Looking at the dropped tie rod thread and applying heat to long tie rod ends has me wondering. They're kind of mysterious things. An old design - consistent... proven. But not servicable and definitely not the smoothest working piece out of the box. I mean, for a piece of your car that controls where you're headed they have a very crude feel when they come out of the plastic. Stiff and notchy as you manipulate the ends to fit in a steering or pitman arm. Old ones are fairly useless lumps. Good for nothing but the occational replacement grease zerk or taking up shelf space because... you just might need that big threaded piece for... something someday. I searched Google and found nothing but product shots. I'm sure this will be pretty anticlimactic, but these are the types of things I think about from time to time.
I had the innrds of one pop out once--when I stepped on the damned thing after removing it, fortunately. Main piece inside is a ball, just about like the removeable ball in a '28-34 end. Half of socket is the forged body, half is heavy pressing heavily swedged end. I think there's a spring squashed nearly flat in there and some sealage. Look in 1935 Ford service bulletins--I think they have a cross section of the new piece. Forged crack pipe? Swivel-headed hammer?
At first I was all ready for a "If a tree falls in the woods..." kinda discussion... Then I too, went straight to the visual image of a 'forged crack-pipe.'
All I know is what a new one looks like out of the box. Just replaced one side on the Monte after a little run in with a center median up on the northside. No...alcohol was not a factor...just plain stupidity and a very long hood. But yes the forged crack-pipe is a good analogy.
The Jalopy Journal
