There were two tie rod ends used to make this drag link. One was for that very large Jeep Wagoneer made in the late 70s and early 80s. The other was a commonly available part used in many GM vehicles. The tie rod end used in the Wagoneer failed completely...and by that I mean it appeared the insides broke first (nylon/plastic parts had been used in the manufacture of it) and after that it just all came apart. Talking to the MOOG folks it was a part which they had not made in over a decade, it was used in a different application than it was designed for and the bottom line was they were sorry, they were glad nobody was hurt and past that there wasn't anything they could do. Since it was a discontinued part they couldn't replace it. Yes, I installed new balls and rebuilt the original drag link. Actually it wasn't original to the truck but a replacement link I had bought new in 1977...a GM part, though. Somewhere I saved that Wagoneer tie rod end and when I run across it, I'll post a picture.
You and others may already know this. The drag link in the AD truck ought to sit parallel to the ground but it doesn't. Many shop manuals show this incorrect orientation, also. This does contribute to bump steer. The only way to remedy this is to remove spring leaves to the point where the truck sits about 1.25 inches lower but that can cause bottoming and other problems. It can cause your caster angle to become variable for one thing. Over the years I've run across drag links used in AD trucks which were bent...bent so that it "seems" the drag link works on a more level plane, but honestly it doesn't. They were bent so that the part of the drag link which connects to the control arm seems level. You can see a picture of the two types below. You can also see a little picture I made showing why having the drag link's pivot point further down on the arc of the circle will worsen bump steer...the further the pivot point is from dead level (the red oval) the more a little movement will cause a greater movement in the drag link because of simple geometry. Especially if it moves downward. Only at the center will bump steer be at its least.
~ Jon 1952 1/2 ton with 1959 235 | T5 with 3.07 rear end
