to align the wheels, though I understand that alone might be a near impossibility without jacking. The reason I ask is if the vehicle was in an unstable or off-camber environment, I would not want to jack the vehicle if it is avoidable. Another reason I would prefer to replace the tie rod ends in a garage before they break offroad.