Drag link and tie ball

[Steve Simmons]

Then again I suppose you could say that the rod may now be stronger than the steering arms, which means damage would occur there before the rod, which isn't necessarily a good thing. Then again those arms are pretty strong, and the point at which damage may occur is now much higher than it was before. That, and the arms aren't known for bending outside of a significant impact. Oh, the joys of going away from a stock setup.

[Ray White]

Rods may bend ... but arms snap!

I know which I would prefer!

[Steve Simmons]

The arms aren't brittle. I know a few people who have cold bent them to modify steering characteristics. I don't know the exact type of steel used but I suspect it would take a mighty blow to actually break one!

[Ray White]

The arms aren't brittle. I know a few people who have cold bent them to modify steering characteristics. I don't know the exact type of steel used but I suspect it would take a mighty blow to actually break one!

Forgive me. I come from the world of Austin Sevens where steering arms have a bad reputation.

[ROGER FURNEAUX]

Except Bob - the original tie "rods" and drag link were 5/8" o/d TUBES with wall thickness of mol 0.11 (i.e. just less than 1/8")

The tubes should have short aluminium plugs to keep grease out. Funny story told to me: a TC owner was pumping away with his grease gun, but nothing came out of the joint. It was coming out on the opposite side of the car! No little plugs...

For the Rose/Heim joints, toe-in has to be set to ZERO, as I found out when the tyres/tires starting feathering. Toe-in is negated by the original joints' springs compressing.

Roger
Devon Olde England
TC0978

[Steve Simmons]

Good point, Roger. I forgot about that. I remember being perplexed by the plugs the first time I removed a rod end. And I remember you telling that story. A serious head-scratching moment!

[ROGER FURNEAUX]

BUT - the originals (always called "rods" for some reason) were TUBES, with little ali. plugs to stop the grease traveling all the way along to the other end (as has happened, but not by me!). I just measured two, they are 5/8" o/d x 0.11 wall (nominally 1/8")

Roger