The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk install of new tie-rod

Does anyone have any advice on installing a new tie-rod. By which I mean getting the wheels straight. I am sure I could eventually get it right but was just wondering if anyone had any good tips to save me the trouble.

Measure the original tie rod to set the new tie rod to the same length. Intall the new tie rod and then set the toe-in per specs.

Easiest way is to get it reasonably close then drive it to an alignment shop and have them adjust it.

You can do it yourself though.

Your '54 toe in specs are 1/16" - 3/16", measured at the center of your front tire treads. (that means the DIFFERENCE between the measurement at the front of the tread, side to side, and the rear of the tread, side to side, should be within that 1/16" - 3/16" range and narrower at the front, wider at the rear).

This is how I did mine:
1. Removed front wheels.
2. Cut 2 pieces of 1" angle iron the same length as my
tire diameter.
3. Bolted the angle irons to the hubs using 2 lug nuts on
each side. (You gotta drill some holes first)
4. Measured the distance side to side at the front of the
angle irons.
5. Measured the distance side to side at the rear of the
angle irons.
6. Adjusted tie rod length so that the rear measurement was
3/16" longer than the front measurement.

Hope that helps.

Here is how I did the measurement. First I jacked up each wheel, spun them and made a thing chalk line on the tread. Then I placed a piece of 2x2 on jack stands in front of the tires. I tacked in a small finishing nail on each side to serve as pointers to the chalk lines. Then I moverd them to the rear to see the difference. I also placed a piece of baking parchment paper with a piece of wax paper on top, under each wheel. This takes away almost all the friction between the floor and the wheels. I found that I could turn the tie rod by hand and watch the measurement chamge.

hello waldo, did you have the front axle on stands, with the weight of the truck on it ?
pretty novel idea.
leonard

Yep, Leonard, that's what I did. I like truckernix's way too but ya gotta remember, when your turning your tie rod, both measurements are changing!

There's prolly other ways that would work just as good.

Well I hate to admit it but I just counted the threads showing on the old one and put the new one in the same # of threads showing. P.S. It worked fine. but I did have a alignment done later just to be sure.

thanks waldo.
i did half like truckernix did, taking 2 long pieces of 1x2 fern strip and tacking a finishing nail in each one on the eds, then pointed the nail in the center of each tire in the front, clamped the 2 pieces of fern strip together, then moved to the rear to see the difference.
of course, this was after i rolled the truck forward a few turns of the tires.
i have no problems, and didnt have to bring it to an alignment shop.
my buddy dave tought me that little trick. worked great.
leonard

see tech tip
This technical tip is for a completely adjustable drag link for pre-1953 Advance Design trucks. This adjustable drag link may also work for other years of trucks, such as Task Force and later, but that is something the owner will have to determine.
http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/draglink_adjustable.html