Fabricating Tie Rods

[Wheelhorse#1 1,669]

I have a 12 Auto that needs tie rods replaced .

Ive seen a couple post with how two but can’t seem to find through search.

 

Anyone here make their own care to share ? 
Thx 

[midpack 866]

I cut the ends off old tie rod shafts, drilled and tapped holes in the ends and used Heim Joints.

Did lots of measuring as I went to get the lengths close but I still used a lock nut on the Heim thread for adjustment 

Threaded rod would work too but might not look as good 

[Achto 27,609]

I have cut the ends off, turned the ends down to 3/8", threaded them to 3/8-24 and installed replacement ends that are readily available. Course you do need a lathe to accomplish this. 

[ebinmaine 67,653]

I've had other Redsquare members supply my center pieces of round tube. 

No lathe or access to one.  

3/4" round rod can be bought through many online sources.  

 

I use 7/16 double male heim joints from McMaster Carr.  

 

I go to 7/16 because the holes on the steering systems are often oblong from 3/8" round. Quick drilling to clean up the bores and voila!

 

Another bonus to the larger heim joints is a HUGE increase in strength vs the 3/8 heim.  

 

 

[Lee1977 6,673]

If you are going to make them Heims Joints are the way to go.  I have used a set I made in 1989 and they are as good as when I put them on.

I use 1/2" heims joints the two with the bushings and 3/8" bolts were made in 1989 I shitch out those from my C-120 so it wouldn't have drill out the steering triangle. 

I use all right hand thread as once adjusted you never have to change them.

Edited March 6, 2023 by Lee1977

[ri702bill 8,346]

5 hours ago, Lee1977 said:

If you are going to make them Heims Joints are the way to go.  I have used a set I made in 1989 and they are as good as when I put them on.

I use 1/2" heims joints the two with the bushings and 3/8" bolts were made in 1989 I shitch out those from my C-120 so it wouldn't have drill out the steering triangle. 

I use all right hand thread as once adjusted you never have to change them.

 

Lee is right - you do not need both right and left handed male Heim joints, just the more common right hand thread. These are fine pitch threads - for a 7/16 -20 thread, turning the joint one full revolution only moves it .050 inch....

I've made two sets - do your homework before you order them. Most have the same thread for the body and the stud - but not all. The ones I used had a 7/16-20 thread in the body and a 3/8-24 thread on the stud. Watch out on the stud lenght too - some are way shorter than others. And they do NOT come with jam nuts.

As shown in Lee's picture it IS important to have about the same thread engagement on both ends when finally adjusted.

Edited March 6, 2023 by ri702bill

[Racinbob 11,095]

I'll also would rather use all right hand threads. You have to free up one of the ends to adjust but once it's set it can't 'unadjust' itself. I made these lighter duty rods for a non-worker. 3/8"-24 rod and once I got the length set to my liking I cut a piece of 3/8" steel tubing (Lowes) to length. Because of using all right hand threaded ends it only needs to be snug and not jam nut tight. I need to make new rods for my 76 B-160 before mowing season and I'll go the heavier duty route with heims (maybe 7/16" too )

 

[Thegearhead0324 1,256]

I just made my own and put them on yesterday, all stainless from amazon (w/grease fittings.)

[peter lena 8,637]

@Wheelhorse#1  always have spare heims in my stash , and threaded rod , steering rod ends , pto lever end , clutch linkage , great addition to any linkage end failure , no one told me I  could not do this , so I did it , no failures , smooth , pete

[Wheelhorse#1 1,669]

Thanks for all the excellent ideas and info.Great looking work here all around.I have no access to machine shop so no way to machine the ends .I do however have all thread and I guess the down side would be the looks, not the clean finished look.

May be I could find hollow tubing to go over the threads.or break out my favorite tool, the angle grinder    

 

 

 

Edited March 6, 2023 by Wheelhorse#1

[ri702bill 8,346]

1 hour ago, Wheelhorse#1 said:

or break out my favorite tool, the angle grinder  

 

A couple of tips if you are going to die cut your own threads on either new rod or cut-down OE tierods ---

 

Die cutting fine threads is more difficult than cutting coarse threads - all too easy to not get the die started square and end up cross-threading the work. What I found that works is to reduce the first 1/4 inch or so to a diameter that the die just barely slips over - best done in a lathe, but can be done with either a bench grinder, or your "favorite tool". This creates a guide to keep the die true to the work, and can be removed as the last step after threading. Also, if using new plated round stock - remove the plating in the area where the threads will be first... Cut your threads using plenty of oil and clear the chips frequently.

 

Dies - not all dies are the same. The solid hex or 12 sided dies are thread chasing dies and are NOT meant to be used for cutting new threads in steel. You may get away with using one on plastic or aluminum. What is needed is a round thread cutting die, used with the appropriate size die stock. The best ones have a screw that allows you to adjust the Class of Fit for the threads - I like to start with the screw adjusted in to spread the die open - cuts less material but it does cut a thread. Repeat with the screw backed out to cut a tad deeper . check your fit by threading the joint on as you go. Do NOT be surprized to find you need to use a bottoming tap on the joint to remove residual plating on the internal threads!!.

Edited March 6, 2023 by ri702bill

[ebinmaine 67,653]

49 minutes ago, Wheelhorse#1 said:

Thanks for all the excellent ideas and info.Great looking work here all around.I have no access to machine shop so no way to machine the ends .I do however have all thread and I guess the down side would be the looks, not the clean finished look.

May be I could find hollow tubing to go over the threads.or break out my favorite tool, the angle grinder    

 

 

 

 

Get a hold of either McMaster Carr or  Bolt Depot in Hingham Massachusetts and you can get short sections of whatever threaded rod you like.

 

I can't remember which one I used. I have the invoice on my bench at home.

 

I ordered some 2 ft sections of 7/16 fine threaded rod not too long ago so I could make up a much more rigid plow downforce bar. 

 

Definitely worth the time to get the threaded pieces instead of trying to cut your own threads.

 

 

[ri702bill 8,346]

36 minutes ago, ebinmaine said:

worth the time to get the threaded pieces instead of trying to cut your own threads.

 

"The Voice of Experience" speaks......

[ebinmaine 67,653]

2 minutes ago, ri702bill said:

 

"The Voice of Experience" speaks......

In the literal form, yes.

 

Just this past weekend I cut threads into a half inch rod so I could make a plow angle rod. Some of the threads were not all there.

If that was a tie rod, I likely wouldn't have put it on.

Losing a plow angle rod is not particularly dangerous like busting a tie rod.

 

 

[ri702bill 8,346]

Like the one I made out of the OE rod ??

Losing this is less eventfull than breaking a tierod - deduct two bonus points for continuing plowing without it. ADD five double bonus points for continuing plowing with a bustacated

tierod !!!  And you get to see one of my zinc plated homebrewed tierods too...

 

Edited March 6, 2023 by ri702bill

[Racinbob 11,095]

The tubing over the threaded rod even works well on a Suburban drag link. 

 

[ri702bill 8,346]

5 minutes ago, Racinbob said:

The tubing over the threaded rod even works well on a Suburban drag link. 

 

 

Nice to see the rubber boots to help exclude dirt & stuff. Looks like the ones I used on the C81... Even though there is no Zerk fitting, this style can be greased by peeling the boot back and using a small - like 5ML small syringe filled with chassis grease. Best part - they are replaceable if needed...

Bill

[Wheelhorse#1 1,669]

23 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

 

Get a hold of either McMaster Carr or  Bolt Depot in Hingham Massachusetts and you can get short sections of whatever threaded rod you like.

 

I can't remember which one I used. I have the invoice on my bench at home.

 

I ordered some 2 ft sections of 7/16 fine threaded rod not too long ago so I could make up a much more rigid plow downforce bar. 

 

Definitely worth the time to get the threaded pieces instead of trying to cut your own threads.

 

 

@ebinmaineSo Sir ,they come with threaded ,end only ?

Ill get to searching the inter webs ! 

[ebinmaine 67,653]

Just now, Wheelhorse#1 said:

@ebinmaineSo Sir ,they come with threaded ,end only ?

Ill get to searching the inter webs ! 

 

Not just the end only. It's the whole rod. Standard threaded rod.

You could cover it up with something like a tube that would make it look much neater.

 

Another option that I've read about on here but never tried is a thing called a swage rod or swage tube. They're used in suspension systems. Steering systems.

 

I believe with the right source you can order those cut to the correct length and internally threaded.