The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline Drag link ball?

I am working on a 1950 1/2 ton with stock ball drag link ends. I know the ball should be round and not oblong or egg shaped. I checked mine and I measured .994 in one direction. Then I turn the measurement points 90 degrees I get .945 That means it is oblong or egged shaped by.045. In a perfect world that’s a no good. My wife always tells me I have many imperfections but I still have some use to her. I mow the lawn, fix leaky faucets fix her car and plenty of other things. She says since I do have some use to her she will accept me with all my imperfections. Bottom line is can I be like my wife is with me and accept the drag link ball, being out .045 or should it be replaced?

Is it causing steering problems? Too much slop/play/delay? I assume you must have been having some sort of problem because who disconnects their steering components just to take measurements if there is no noticeable problem with them, right?

I can’t remember if the shop manual calls out a spec for “out of round” tie rod/drag link balls, or if it’s just a general statement about replacing if wear is visible. Someone will probably look at the online version and weigh in.

I suspect that 45 thousandths would be hard to spot with the eyeball test.

Yes I had play in the joint that I could not adjust out. I originally did not take the drag link off. I just took off the side I was having the problem with. I took off the other side (the good side)and removed the link I realized my problem. I found a the spring and spacer that I didn’t have on the sloppy side.. My bad. A spring,spacer and cup kit and I should be ok.

If you get a repair kit for the drag link, be sure to pay attention to the instructions that come with it. Each end is different, and even the spacers are different lengths. I don't think that 45 thousands would be excessive wear, not ideal, but likely usable, and small enough that it can be taken up by the spring. Also follow the service manual instructions on adjusting the drag link.

My suggestion would be to remove the drag link, disassemble and clean it well. Inspect the cups that contact the balls...they're made of hardened steel but the balls themselves are made of rather soft steel. Also check out the springs and follow the instructions for re-assembling...I posted the sequence a month or so ago. The cups and springs go in differently on each side. Any egg-shaping can and often will cause some play. The springs are supposed to compensate but it has been my experience that the egg-shaped wear will cause problems in the way the cups mate with the balls. When you go to replace the balls (you get both the pitman arm ball and the control arm ball), please use the ones that are threaded with a nut...not the ones you weld to attach. Why do I say that? So you can loosen and rotate each ball clockwise 90 degrees each 1000 or 2000 miles or whenever you grease the chassis. If you do that they'll never wear egg-shaped again. If you replace both balls and your other parts (cups, springs, etc) are in good nick, you'll have a drag link with no play at all. Good luck! Oh, in case your drag link has the straight grease zerks, jack up the front and turn the wheels left/right to expose those and make it easier to get your grease gun up there. 45 degree zerks are not always easy to find in the size the drag link used.

Out of curiosity, I went out and retrieved a ball I just removed from the pitman arm when I rebuilt mine. This one measures .964 on one side and .957 on the side 90 degrees from that. I think it is key to know this ball is supposed to be 1 inch in diameter when new. The takeaway here is this one was shot and allowed a notable amount of play and with new balls (same cups and springs...they were okay), it is now quite a bit tighter.

Look at the shank under the actual ball for wear, this is where the cups ride and tend to dig in. If they are worn, now is the time to change them. Here is a tech tip I wrote years ago if you go with new ones, https://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/draglink.htm I have since switched to the modern tie-rod ends for both draglink and tie-rods, they still work as good as the day I put them in 10 years ago or more.

I doubt the wear you have will be an issue, the springs will compensate for the out-of-round as long as they don't bottom out.

Mine originals were so worn, you could measure the out of round with a wooden ruler!

So now I got the new cups ,spring and cap kit. It did not come with instructions. I checked out the post John G wrote a month or so ago. John said (the sequence is: Steering gear end or pitman arm side: first goes the spring, followed by the stepped spring cap followed by the two ball seats followed by the end plug. Control arm end is different: first the two ball seats followed by the stepped spring cap followed by the spring followed by the end plug. The kit has 3 of the stepped spring caps, 2 short and 1 longer. Question is do I use 2 short ones or a short and a long one? Thanks Don

Fie on the vendor that didn't send instructions.

Here you go. The long spring cap with the hole in the middle goes on the steering gear end. The short spring cap goes on the axle end. If you use the kit on the tie rods, then the long spring cap is not used.

Don,

I think this diagram below clipped out of the 1929-57 Chevy Master Parts catalog may help in your rebuild parts sequencing.

Helpful???

Dan

EDIT: Kevin beat me to the punch on the diagram - haha! I will blame it on tired stubby fingers.