The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Tie Rod End repairs & Boot

I have been looking at the catalogs and ebay for tie rod ends for my 55.1. It appears to be original of the old style. It is shaped like a beer bottle, with the smaller diameter or neck screwed over the threads of the tie rod. Where the lable of the beer bottle would be, there is a stud protruding with a ball inside the bottle. There is no boot covering the place where the ball goes inside the tie rod end.

1. Do the tie rod ends usually need replacing or just rebuilding?

2. Is there a recommended source for these that would also supply a boot? (I assume a boot usually went over this to keep the grease where it is needed.)

3. Is the cotter pin the only thing, apart from rust and inertia, that is keeping the large screw in the bottom of the beer bottle?

You can rebuild them but the replacements are the newer style & are a big improvement over the original. It is more work to install the changeover the first time but is the best way to go unless you want to keep it pure. You remove the cotter pin & screw out the plug. Then pull the the joint off the ball. Check the ball to see if it is out of round. If it is OK you can put a kit in it. Check the spring, they are often broken. Tighten the screw till it stops & back it out a little to line up the cotter pin hole. Some had a metal band around them but most are just open.

Heres a little tech tip once you purchase the replacement parts.
http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/draglink.htm

These may help,

http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/1929_54chevyparts/06/379.HTM

http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/1929_54chevyparts/06/411.HTM

Like the post above says, check the ball stud for out of round and wear, the whole tie rod assembly tends to tilt down and ride right on the stud portion of the ball stud cutting into the stud.

http://www.oldchevytrucks.biz/47_55/full.asp?page=108
http://www.classicparts.com/1947-59-Tie-Rod-Ends-1_2-Ton-pair/productinfo/76-005/

Joe

Are these the boots?

http://www.classicparts.com/1947-87-Tie-Rod-End-Boots-Polyurethane/productinfo/76-005B/

I installed the same style boots on mine. Found them at the local Auto Zone. Also put some on the drag link, as the ones that came with it didn't last very long. Had to special order those at the local speed shop (Fagen's) as 'Zone couldn't get the size needed.

I am going through all of this right now too. Even though I am going "original", I want the safety and performance of the new tie rod connectors. I found some on American Classic and also Chevy Duty (they have a new name). They are $49 a pair. I now need a replacement for my old draglink. It looks like a short tie rod with the same "beer bottle" ends on a '49. I think the '55 had changed already. The only place I have it found it is at Chevy Duty for $79. Anybody have any suggestions???? Replace your king pins too! I have found them in various places including LMC for $49.
Just bought POR 15 to paint the suspension parts and front axle.

Joe and All,
I'm gonna keep the old style TRE although it shows some wear. I would guess that the boots would help some in keeping the tie rod from tilting down. The tilt seems to have caused most of my wear. Thanks for all the links and info.
-Scott

You can buy rebuild kits and boots, but you should also look at replacing the ball. They get out of round and make for some sloppy steering even after a rebuild.

Thanks for the tip. I think most of the wear was the cups. I think they must be sacrificial since the balls show little wear. However, the balls will be my next suspect if steering is still loose after I rebuild the ends. Thanks - Scott

here is another stovebolt tip::
http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/draglink_adjustable.html
http://s67.photobucket.com/albums/h298/1951otter/?action=view&current=Scan6_0006.jpg
http://s67.photobucket.com/albums/h298/1951otter/?action=view&current=DSC00329.jpg


How are your king pins?? can you put grease into them and see it come out?

the newer ends SIMPLY screw right/left on. sounds like a lot of work when if you did the upgrade all would be much better and SAFER.

Thanks for the tips. When I bought the truck, I found that it was "born under a wandering star"as they say. I adjusted the steering at the steering box and put some lube into it. That made the steering work so easily that I could steer with one finger when the tires were fully inflated and with minimal backlash. I greased all of the steering linkage and found that I could not get grease into one of the king pins. Thanks to the board, I was able to do the difficult king pin replacement job myself. The only complaint I had about the steering was the occasional clunk under certain conditions. I was hoping to eliminate the clunk when I opened up the tie rod ends. The tie rod ends showed much wear, but did not seem to cause any difficulty in steering. I should get my parts next week and start chipping away at it. I have it all apart and straightened a small bend in the tie rod and will replace the bolts, the cups, the springs, the cotter pins and the zerks. Then I will see how it works before I do anything else. Question: Why are the new "non beer bottle type" tie rod ends safer? Is it because they are in good condition or because they provide better steering due to a better mechanical design? Or?

Thanks - Scott

Not so much safer as just a better design, they hold grease better and don't have the movement of the springs and cups.

If you are replacing the cups and balls, check the tech tip I posted above, it will help.

Joe

Joe,

Thanks for the reminder about your Tech-Tip. I'll soon be replacing all front-end parts in the 54 1/2 ton that I'm restoring. The lapping-in procedure is good advice.

I did not replace the ball ends when I rebuilt my Suburban but I replaced and adjusted the other parts (cups, springs, etc). With tight, new, king pins (and bushings), and after adjusting the steering (as per the Shop Manual), it steers and tracks like a new truck.

Tim

Glad to hear it, mine drives great with the old style tie rod ends. I replaced the drag link ends with the new type with a threaded rod between them, this let me adjust the length till the steering box centered up. Other then being straight ahead, I can not tell the difference between the old draglink and the new one. Joe

I received the repair kit for my old style tie rod ends. It is difficult to get the new plugs started in the old tie rod end threads. When I removed the old plugs, I took the tops off the last few threads. Does anyone know if there is a tap for this size of thread or if there is a good way to fix up the threads?
Thanks - Scott

All,
I inspected the new cups that fit on the old balls and I can see a very definite need to lap them in! The cups only touch on the outside lip. It is not due to worn balls either, since the cups are too small for the balls. The balls are 15/16 inch diameter while the cups fit on a 7/8 diameter ball bearing. It would take quite a bit of lapping to get them to mate well and I wonder how much of the lapping would come out of the ball. I am considering going to the new type tie rod end instead, since I am not satisfied with the quality I got from one of our best suppliers. Would my 43.75 inch tie rod need to be altered to fit the new type tie rod ends?
Thanks - Scott

FYI,
I took the steering arms off the vehicle. Hacksawed off the balls so I could use a socket to back up the press when I pushed out the ball stud toward the ball end of the stud. I used a file to file off the peened over end of the ball stud. I drilled the first one's peened end with the 9/16" drill bit down 1/16" as was recommended. I didn't get it perfectly centered since the peened end already had a small punched divit in it and I used that slightly off center divit to start my drill hole (resulted in slight damage - larger hole opening on one side). I drilled a 3/8 hole down about 1/4 inch to put a 3/8dia X 1" long piece of rod in to give me something to push off of. 3000psi on the press at work did it. Next one I did a 1/2 inch hole about 1/32 deep and used a 3 pound hammer and about 20 hits on my basement elm stump and it came.

Sounds like you are on the right path!

Joe

FYI2,
I put anti-sieze on the TREs and screwed them on the TR equal amounts in an attempt to match the old center ball to center ball measurement. I put masking tape down the center of the tires and spun them while holding a laundry marker to the tape. This gave me a center line to adjust the toe in. I measured the distance between center lines and I am way off...1.5 inches. I have tall tires (about 33 inch dia.) and will adjust the tie rods to get about 1/8 inch narrower in the front than in the back. Then maybe I will be done again...for a while.

FYI3,
I'm back on the road! I loosened up the tie rod end bolts and took 10 cranks on the tie rod. That took up most of the 1.5 inches. I gave it 1/8 inch of toe in, tightened it back up and went to the highway. I drove for 1/4 mile without any steering correction. I figure I am set! Hauled about 3 bushels of shoreline weeds to the stump dump. Took a 1 hour ride on quiet country roads. Nice to have the truck back. Thanks for all the tips.
- Scott