The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline 1951 1/2 chev original tie rods

so when i picked up my 51 in 1993 it came with new tie rod ends of the original style that were purchased around 1987 or 88. thought they were lost all these years but just found them in an old tool box. Are these still safe to use on my restoration or should i use the new style they sell now?

Sure, if they are new as you say. They're perfectly safe to use, if they are in good condition after all millions of these trucks have been running around for 50, 60, 70 years using these tie rod ends. The only time you ever hear of a problem is when the maintainance hasn't been keep up. Guys switch to the newer style because they require less up keep and they give you the little extra clearance needed when installing later style rims.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Ditto to Danny's response.

They are safe.

Also in agreement with Denny about good maintenance. You might want to take apart the ends and make sure that the ball-joint is round and not oval.

The original-style tie-rod ends (with the ball joints/stud) are still available from rareparts.com; and, rebuild kits are also still available from many vendors.

thank you for the info