Description
A factory Raptor inner tie rod bends in one specific place — right where the threads stop and the shaft steps up into the main body. That transition is the weak point, and once it takes a hit it stays bent.
This kit puts a CNC-machined steel sleeve around that exact area on both sides, so the load passes through the sleeve instead of folding the shaft. Near-factory clearance, no change to how the truck steers. Sold as a pair, made in-house at Foutz Motorsports in Mesa, Arizona and zinc coated, for every Ford Raptor from 2010 through 2026.
Why Raptor Inner Tie Rods Bend
Look at a stock inner tie rod and you will see the threaded section end and the shaft transition into the larger main body. That step is the smallest cross-section in the whole assembly, and it sits unsupported behind the jam nut.
Hit something at full lock, land hard, or work the front end over rough desert and the bending load concentrates on that transition. The shaft folds there before anything else in the steering gives up. A bent inner tie rod pulls your alignment, wears tires and usually means replacing the rack side of the assembly.
The support sleeve wraps that transition and ties it into the jam nut, so the thin section can no longer flex on its own. It is the cheapest insurance you can put on a Raptor front end.
What You Get
- A pair of 16mm jam nut support sleeves — one for each side of the truck
- Steel, not aluminum, so the sleeve is stronger than the shaft it is protecting
- CNC machined in-house at Foutz Motorsports in Mesa, Arizona
- Silver zinc coating to slow corrosion in a wheel well that sees water, mud and salt
- Near-factory clearance retained — the sleeve is sized to fit in the stock envelope
16mm refers to the thread size on the factory Raptor inner tie rod. If your truck is not a Raptor, check the fitment panel below before ordering — the Bronco and Ranger Raptor sleeves are a different size.
Fitment — Every Raptor Generation, 2010–2026
All Ford F-150 Raptor generations share the 16mm inner tie rod thread, so this one kit covers the whole run:
- Gen 1 Raptor — 2010–2014
- Gen 2 Raptor — 2017–2020
- Gen 3 Raptor — 2021–2024
- Gen 3.5 Raptor — 2025–2026
- Raptor R — all years
Not driving a Raptor?
These are the matching sleeves for the rest of the Ford off-road line:
Installation
The outer tie rod has to come off to slide the sleeve on. Plan for that before you start.
Measure before you take anything apart
Measure the assembled tie rod length before disassembly and write it down. If you rebuild it to that same measurement, your toe should come back where it started.
Do I need an alignment afterward?
If you measured accurately and reassembled to the same length, you may not need one. We still recommend getting an alignment after the install to be safe — it is a small cost next to a set of front tires.
Works With Stock Tie Rods or Our Billet Half Kits
The sleeve installs behind the outer tie rod, so it works either way:
- Stock outer tie rods — the most common setup, and the one most likely to bend
- Foutz Motorsports billet half tie rod kits — our Raptor Billet Half Tie Rod Kit keeps the factory inner shaft and upgrades the outer half to a 7/8" FK rod end
Worth knowing: the billet half kit strengthens everything outboard of the inner shaft, but the factory inner tie rod is still the factory inner tie rod. The support sleeve is what protects the part the half kit leaves in place. Running both together is how you get a fully sorted Raptor steering setup.
See How It Works
A short walkthrough of where the inner tie rod fails and how the support sleeve braces it. The sleeve shown is the same design as this one — only the thread size changes between vehicles.
Common Questions
Is this one sleeve or two?
Two. The kit is a pair — one 16mm jam nut support sleeve for each inner tie rod.
What is the sleeve made of?
Steel, CNC machined in-house and finished in silver zinc.
Will it fit under my stock steering setup?
Yes. The sleeve is machined to retain close to factory clearance, so it works within the stock front end envelope.
Does 16mm mean the sleeve is 16mm?
No — 16mm is the thread size on the factory inner tie rod that the sleeve is built around. Ford Raptors use 16mm. The Ranger Raptor and the standard Bronco use 14mm and need a different sleeve.
Will this fix a tie rod that is already bent?
No. A bent inner tie rod needs to be replaced. Install the sleeves on the new one so it does not happen again.
Do I need this if I already run the billet half tie rod kit?
Yes, and arguably more so. The half kit upgrades the outer half but keeps the factory inner shaft, which is where the bending happens. The two are designed to be run together.