The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline 1/2 ton tie rod ends for an AD

Could everyone who has a 47-53 please confirm for me that their tie rod ends are either male or female. I just got a set and they are female ended. They aren’t even close on thread size ether. All the trucks I’ve ever had are all male ended. And I’m a little mad right now and want to make sure my information is correct before I lose my blank on someone.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/3TAbkvC9RKzcZbk16

Here’s what I’m dealing with.

Not a tie rod end. Maybe a drag link end?

Most of the male tie rod ends thread into a sleeve, which your new one looks to incorporate. The sleeve could be tossed and the female end screwed on to the tie rod. But if the thread size is wrong, I'd say you got the wrong ones. I'll check my truck when I get home.

The new one is female threaded the whole way down. My original tie rod is female ended. The tie rod end is male threaded.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/mE1BzWAmRh8rBJb46

I look forward to seeing what your truck has on it. I appreciate it, Kevin.

All the AD trucks I’ve had have had male threaded tie rod ends.

They sent you the wrong part. My tie rod ends look like your old one.

My ends are female threaded, but they're the old spring loaded type with the big screwdriver slot. Both the tie rod and drag link.
Here's a pic.

Here are original 1/2 ton tie-rod-end assembles and/or parts.
I think they might be the same for 1946 through 1959.

6.233 : 1946-1959

1/2 ton and 3/4 ton

Note: left and right sides are different parts/part-numbers.

Rare Parts also sells parts kits, if your housing/threaded-ends are good/reusable.

My 52’ 3100 has adjustable socket type ends and the steering arms have the ball mounted to it.

Interesting. LMC Truck has the tie rod and tie rod ends that are the same as the one's in Tim's link and as found on Kevin's truck.

http://www.lmctruck.com/icatalog/ca/full.aspx?Page=84

BUT that is not what's on my truck. I have the tie rod ends and tie rod same as Fox has. Maybe Canadian truck were different in this case?

Or, maybe the tie-rod ends have been changed to readily available "sealed" and non-adjustable/non-serviceable units.

My guess is that many have been changed ("upgraded") over the past 60+ years?

If you change the tie rods, you would have to change the tie rod too. I see in the LMC catalog that the '60 to '63 four wheel drive trucks have a similar setup as I have. (as far as tie rod and tie rod ends go)

It was a long time ago that I worked on the chassis, but I seem to remember wondering why my tie rod ends were different than what other people were talking about...

But if the ends have been changed, they must have changed the actual tie rod too. It seems weird also that the trucks I’ve had over these years have had the exact same parts. Something is screwy here, because I have never seen a female ended tie rod end on any of my trucks. My 1 ton has male ended tie rod ends too.

The steering arms on my truck don’t have the ball but the holes only.

I’m guessing as well like Gord, is this a Canadian thing?

Others please share what you have.

As always, I appreciate the help and input fellas.

That's so you can loosen the two clamp bolts and turn the tie rod to shorten/lengthen the tie rod overall length and adjust toe-in.
In the modern type that Fox posted, with male ends, there's usually a sleeve with left and right hand threads to accomplish the same purpose.

My Canadian 44 1/2 ton is exactly as yours is and it was driving me crazy to find new tie rod ends. Thought my steering arms were 3/4 ton since they didn’t have have the straight hole and were tapered to accept the screw in tapered ball stud. Let me know if you find the right tie rod end as I went thru specs of some manufacturers and couldn’t find one short enough.

The 1954 Canadian Chevrolet and GMC Maintenance Manual shows the "sealed" tie-rod ends, not the adjustable tie-rod ends used on USA light trucks.

Perhaps the Canadian 1/2 tons used the "heavier duty" tie rod ends as shown in figure 4 here:
http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/shop/1954truck/54ctsm0303.html

Ordering tie rod ends for the (say) 1 tons should fit the 1/2 tons?

They look to be the same, as Gord suggests.

Does anyone have a Canadian GM truck parts catalog?

I have a 42-56 and will check later and post if anyone wants. I remember looking up the part numbers and googling them and could find no images.

Yes, please.

So the book is 42-56 truck parts catalogue for Canada.

Thanks Bill. Can someone post a US equivalent picture of the same item? Then we can inform vendors that these parts are different on Canadian trucks?

Fox , I have this same issue with our New Zealand assembled Chev pickup . From Canadian parts . The thread is an odd size too .

On one of my trucks I just had to change every thing to the US style to get it finished .

(Then I found a local vendor with some old stock on the shelf ).
pic of size and pic of new item box part#