I'm talking about the ones like those found stock on Model A's. Ball welded/forged as part of the steering arm and an adjustable spring loaded socket screwed to each end of the solid tie rod. What I'm wondering is how well this type of end works on a car that will be driven fast and often. Why doesn't the ball fall out under hard steering? Are specific safety concerns compared to modern tie rod ends? Are there maintenance concerns? Harder steering? What years pitman arm will I need? I've seen these on a few cars here and there. How well have they worked for you? Chris
They've been on my 59 chevy trucks for a long time....since 1959, in fact. and the pitman arm to drag link connection on my 55 belair also. But these "modern" ones are probably a bit bigger and stronger than those used on an A bone!
They should work fine if the balls are not worn oval. Some one used to make the balls and the tapered plugs they fit in, I used them for the radius rod ends on a Vintage sprint car restoration years ago.
Up once for day shift. Am I going to die if I put model A tie rod ends on my hot rod? Why don't I see them on more cars? Chris
This general type was used up into the sixties in pickups and Corvettes... Buy extras so you have extra innards to swap around--repro kits are available, but with terrible problems requiring plenty of tinkering, so get a selection of innards to play with. See very recent discussion on Fordbarn early V8 on repro problems! Be sure to use original shells--the whole outer part is available repro, but I think is a casting, as in "sudden death". Ford ones come in two forms sharing same inner parts, '28-34, the draglink ones are forged integral with rod, the tie rod ones are screw-on for adjustability.
Thanks for the responses everyone. Looks like a viable option - I guess I'll have to find something else to worry about. Good discussion on fordbarn, Bruce. I'm surprised that it's such an issue for what appears to be a pretty simple device. I noticed in my Bratton's catalog (I think) that there are also two types of draglink. Spring on the near end and spring on the far end at the steering arm if I'm reading correctly. Is the 28-34 the same size ball (1.0")as the early F100 pitman arm? Chris
Dunno--my F100 steering lacks the arm... That issue pops up EVERYWHERE when working on Olde Frds. Tht repro parts people seem to screw up everything, sometimes just inconveniently, sometimes in ways that can kill...once you get the repro ball recut to fit an actual taper, and shorten the repro socket plug so you can actually stuff the innards into the rod end...are you sure the stud was good heat treated steel, or is it a chunk of the same stuff as a Home Depot rebar and it will snap off like a pretzel stick just as you... Someone last year reported a fortunately non lethal brake failure in a Model A...its new brake clevises were CAST IRON!!! I would examine what's out there from real manufacturers like Moog and such for later uses of this style end...maybe some currently available innards from a pickup will fit.
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