The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop Bent tie rod end!

Does anyone know if a bent tie rod end would throw the wheel base out an inch? I wouldn't think it would cause that much of a difference but I don't know. I put a corvette front in my 54 and it has 116 1/2 on one side and 117 1/2 one the other. The side with less is the bent side. If you measure to the lower ball joint you get to same measurement from both side.

Tie rods have an effect on toe-in. I can't see how it would change end to end that much. Depending on your measuring technique a turned wheel could make the WB appear to be off. Sounds like you need to do a few other checks to ensure the front end was installed square with the frame and something like cab mounts.

If your getting the same measurement side to side using the ball joint center look closer at the spindle also. You might want to take the tie rods loose and make sure each wheel is straight and then measure.

Thanks for the suggestion... I was thinking about taking it lose and checking I just haven't got back out to the truck yet.

I've measured in a million different places and that's the only place that its off. Someone also suggested spacers as well I need I know on the side with more width the spacers are thicker. It possibly a combination of both I suppose. I don't know where the spacers are SUPPOSE to be they came on it and are different sizes in different places.

1 inch off on WB is pretty big. You did not say what you are measuring to, when you get mismatch? This would be a IFS front end, no axle centerline to measure. You did not say what year Corvette. If spindle pivot points (not tie rod) is the same from a ref point, as hd4unm says, then start measuring from pivot CL to all the rest of the components on each side to find the problem. It's hard to be sure tires are straight when measuring WB. One way is to measure a common tread on tires, in the front of the tires and in the back of tires. At any rate, you MUST be sure both front tires are straight and parallel when measuring WB. Tie rods on most cars affect toe in as hd4 says. I am not familiar with Corvette suspension.

I was measuring from the center of the hub on the rear to the front. It's an 86 corvette ifs and the passenger side inner tie rod is what is bent. I had a pm from someone earlier telling me pretty much what you said. When I put it in i disassembled the whole thing down to the cross member and got it situated and before I tacked it in I stuck the lower control arm back on and and used the ball joint for a point of reference for the wheel base and the control arm used it to level it with the frame. The cross member is in square from front to back and up and down. From some of the suggestions I have gotten I'm sure there are multiple things contributing to it being off. In going to run a through them all as well as replace the tie rod before I start checking it again.

If my calculations were correct I should have ended up with 116 to 116 1/2 for the wheel base but we will see.... I was never very good in math!

I guess if your tie rod has "shortened" due to bending, it would skew the center of wherever you measure from, and make it seem like the WB is off but it is not. You are right in putting a new tie rod on, adjusting it so that the hub or wheel is parallel to the other side and both are perpendicular to cross member centerline and then measure WB again. Remember, if you are using a regular tape measure with two people, the tape must be held to exact centers. A tape measure is not a good method. You have four places to be off with holding a tape by hand. Only 1/8 off, 4 places, to get a 1/2 inch difference... and slack in tape two times. I hope you devise a fool proof method of measuring before making any further adjustments. WB measuring example using a straightedge: use an aluminum extension ladder section and mark it. This rigid, straight, non-sagging ladder piece can be set up by yourself. Even a 2x6 may work. Try taking off all wheels so you can "kiss up" to the hub centers for accurate measure with the straightedge.

Bent tie rod won't change the distance from lower ball joint to rear axle. You may have a bent lower control arm or possibly the rear axle has some how shifted.

Bill

The distance from the lower ball joint to the rear axle is the same on both sides

Start buy measuring from center point of the front crossmember to the the outer edge of the rear axle. You need to determine if the rear is centered to the frame / crossmember. Once you have accurately measured the rear axle move to each side and measure up to some solid point on the cross member with a identical point on both sides. If these two come out right, the only thing left is a bent control arm or adjustment point. I never have worked on a corvette, so i couldn't tell you where that might be.

We used to align dual axle road tractors with dixie cups, heavy string, jack stands, and a big tape measure. The key is to find a fixed point and start from it. Movable joints can be bent or out of place and not really show up.

Joe

If the rear shackles and hanger brackets are original and in place, if the springs are original and the spring/perch pin is in the hole and the ubolts are tight, it's probably OK.

Question just occurred to me... if a tie rod is bent, what else?
Next, I don't recall seeing your toe-in measurement in the bent condition. If excessive, the WB measure from hub to hub distance is going to be a false reading, but indicative of another problem, hence your bent part and other tweaks.

Feels like what you are trying to solve is proper alignment and WB readings alone have you on the wrong path.

I got the tie rod in yesterday. Tomorrow I'm gonna change it out and do some adjusting and then problem shoot all the suggestions I have here. Thanks guys!

Well I got everything worked out and now have 116 1/2" wheel base in both sides. Now I just gotta figure out if the 1/2" is going to be a problem being forward.

Nope, not a problem. guess you mounted the Vette front end 1/2" forward. but are you going to tell us what was wrong? What you did to fix mismatch?

The tie rod a bought was was wrong so I ended up getting the bent one straightened out. It was also a 1/4 forward on one side and I moved it back and one of the upper control arms wasn't adjusted right.... After I straightened all three things out it came up with the same on both sides. It didn't take long at all to correct. We did more standing around looking at it than it took to fix it! When I get to the computer ill post a couple pictures.... It won't let me get the links to post using my phone.

Glad you figured it out. Good work.

[IMG]http://imageshack.us/scaled/medium/194/photomar09173539.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://imageshack.us/scaled/medium/832/photomar09152940.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://imageshack.us/scaled/medium/833/photomar09152858.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://imageshack.us/scaled/medium/803/photomar09152850.jpg[/IMG]]photos with the fenders back on![/url]

thank you! you guys helped a lot. sometimes it helps a lot to hear some ideas bounced around or bounce a few off everyone for suggestions.