Old Fashion Split Wishbones

Kevin, any way for fore/aft adjusment or measure 3 times and weld away?

 

My reason for Ford stuff, Ford used tierod and clamps,or NORS joints from an old stash is....the new joints are china or maybe some other questionable origin.

...and...it's a real bad habit to run to the catalogs. .. This morning I made frame adapters for side motor mounts out of 1998 GMC reese hitch pieces. They look fine, and are no different than a catalog part, except I needed them TODAY..and there was the hitch just sitting in the scrap pile




Oh, and someone said "alloys...don't mig"... ??? .. It's mild steel welding to mild steel. Run a file on the parts and you will see.

 

If you are using the 28-34 rebuildable type spring and ball seat tie rod ends, just weld (protect the threads when welding) in about 6 inches of the 28-34 externally threaded tie rod into the wishbone end. Then you will mount a BB-3311 ball stud to the frame bracket. Don't have to weld it in unless you just have to do it. They are tapered and threaded with a cotter pin hole just like a tie rod end stud.

 

Yes, the rebuildability is a cool deal. I was looking at parts the other night. My bones came from GV done but I want to use those ends on my draglink.........your bones are keeping me on the fence however.

 

Here is the thread Kevin had on rebuild parts etc....

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=256873&highlight=tie+rod

 

Looks good, do you have any photos from the underside of the chassis so we can see how it's attached? I'm always looking for new ideas.

 

Now is this the piece you used inside ?? and just used the 2 halves?

 

Yes, he welded those ends onto his bones.

 

Wicked cool,,I like that alot,,very sturdy looking

 

What are the differences between the years of bones used? Does anybody have a preference or are they all fairly close?

 

Something i might add about using original tie rods for end pieces in wishbones. Try not to extend the lenghth of the wishbone too much when you weld them in. What I mean is just let about two inches protrude out of the wishbone. I have seen on some older cars where more was left out to make the wishbone longer 4-6", and it has bent or seperated at the slot for the clamps. That long thinner tie rod makes a great fulcrum for the compressing forces that occure when you step on the brakes. the result is a bend. I personally prefer to make my end bungs out of 1" .188 wall dom, and run jamb nuts. Not as trditional but in my humble opinion, safer, and better looking.

 

I think it should be noted that we are talking two different types of tierod ends here. The style Kevin showed and the tubular Ford tie rod used as a bung.

 

There must be many good accurate threads here on bones...but ..

Bone differences are the lengths as well as the measurement of the "fork" at the front to attach to the axle.

Model A's are real short and I think the fork is for 2-1/4" axle boss.
32 is all by itself for length...2" axle boss
33/34 different length ...2" axle boss
35/36 different again due to having the spring "ahead" of the axle. 2" boss
37 up is 2-1/4 boss..then the later 40 bones got a S bend


Those 35-up bones have the spring perch forged as the front part of the bone fork. if you are using these bones for "spring above" then just cut off those forward facing spring perches, But the top part of the fork was made much thicker and now you can't use a stock length 32/34 perch bolt because there won't be enough threads for the bottom nut. The aftermarket perch bolts are extra long for that situation.

 

i have a set of 32 bones split way back and just use the sleave and clamp along with the frame mount is end of a cross steer spindle cut off

 

A friend of mine made up a holder from a dismantled Early Ford tie rod end for his lathe to hold the "cut-off" spindle arm eyes from RH 35-48 Ford spindles or the eyes from any bent/unusable spindle 32-34 so they could be machined to use as bungs in frame brackets for split wishbones. Even found a little can with a half dozen unmachined "eyes" with the holder. Came in handy they did.

 

What is pictured is a drag link from 28-34 Fords rather than the tie rod ends used from the same period.

 

Thanks for clearing that up...great thread guys.

 

Sort of enjoyed reading all this great info about a job I first did about 1957 on a '32 3wd thst I bought!
All you need is a tie rod, 2 good ends, and a couple of cut off spindle arms. Of course these were a lot easier to come by back then than now!
Dave

 

I was refering to the original question in this thread which was about splitting wishbones. The method that was shown using the earlier type rebuildable tie rod ends is cool, and if you look at lots of pictures from the forties was a pretty common method. What I was talking about was using the later tie rods (post '35) as end bungs for splitting. That is the way it was done yes, but there are some problems with that method that can give some dangerous results. The stock ford tie rod of that era is fairly light mild steel, and at the ends is not only threaded, but slotted to allow the clamps to apply preasure to the tie rod ends clamping them in place. The outer diameter is too small to fit nicely in the end of the wishbone making it hard to align before welding. The slot makes a perfect stress riser or "breaking point" for all of this to bend or tear. It was suggested earlier to machine a bung from solid stock that is stepped, this works great, and is alot easier to align. It was also suggested to purchase a split kit from chassis engineering, and that is basicly the same thing I talked about in my last post. I'm all for doing things the traditional way, but there are ways to do this easier, and stronger, and safer that achieve the same results visually. My .02

 

I am no engineer, but I can't see the tierod slot being a stress riser in that situation. That's because the rod threaded portion goes in way deeper than that slot.


It's doubtful anyone can prove the catalog builders way is safer/better than the tierod way, if both are done correctly.

 

Agreed, both work well if done correctly. But that said, I've seen lot and lots of wishbones split that are bent or torn at the slot in the tie rod. When you brake all of the cars forward momentum is applied to the tie rod ends anchored to the frame. That slot becomes the weakest link in the chain real quick if is too far out of the wishbone it's self. I'm just saying to get that slot as close into that welded area as you can to retain the tie rods strength. That's just my experience. Thanks.

 

Im open to all the old style ways it was done..I must say Kevin's does look like a sturdy set up.

 

Huh, funny.... we are all tired of the tie rod ends. I too am doing the same method on my 32. Something I noticed awhile ago... and now when I look at all my old builds, I just hate the tie rod ends...

I also will be using a steering arm from an A and attaching it to my later spindels. I've always hated the standard hot rod steering arm upgrade. That thing is so ugly. Looks like a sore thumb on a front end.

 

Do you have a pic or sketch of that Model A steering arm setup? I will be needing to fabricate something next week

 

Did these using a "store brand" adjusting sleeve and tie rod ends from an 89 Jeep YJ.

Slot the backside and weld that first then pie cut/bash/weld!

 

I agree Kevin. It seems every thread on fabrication these days brings out the armchair-engineers.