The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk steering components

I had recently replaced all the steering components such as tie rods, control arms, pretty much everything and tried to re assemble accordingly to the book specs but my driver side tie rod end keeps moving over to the tire- I have shimmed it out all ready once 1/4" but it keeps moving in and rubbing the inside tire-

Control arms? must be IFS? Shims? I'd check that wheel for offset?

According to your gallery post you're running a dropped axle and mono-leafs. Me too, and I had the same problem. When you say you "shimmed it out" what exactly do you mean? Are you shimming the steering arm away from the backing plate?

Wheel offset will cure this but if you want to continue to run the wheels you have you can heat and bend your steering arm away from the wheel. I know, I know, you're not supposed to put heat on steering components but hot rodders have been doing it since the very beginning. You probably don't need to bend it very far, jack it up, turn the steering lock to lock and see what's really going on. It's probably only rubbing on a hard right turn. You might call Sid and see if he has another solution.

I used body shims to shim it away from the backing plate. But you are right after looking at it again with the size tires-and the drop axle i am going to need to move both steering arms out a little. But I think I found my problem- When I replaced the 4 bolts that hold the brake drum to the axle I think I used smaller O.D. size on the shank of the bolt sooo. I think the weight of the truck in turns is moving it back and forth. Can anyone find out what is the correct bolt I will need to re-place these with-thanks

If no one responds as to the size you need you might have to take one side off and measure it. The bolts that go through the steering arms need a hole for a cotter pin and castle nuts. If you're using replacement bolts make sure they're grade 8.

Good luck.

Oh, and another possible solution is 1/4" wheel spacers available from many parts houses. Just make sure your lug studs are long enough if you use the spacers. You should have 2 or 3 threads showing on the outside of the lug nuts.

You can make your own wheel spacers from fender washers, I've done it and it works.

I would not do that. It is illegal and very unsafe. Full contact wheel spacers are the only safe and legal way to go.

"When I replaced the 4 bolts that hold the brake drum to the axle I think I used smaller O.D. size on the shank of the bolt sooo. "

Brake drums are not held onto the front axle with bolts. I don't know what holes you used the undersize bolts in but what ever it was you can expect slop in your steering from it. This creates a very dangerous situation. What were you thinking?

I would say most likely, it was the backing plate/steering arm bolts. And I do agree, that will make for an unsafe situation. You should definetly reinstall the correct size bolts.
I do have a thought on the tie rod isue, especially since it is only the left side causing problems. If you are using the original style tie rods, the pre-load needs to be properly set. To do this, the end plug needs to be turned in until the spring is compressed solid. The plug is then backed off to the first cotter pin hole. You may need a special socket to do this, it is listed in the tool catalogs as a "drag link socket". I got mine from Snap-On. If the pre-load isn't set right, it will allow the tie rod to shift around, which is what it sounds like yours is doing.

This is the first straight axle vehicle that I have owned and I didnt even think about pre-loading the tie rod end but I will re-place the bolts -thanks

ok the 4 bolts on each side connect the backing plate to the axle in which sits on the spindle so it is dependant on the tightness of these bolts. The control arm on the bottom two i believe would be affected by improper shank size because the ones I took out felt pressed in-but its kind of an odd ball size so.

My lugs arent long enough for that so I am just gonna have to suck it up and do it the right way. I am going to re-place the bolts with the best I can find and bend the arms out just a hair to make sure

Longbox, would you please explain why individual spacers are "very unsafe" but the one-piece ones aren't?

I've read the WA vehicle code from cover to cover and I see no mention of spacers either way.

A wheel requires a true full contact surface for proper torqueing of the lug nuts. An uneven mounting surface will result in improper lug torque, and can result in wheel loss. That's in addition to vibration and wobble problems. If you look at the typical wheel, particularly steel wheels, the actual mating suface is not at the lug hole, but is on pads in between them. Use of washers puts the mating surface in a different area, and will cause the improper mounting issues. A full contact spacer is designed with this in mind, and provide a proper mounting surface for the wheel.
Guidelines concerning spacers is covered by the Federal DOT, and may not be listed in state codes.

If this were my website, I would either delete this thread or confer with a lawyer! I believe in open discussion but this thread scares the heck out of me.