The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Removing Ball studs from Tie Rod Ends

I have purchased a new tie rod and tie rod end rebuild kit along with new ball studs for my 3/4ton first series 55. All is going well except I cant seem to figure out how to get the ball studs out of the tie rod end. Should I be able to get it out through the threaded end of the tie rod end? I have the tie rod off completely and the tie rod ends off the tie rod itself and the cap and outer seat are already removed. All that is left is the ball, the inner seat, the stop and the spring.


I am at a loss as to how to do this and the replacement 3/4 ton tie rod ends are hard to find and expensive when found so I dont want to screw these up!!!

To remove the ball from the sockets, you first have to remove the large cotter pin on the end of socket piece. Then unscrew the large threaded cap releasing the spring tension from the sockets. Take it all the way out along with the socket and spring if there is one. Then work the ball out of the holder and remove the remaining pieces untill you have a empty shell.

This is a drag link, but the parts are the same.
http://chevy.oldcarmanualproject.com/1929_54chevyparts/06/411.HTM

Joe

Thanks, my fault!!!!! I was too afraid I was going to break/mangle something and when I hit resistance on one side, I assumed that there was no way that the ball would slip out of the slot. My mistake. It required some force to get the spring to "compress", but it slipped out with some effort.

thanks for not making fun of me, at least not in the posts!

Tom

Heres a tech tip I wrote a few years back,
http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/draglink.htm

Joe

What is a good method to determine if the balls need replaced, or should you just do it when you rebuild the OE ends?
Joe, I am impressed with the attention to detail and the metohd of "lappping" the balls to the cups. Seems like a nice touch.
Cavebull

You can tell the balls are out round just by looking. The shaft was worn on mine where the shell would ride against it, think of it rolled off center. Mine also had egg shaped balls, but then it was a heating plumbing truck out in mid Kansas for 40 years, so it was run hard!

The lapping paid off nice, it just wouldn't steering right before I lapped them.

Joe

So have any of you seen this with replacement ball studs; the threads on the studs appear short. The castle nuts can thread down to the arms even though they may be shorted. If a flat washer is installed the nut does not appear to tighten down enough to allow insertion of a cotter pin through the castle nut.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dodsonbrett/6204596126/in/set-72157627652317197/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dodsonbrett/6204597578/in/set-72157627652317197/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dodsonbrett/6204594530/in/set-72157627652317197/
Might work when torqued though. Other pictures show I was very carefull about removing the minimum amount of material. Just curiousobvious ly a more correct sized washer.
Cavebull