Steering rod measurments needed

[fishEH]

I need some measurements of aftermarket HD steering rods for a D1, please.

1) Drag link, from end of jam nut to end of jam nut.
2) Track rod, from end of jam nut to end of jam nut.

I'm making my own steering rods. I measured my RTE rods from end to end before selling, but forgot to take into account the jam nuts and any possible thickness difference between the RTE nuts and the new ones I have.
Thanks!

 

[robertf]

why would the thickness of the jam nuts change the length of the steering rods?

 

[fishEH]

why would the thickness of the jam nuts change the length of the steering rods?

If the jam nuts are thicker, say 1/4" each, then I'd lose 1/2" of adjustment of the TRE's.

Example: If RTE sells a drag link measuring 34" and has jam nuts of 1/2" thick, and TerraFirma has 1/4" thick jam nuts then they would want to make their rod 34.5" long to give the same amount of adjustment as the RTE rod.

Since I'm building these from scratch I'd rather not get it "good enough" but do it right the first time. I don't want to end up with rods where the TRE's are either barely threaded in the tube or bottomed out threaded all the way in. Gotta find that sweet spot.

 

[Beagle Bones]

I'm running the Rockware HD tie rod, but it doesn't have jam nuts. It necks down and uses, IIRC, the same style locking collar as the stock tie rod. I can give you a measurement of how much thread is visible on the ends. You could then do some easy math w/whatever jam nut you have handy. If that helps.

 

[Buddy]

here

 

[Buddy]

By the way what are you making yours out of? I made some a few years ago for a different truck I used this https://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.cfm?pid=7893&step=4 and just taped the tube directly with 11/16-16 or what ever the Rover TRE thread is.

 

[Mongo]

I think your over complicating it. Are you using stock or GM TRE's? regardless…

measure eye to eye what you have now, say it's 36"

measure overall length of TRE, Eye to end of thread, say it's 6"

mesure thread length, 4"

If using jam nuts, measure depth of jam nut, say 1/2" each, so 1" and this only effects collapsed length



36-4-4= 28"

Subtract 2" for the eye to start of thread, then x 2 = 4
Subtract 2" for travel, then x 2 = 4
Collasped length with TRE/Jam would = 33" (Subtract 1/2" for jam nut, then x 2 = 1 )
Sweet spot with TRE/Jam = 36" with 2" of thread in tube
Extended Length with TRE/Jam = 38" with 1" of thread in tube

Make sense

 

[fishEH]

By the way what are you making yours out of? I made some a few years ago for a different truck I used this https://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant.cfm?pid=7893&step=4 and just taped the tube directly with 11/16-16 or what ever the Rover TRE thread is.

Thanks! So looks like 33-1/2" and 46"? I'm using 1.5"x.25"wall DOM with Rover thread tube adapters from Summit. I thought about just tapping but by the time I bought the tap the adapters weren't much more.

I think your over complicating it. Are you using stock or GM TRE's? regardless…

measure eye to eye what you have now, say it's 36"

measure overall length of TRE, Eye to end of thread, say it's 6"

mesure thread length, 4"

If using jam nuts, measure depth of jam nut, say 1/2" each, so 1" and this only effects collapsed length



36-4-4= 28"

Subtract 2" for the eye to start of thread, then x 2 = 4
Subtract 2" for travel, then x 2 = 4
Collasped length with TRE/Jam would = 33" (Subtract 1/2" for jam nut, then x 2 = 1 )
Sweet spot with TRE/Jam = 36" with 2" of thread in tube
Extended Length with TRE/Jam = 38" with 1" of thread in tube

Make sense

Yeah that does make sense now.
I thought about using the Chevy TRE's but everything I saw said you needed to grind down the caliper which doesn't thrill me, esp with Defender calipers.
If that's not the case I'm all ears......

 

[fishEH]

So here's what I came up with. LMK what you think, please.
Track Rod
TRE center to center(per RAVE): 48.425"
Tube adapter: .875 (x2 = 1.75")
Jam nut: .5" (x2 = 1")
Exposed thread at sweet spot: .329" (x2 = .658")
Center of TRE to end of jam nut: 1.057" (x2 = 2.114")
DOM length: 42.903"
End of jam nut to end of jam nut: 45.653"
*Near as I could tell Buddy's Track rod measured 45-13/13"(45.8125").
Seem ok?


I'm a visual thinker so here's a quick sketch.

 

[Buddy]

Seems close enough, depending on if you run toe in or toe out you might want to add smidge.

 

[d1driver]

I have one of the taps. Not sure if it is regular or the reverse thread though. I can check.

Can I trust you to ship it back to me and cover the small shipping cost sending it to you? I used it for about 2 minutes to chase threads and haven't touched it since.

 

[fishEH]

Seems close enough, depending on if you run toe in or toe out you might want to add smidge.

Add a smidge to.....? You mean make the DOM longer a touch?
My RTE Track Rod measured 45" without nuts, so maybe 46" with nuts. So yeah, maybe I'll just go 2-3/16ths longer.

I have one of the taps. Not sure if it is regular or the reverse thread though. I can check.

Can I trust you to ship it back to me and cover the small shipping cost sending it to you? I used it for about 2 minutes to chase threads and haven't touched it since.

You can trust me. I have tube adapters already made/threaded I'll be welding into the DOM, though. But thanks for the offer!

 

[Mongo]

How long are the threads on the TRE? It looks to me you need to subtract a smidge from the DOM due the fact that most TRE aren't threaded all the way to the knuckle on the joint...

 

[fishEH]

How long are the threads on the TRE? It looks to me you need to subtract a smidge from the DOM due the fact that most TRE aren't threaded all the way to the knuckle on the joint...

The drawing didn't show it but the 1.057" is actually from center of TRE to end of usable thread.
I'm probably going to cut the DOM a scoch longer than what I measured and "dry" fit everything and remeasure. I can always zip a little more off with the bandsaw.

 

[robertf]

You'll want those taps. Tube inserts distort quite a bit after welding

 

[Mongo]

Gotcha…and I agree with Robert, borwo the taps...

 

[Buddy]

Add a smidge to.....? You mean make the DOM longer a touch?
My RTE Track Rod measured 45" without nuts, so maybe 46" with nuts. So yeah, maybe I'll just go 2-3/16ths longer.

If you're planning to run toe in I would add a little. I'm pretty sure the factory setup calls for toe out. So by using the factory measurement you then end up with extra exposed threads by going to toe in. That's why mine have 1/2-3/4" of exposed threads. I think your measurements where slightly shorter than mine. If I made new ones I would definitely make my drag link a little longer than the one I have now to account for the extra lift.

 

[fishEH]

You'll want those taps. Tube inserts distort quite a bit after welding

Ack!!!! :ack:
Any way to minimize that? Weld in short stretches? Cool it immediately?
If I cut a line along the length of the threads on an old TRE can I use it as a chaser?

 

[robertf]

Ack!!!! :ack:
Any way to minimize that? Weld in short stretches? Cool it immediately?
If I cut a line along the length of the threads on an old TRE can I use it as a chaser?

Short stitches won't help and make shitty weld properties. rapid cooling would make it worse

Based on the amount of shavings I see removed from tapping internal threads near welds, I think your bolt with a slot idea won't do anything except maybe gall in place and trash your part

You could get lucky, but it's unlikely.

The semi right way to do it is tap after weld. The real right way is machine the threads in 1 piece with no welds

 

[Mongo]

just use a tap…I bought one for every joint I use, saves a lot of hassle