The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline 1946 1/2 ton tie rod upgrade problems

Stovebolters, I've read several threads on upgrading drag-link and tie-rod ends on mid 1940s to mid 1950s 1/2 ton trucks. All the vendors sell modern tie-rod ends for this upgrade (I believe they are all identical). I removed my original tie-rod balls in preparation to install new non-tapered tie-rod ends that I bought from Classic Performance Products (CPP). Everyone says the tie-rod ends drop right into the holes in the steering arms but in my case I believe they fit too loosely, the new tie-rod studs are .010" smaller than the hole. I did not damage the original holes in the steering arms during removal of the old balls so they are the stock diameter. Am I wrong to expect the tie-rod studs to fit snugly in the holes? The tie-rod studs measure about .522" while the ball stud I pressed out measures .532". My question is, has anyone that has done this upgrade experienced the tie-rod ends not fitting snugly in the steering arm holes? As to remedies I am open to suggestions. Is it safe to weld the old holes shut and re-drill a hole for a snug fit? Buying different tie-rods with a wider stud crossed my mind but there aren't any that would fit the other dimensions. Perhaps a machinist could press in a bushing and drill an appropriate size hole? Any help would be appreciated.

David

Mine were loose. The holes are hour glassed shaped from the get go, so when they peen the end of the ball stud over there is room for the metal to go. The new ends should have a shoulder where they set down on the arms, this shoulder and a flat washer on the other side of the arm will hold them plenty tight. Mine have been in for 10 years or more without any problems.

David,

Moog ES29 R & L were a perfect fit in the tapered holes in the steering arms and pitman arm on my '36 Chevy pickup. I tried them because a neighbor with a 1950s era Chevy pickup had used them sucessfully. So they fit at least '36 to 50s pickups.

Why are you using "non-tapered" tie rod ends in tapered holes?

If you are only talking about .010" total, lay the steering arms on an anvil and hit the sides to collapse the holes a little, should take but a hit or two.

Yar, thanks for the response. I read your post about how you handled the tie rod replacement on your truck and it sounds like you did a great job. Moog 29s R/L are discontinued and not available for less than $100 when I checked. After reading many posts from fellow Stovebolters that said the replacement tie rod ends available from the usual suppliers fit, I decided to go that route. As for the holes in the steering arms being tapered, they are not tapered. There is a slight chamfer at the top and bottom of the hole but the holes are not tapered.

Joe H, thanks for the response. I imagine I could live with the. 010" clearance but I'd like to tighten it up if possible. I would have thought pounding on the arms might tighten up the holes but only at the top and bottom and maybe that's an option. At the moment I'm leaning towards having an insert pressed in and drilling a new hole but I'm undecided at the moment. Thanks again for the input.

If you only have .010 I agree with Joe H. Or if you don't want to do that and if your hole is straight you can buy a cheap feeler gauge at some place like Auto Zone, remove the .004 blade, wrap one turn around your tie rod end, cut it so the ends meet flush, slip it in, tighten it and you're finished. Or you could use the .005 blade but it might be a bit too close.

Jon G and Joe H, that's what I'll probably end up doing, using a feeler gauge or pounding a piece of copper sheet flat enough to take up the gap. Thanks to everyone for helping me figure out a solution.

David