Chevy 1/2 ton tie rod end modification

[bmn1965]

Chevy 1/2 ton tie rod end modification Is there anyone that has tried this and if so what year truck etc.


Thanks

 

[alex]

I have chevy 1 ton TREs on my disco. You have to ream out the knuckles and get different sleeves. You will also probably need to grind a bit off the calipers for clearance. Pretty easy mod. The TREs are unbreakable under just about any circumstances. I have 1.75x.375 wall sleeves, and I have dropped the whole rig on the tie rod from about 2 feet, and one of the TREs bent a little bit. I replaced it eventually, but I probably could have ran it for a while longer. The major diameter of the threaded portion of these TREs is 7/8". They cost about $25 each in any auto parts store.

 

[ChicagoDon]

Ive got the 1 Ton Chevy TRE's too. Why spend the time and money to change over your steering to something only marginally better?

 

[bmn1965]

That sounds cool I'll go with the tons do you know what year or they pretty much the same for the 80's and 90's. As far as the sleeves what did you use I'am trying to cut down the time that the truck is off the road.

 

[alex]

you need the following for each steering link

ES2234R (right hand thread TRE)
ES2233L (left hand thread TRE)
tube inserts 7/8x18, left and right threaded
jam nuts, left and right hand thread
tubing with 1"ID (I used 1.75x.375 DOM but 1.5x.25 will work fine too)

a reamer with the correct taper (sorry I forget the specs)

ream out the knuckles. measure and cut the tubing, weld in the inserts, and assemble. Grind enough off the calipers so the TREs clear with a full range of motion for the tie rod.

 

[bmn1965]

doesn't sound to bad where did you pick-up the tube inserts?

 

[Rover grenade]

I did the 1 Ton Chevy TRE's on both the tie rod and draglink. I made the steering links out of 1 3/8 .188 heat treated 4130 chromoly. Got the Tre's, toob, inserts, and reamer from Polyperformance.com. Sucks to buy the reamer and only use it once, maybe go in on this setup with a few friends and get a little more mileage out of the reamer.

 

[ptschram]

Why bother? What's the advantage?

I have yet to break a tie rod end other than when trying to remove one from the tie rod. If one makes the tie rod end the strongest part, what's gonna break next, the swivel housing? Much cheaper to replace a $20 tie rod end than a swivel housing.

 

[alex]

PT there is only a real advantage when you wheel. :flipoff:

here's my story. I got tired of destroying a tie rod every single time I went out. So I made steering rods so thick I couldn't possibly bend them. Of course, I had to use TREs to match. I'm glad I did, because I have replaced two of them already (in the comfor of a motel parking lot on my trailer or in the comfort of my own shop, not on an emergency basis on the trail. Believe me--a lesser TRE or heim joint would have disintegrated, and this would have happened in places where it would have been inconvenient, to say the least, do perform a trail repair, and to have your front wheels pointing in opposite directions.

That's my reasoning, anyway. YMMV

 

[ptschram]

Destroying tie rods? WTF? Mine are 1-1/2 4340, solid stock and not broken yet. I've bent many, but not broken one and we both know I'm hard on my truck (on the rare occasion I get to wheel). I have however, bent a Rockware tie rod!

I just can't see the advantage and would think that it would be just as easy to upgrade the arm and keep the existing rod ends. Seems to me one would have more tied up in reamers, etc than in a couple of spare tie rod ends. The taps for the tie rod ends aren't that much and might be less than the reamer.

 

[alex]

Like I said paul, I bent a couple of the 1 ton tie rod ends, and those have a 7/8 diamer shank. what do you think that would have done to a stock TRE?

Anyway, I know this is difficult for you to grasp, but it ain't always about the cheapest solution :flipoff:

I also bent a rockware tie rod. I bent two rovertracks straight tie rods, and destroyed a rovertracks bent tie rod. After that I decided I have had enough and made my own. I borrowed the reamer from Keith, so there's $100 I saved right there. Happy? :flipoff:. I guarantee I will never have to replace these sleeves. eveeeeeeeeeeeer

 

[adamsclarke]

Call up Matt at www.independent4x.com
He'll hav4 all of the inserts and tubing in stock. He'll even make them up with the TREs etc if you know your width if you don't feel like doing it all. That's where I got all of my steering stuff for my 1 ton cralwer...
heck..he even keeps the TREs in stock if you don;t feel like doing anything except reaming the holes on your axle (get a god reamer...the cheap ones will wear out after 1 hole)

I used 1.5" .25 wall for mine. I don;t thing I'll ever see them breaking...but it may be overkill for the "quality" of the rover housing :smilelol:

 

[ptschram]

Like I said paul, I bent a couple of the 1 ton tie rod ends, and those have a 7/8 diamer shank. what do you think that would have done to a stock TRE?

Anyway, I know this is difficult for you to grasp, but it ain't always about the cheapest solution :flipoff:

I also bent a rockware tie rod. I bent two rovertracks straight tie rods, and destroyed a rovertracks bent tie rod. After that I decided I have had enough and made my own. I borrowed the reamer from Keith, so there's $100 I saved right there. Happy? :flipoff:. I guarantee I will never have to replace these sleeves. eveeeeeeeeeeeer

No, you said you bent tie rods, not tie rod ends. I wonder also how much stronger the tube arms are than solid ones.

Seems to me that if you wanted strength, you'd have gone with 60s and gotten away from those flimsy swivel balls.

As for inserts, everybody and his brother makes inserts!

 

[alex]

No, you said you bent tie rods, not tie rod ends. I wonder also how much stronger the tube arms are than solid ones.

Seems to me that if you wanted strength, you'd have gone with 60s and gotten away from those flimsy swivel balls.

As for inserts, everybody and his brother makes inserts!

1.75x.375 is probably a bit stronger than 1.5 solid. (It is certainly easier to make a sleeve from it if you don't have a lathe. any idiot like me can weld in a bung.) don't know by how much... you tell us, you're the engineer.

and yes, I bent tie rods. but if you upgrade the sleeve (the tubing of the steering rod) and leave the puny rover TREs, the TRE becomes a real weak link.

60s... we'll see, I may yet. for now the rover/toy axles have served me pretty well. I haven't broken an axle or a knuckle yet. I still think the TRE is the weak link in the equation, just not by such a huge margin as it would be with a 1.75x3.75 sleeve and a stock TRE.. if you could even get an insert for the stock TRE for 1" ID tubing.

here is a pic with the TREs I'm using and a rover piece side by side, and a pic of my sleeves next to a Rovertracks drag link.

 

[rovercanus]

No disrespect Alex but I think you are one of those people who wheel to see what they can break.

 

[alex]

Wheel with me and then draw that conclusion. The only trail repairs I have ever had to do were straightening tie rods, replacing a driveshaft, straightening a panhard bar, and replacing a heim joint. That kind of stuff (and much much worse) will happen when you drive 9 & 10 rated trails.

 

[ptschram]

if you could even get an insert for the stock TRE for 1" ID tubing.

I can make them! LOL, made a bunch up for some 1.25 tube I was working with before I decided to go with solid.

I'll crunch the numbers "someday"!