Drop arm and Track rod ends

[jddevel]

My TCs' new drop arm and track rod ends castellated nuts when tightened up leave approximately 3 thread courses exposed before the hole for the split pin. Which means either new holes required OR am I right in thinking that Nyloc nuts will serve equally as well? PLUS as the originals were removed around a year ago am I correct in believing that the left hand thread ends go on the nearside (passenger side-RHD) as I can't remember. Finally is there a recommended torque to tight the nuts?

[frenchblatter]

Not sure about torque measurements, when I started (1961) we just knew how much to tighten them, Torque wrenches were only used on cranks and heads. They should be tight without using a foot long spanner.

To get you nut to align with the split pin hole rub the face down on a sheet of emery cloth on a flat surface. if you have nothing flat a piece of glass will suffice.

[ROGER FURNEAUX]

hi Jan - I'm not sure exactly what you mean, but repro rod ends do not always have the correct nuts (too short) so some people put a washer under them (not good practise). However, I have the correct pattern castle nuts.

Norman is right about the torque: the "old boys" probably used a standard ring spanner, no more than 8" long. There would not have been time on the production line to mess about: usually selecting another nut to get the holes lined up.

As for Nylocs: every modern car uses them, but they are not "right" for our cars. You could use all-metal Aerotight locking nuts instead.

Roger
TC0978 .

[Rob Reilly]

Mine have washers, and they looked like they were the original installation.
The usual method with slotted nuts and split cotter pins is to tighten them down, then back off to where the next available slot is aligned with the hole in the shank. You haven't lost much in the torque, and torque is really only a secondary method of ensuring the primary, what you really want, which is that the nut doesn't work itself loose. The split cotter pins do that.
My left hand threads were on the left side rod ends, and I stamped a letter L on them so I would remember.

[Duncan M]

Where the tie rod ball fits into to the steering arm, there are two places a steel washer could be added so that a standard height castle nut will fit properly for a split pin. There is a WRONG place to put a washer, and there is the place the factory put the washer to achieve a good nut and split pin fit.

Where you do NOT want to put a washer is between the shoulder of the tie rod and the steering arm! Put it between the nut and the steering arm, like the factory did. Use a steel washer.
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[Rob Reilly]

Quite right, Duncan. It didn't occur to me that anybody would try to put them on the ball side, but I guess somebody could. Good to make that point clear.

[Duncan M]

Rob-
Looks like we were writing our replies at the same time and pretty much repeated each other.

[Rob Reilly]

Reminds me of a joke/truism we had in the engineering world.
Some things you ask two engineers and get five opinions.
Some things you ask five engineers and get one opinion.

[jddevel]

Again didn`t explain myself correctly. Using Duncan Ms` picture as an indicator ( can`t use mine as I`ve currently used Nyloc) if you can visualize the castellated nut having been tightened up correctly (without washers) the hole for the split pin is totally exposed outside the perimeter of the nut. It means any split pin would serve no purpose. The nut needs to be at least another 10mm bigger for it to cover the hole in the thread, The drop arm and tie rod ends were made in house by Sports and Vintage following a recommendation by Steve Baker who supplied my steering arm conversion.
Roger I`ll see you regarding yours when I collect the panhard rod we`ve spoken about a couple of weeks ago.

[Steve Simmons]

I would put a washer under the nut. Or, use all metal self locking nuts. Nylok works fine but doesn't look right.

[Duncan M]

Nylocks should not be used in places where a lot of grease and oil accumulate.

[frenchblatter]

You can always drill a new hole if it's far enough away from the original.

[Rob Reilly]

I agree, use a washer.
Wait a minute, do you mean 1 mm or 10 mm?
10 mm sounds like way off, shank way too long, a wrong part.

[jddevel]

As stated will be visiting Roger Furneaux before taking further steps and yes nearer 10 mm than 1mm but will admit 10mm a bit of an estimate as I`m not in my workshop. With it all assembled feel re-drilling the shanks I consider may be difficult and a last resort. It would certainly need quite a "fat" washer.

[jddevel]

As stated will be visiting Roger Furneaux before taking further steps and yes nearer 10 mm than 1mm but will admit 10mm a bit of an estimate as I`m not in my workshop. With it all assembled feel re-drilling the shanks I consider may be difficult and a last resort. It would certainly need quite a "fat" washer.

[Rob Reilly]

Fat washers do exist, also known as spacers or distance pieces, or you could stack up some regular thickness washers, but before you go that route let's look into what's wrong, sounds like wrong parts to me.

[jddevel]

You could well be right Rob. Having visited Roger Furneaux whose features you can see in the book "TCs for ever" today to collect a panhard rod and discussed the problem with him it was sort of decided that perhaps as Sports and Vintage manufacture these specialist parts it may well be that the shank part of the ball may well serve a duel purpose and be also used on MMM cars. Anyway he has supplied me with some castellated nuts that hopefully, he having met the problem before, will solve the problem.

[Steve Simmons]

10mm would be a huge amount. If that's the case, I would cut them off and drill new holes in the proper position. But that's just me. Taller nuts or spacers would work fine, as would any of the other suggestions.