The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline 3600 tie rod ends

I have a 1951Chevy 3600 heavy-duty. Original tie rod ends are beyond repair. Wanting to keep my truck looking as original as possible. Would like new ones but would restore used ones. None of the typical old truck parts stores have 3/4 ton, only 1/2 ton. Any ideas on where to look. Maybe someone has a pair from a frame change?

Classic Parts has rebuild kits
https://www.classicparts.com/1929-59-Drag-Link_Tie-Rod-End-Repair-Kit/productinfo/76-305/
and replacement ball studs
https://www.classicparts.com/1947-59-Ball-Stud-Tie-Rod-3_4-Ton-each/productinfo/76-514/
And other chassis/ steering parts
I hope this is useful.

51Roughrider ,

There are two ways of rebuilding your tie rod ends .

1.) Use ill fitting chinese aftermarket repro parts .

2.) Use Genuine GM NOS parts .

OR

Your method........... used tie rod end parts...........you've got to be kidding !

I have no dog in this fight so it's a doesn't matter to me how you do it

as long as you are happy .

I'm suggesting that you use GM NOS parts .


Here's how it can be done .


You will need an internal parts kit which includes

the springs - the plugs & the ball seats .

Yes - Classic sells a cheap ill fitting internal parts kit for $19.95

It's chinese JUNK. Been there done that with a friends 1950 3/4 ton .

Classic's kit is a waste of money . The chinese junk kit wound up in the trash can .

The Studs that classic sells are cheap imitation chinese junk

with the wrong machining finish .

Get some real GM studs with the proper machining finish.


Llewellyn Obsolete
Northride , Ca.
phone : 818 - 363 - 5094

Scott @ Llewllyn has ( 1 ) GM NOS tie rod internal parts kit in stock .

GM # 6.874 - GM # 608840

PIC




There's only ONE aftermarket internal parts kit that I'd trust .

The Filling Station stopped selling the chinese junk ill fitting kit .

They had a kit made in the USA .

PIC

https://i.postimg.cc/QxdXKjWf/Filling-Station-FS-148.jpg


There's a GM NOS # 608840 internal parts kit on ebay for $95.00

Call Scott @ Llewellyn for a better deal .


Then you'll need ( 2 ) new NOS Studs GM # 377992 .

PIC

https://i.postimg.cc/fy0NzRPL/Tie-Rod-End-Studs-GM-NOS.jpg

Dan's GM Obsolete
Chinook , Montana
phone - 406 - 357 - 2615

Dan's has ( 1 ) GM NOS stud in stock .

Friesen Chevrolet
Sutton , Nebraska
phone - 402 - 773 - 5538

Friesen has ( 1 ) GM NOS stud in stock

Go to ebay & in the search box......type in the part #......377992

There's a couple of studs on ebay .


Then you'll need the tie rod shell / body casings

RIGHT - GM # 374226
LEFT - GM # 374227

PIC

https://i.postimg.cc/g0Kp00Kc/Tie-Rod-End-Casings-PAIR.jpg

Shirns GMC
Williamsport , PA.
phone - 570 - 326 - 1581

Shirns has ( 1 ) 374226 - Right
Shirns has ( 1 ) 374227 - Left


Be very careful when removing the tie rod end clamps .

They are scarcer then hen's teeth .

Do not destroy the clamps . You can save the old clamps & clean them up

and repaint them and replace the nut & bolt with grade 8 .

Clamps that I bought years ago

PIC

https://i.postimg.cc/W4bt20w1/1954-3600-Tie-Rod-end-Clamps-GM-352265-superseded-to-3902937-b.jpg


In my opinion using nearly 70 year old used or chinese parts for rebuilding your tie rods is putting

your self and other people on the road lives in DANGER .

These are not the kind of parts that you want to nickel & dime on or use used parts .


Get yourself a can of KROIL

The Shell casing will need to be soaked with kroil & maybe need some heat

to get them off of the tie rod bar . Be careful not to strip the threads on the rod .

PIC

https://i.postimg.cc/3J5cz13m/547caf1b-4662-4d3f-b60c-3e72467316c5-1-b406c7d57e4a90cdcb88a9463.jpg

The best rust buster penetrating oil I've ever used .


Hope this info helps you out .


George
'54 3600










.

Thanks George for the detailed info and vendor contacts.
I personally have NOT used the Classic Parts components. I only know they are available. Like most of the repop stuff available for our trucks, the quality is... inferior to GM NOS.

Frank ,

My above statements were not directed at you .

The chinese are great pretenders at making parts that seem to look like our old

parts on the outside . They are usually out of spec & are made from melted down

cat food cans that get shipped to them from the USA .

Seems to me the new breed of so called restorers prefer these cheap chinese parts .

The key word is cheap.....cheap.....cheap . As long as it's cheap .

Nobody ever said , restoring an old truck is cheap

I'd burn my truck down before I'd ever put a made in china part on it .

That's because I'm old school .


There are only ( 3 ) parts I couldn't find for my 1954 3600 .

An NOS Crankshaft not that the old one was bad. I just wanted to go back to

original spec on the crank . I can live with 10 under .

I couldn't find a nos small journal forged steel camshaft . I just live with the regrind .

A nos drivers side front fender has always eluded me. I've found the other three fenders nos .

My drivers side front fender now looks fantastic after two days with with a dolly & various hammers

and endless hours of sanding , bondo , more sanding , etc., etc.

In a very short period of time they will all be driving chinamobile's .

Makes me laugh but sad at the same time .

The hobby is going cockeyed IMO .


George
'54 3600

Some truth there George.

Roughrider, sorry we hi-jacked your thread. Good luck with your truck, and be safe.

Frank,

Maybe in another 5 - 10 years 3 - D Printing of parts

will stop this made in china nonsense .

Parts will be better then GM NOS parts.........that's my prediction ..


George
'54 3600

I wish this thread had happened a few days sooner, I had just purchased some of these China parts from classic the day before this topic came up
Oh well guess I’m buying more parts for my my 1 ton. The filling station looks better quality yes.
-s

Not to add fuel to the fire, let me relate what I did with my 50 3600 about 11-12 years ago. I replaced the tie rod ends with modern sealed type, NOS brought from an eBay seller. I then took the best of the used cups and springs and "overhauled" the drag link or steering connector rod. The ball studs on the pitman arm and steering arm weren't too bad. I think I did a little filing on the steering arm stud to round it up. It wasn't very egged as many of them get. I reassembled the drag link with plenty of grease and adjusted. No binding. Actually the truck drove and steered like a new one. This was part of a major go-over of the front end that included new kingpins, new shocks, servicing the shackle pins/bushings and shade-tree alignment. I was very satisfied by the results and I think it was very safe.