wishbone/tie rod end question

[331caddy]

alright heres the deal i spilt the bones tacked in the bungs now i need tie rod ends and the plates that connect them to the frame.... would it be easier to buy the plates or make them?? ... and does the length of the part of the tie rod that runs through the plate matter ???? sorry if that is confusing but i dont kno the name of the threaded part that runs through the plate...any help appreciated

[lowsquire]

check out www.speedwaymotors.com (http://www.speedwaymotors.com)
they sell the plates with the tapers already in them for twelve bucks each.not worth the hassle of making them for that.(unless you live across the world http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif)
heres a pic of mine ifn you want to knock em out yourself..Mine are 18mm plate, this is bout the thickness of the arm they normally go through.

[k9racer]

If you want to use tie rod ends insted of the hyme joints{sperical rod ends} use a moog ES150R it is a 3/4 dia 16 threads per inch right hand threads. Orignal application Ford truck. I hope this helps Good Luck..

[kustomkoupe]

i went through the same hassle,
here what i did....i already had the tie-rod ends...i checked the angle of the taper on the end(mine were 5 degrees)...then i cut a 3/4 peice of 1-3/4 solid steel bar...drilled a hole slightly smaller then the small end of the taper...then bored that hole to the taper of the tie rod end...while its in the lathe cut a chanfer on the edge of it...next set my car on a level surface with the motor sitting in and set a device to check the king pin angle on each side and used a bottle jack to move the ends of the wishbones up and down untill i acheived a caster angle of 7 degrees...this worked out to almost exactly a 4 inch drop from the bottom edege of my frame to the center of the tie rod end...so i cut off 2 4x4 plates from 1/2" steel...cut a 1-3/4 diamater "C" in the bottom of each and tapered the sides...then welded the round peices into the "C"..the 45 degree chamfer was for this weld to penetrate well...next i ground the endes nice and smooth and chanfered the top edge where it would attach to the frame...i held paralell to the outside edge of the frame and welded them on....thats all i got done tonight...i plan to go back and weld the back when i tear the car down at the end and also ad a gusset to the back...i had to go flush on the bottom of the frame because of my channeling not leaving room for them to be on the side of the frame rail...so thats about it...sorry i dontl have any pictures...i just kind of did it not thinking i would care to explain how....i hope this helps in some way...

zach

[331caddy]

that helped alot.... im gonna have to go the same route i got the 4 inch drop axle and im gonna channel the car 5 or 6 inches this post is def getting saved to the hard drive

thanks alot guys
tom

[Levis Classic]

For $4 woth of steel and an hour you can make them. Much more satisfaction as well. Why buy everything out of the catalogue when you can make the easy stuff.

[kustomkoupe]

glad to help, if you need any better explinations or anything just let me know

zach

[kustomkoupe]

incase anyone cares...heres a picture of the mount i made...not finish welded yet...and also i was looking through some old " hot rods" tonight and found this article on a similar subject..its from december 51

zach

[kustomkoupe]

hot rod

[331caddy]

hey kustom are you going to that car show in deleware saturday?

[kustomkoupe]

yes i sure am...not with an old car though...i'll just be there...are you?

[331caddy]

most likely i think we are taking 2 cars down a 54 packard and a 60 belaire.. all depends on the weather noone wants to drive 6 hours in the rain

[kustomkoupe]

i'll keep an eye out for ya...

[Tman]

You can get a nice taper in the mounting hole by drilling a pilot that is the smallest diameter of the rod end taper and drilling to size with a Unibit.

[331caddy]

i was just wondering that t man good timing..haha