Tapping a 3/8" piece of tubing, what wall thickness?

I am doing a project for my father in law. I need to build a tie rod for home project he has going on. I want to tap the tubing to accept a 3/8 or 5/16" rod end. I can't seem to find anything on the web covering the smaller tubing.

Any ideas?

 

Maybe 3/4?

 

I just ran the McMaster pipe and tube and found nothing that gave a full thread with a decent outside margin. For such a small rod, I'd go solid and either drill and tap or thread externally and run female ends.

 

I don't know if they have that small, but they may
try the 1/4 scale stuff
http://www.qscomponents.com/index.html

 

Does it have to be tubing? If not just drill and tap some bar stock. Could use 7/16" or 1/2'' dia. Also you could tap a short piece of solid stock and machine to fit in tubing and then weld.

 

I could drill some solid stock but I was hoping for some tubing. I guess I could weld a nut on the tubing.

 

Or make a threaded bung.

 

P&J uses 7/8" DOM tubing for their ladder bar set up with 3/8" threaded clevises. The 7/8" tubing is available in a 5/32" wall which is pretty much what let's you tap right into it. It is not the most common size but you could also get the 1/2" ID and the drill out before tapping.

 

Use 7/8" OD x .156 wall DOM tubing for tie rods, drag links and home-made radius rods.

It takes tap drills for both 5/8" Heim joints, Fords proprietary 11/16-18 thread tie rod ends as well as 9/16-18 for Polyurethane bushed rings.
All NF fwiw.


9/16-18 takes a 33/64 tap drill size.

5/8-18 uses 37/64 tap drill size.

11/16-18 uses 5/8 tap drill size.

Any metal supply outfit can order the .156 wall stuff and many times they have it in stock.

Do yourself a favor and drill it to size in a lathe.
Start the tap with a lathe as well.

You could probably do ok in a drill press if the workpiece is properly secured.

Don't try to drill it by hand.
The cut is so small the drill will bind and darned near break your wrist.

7/8" x .156 wall is what the aftermarket uses.

 

Or, you could use something like this............
http://www.midwestcontrol.com/catdisplay_short.php?pg=225

 

lil O/T I know what DOM means what is ODR tubing ??

 

Brilliant me.

I missed the small size you're using.


Why not use female Heims and solid rod?

My dad built a soap-box type racer for me, tube frame, aluminum body, looked like a 30's Indy car.
The city called the compe***ion, "Citrus Crate Derby" and dads were allowed to help.
Made the front page of the paper.

Anyway, he used 5/16" rod and female heims on the steering - which was 1/2 turn lock to lock.

Sturdy little car.
After the July 4th races, we'd push it to the top of the longest and twistiest road in town and get seriously sideways with it once in a while.

Handled good.

Much fun....

 

ok so again what does ODR tubing mean

 

Sorry 'wing I mis-read your question so I dumped it.

 

I'd do female.

 

should have left it would help others who don't know what DOM means

 

DOM = Drawn Over Mandrel

 

For a 3/8"-24 rod end use 1/2" x .083" wall tube and drill "R" and tap. For a 5/16"-24 rod end use a 1/2" tube with a .120" wall and drill to 9/32" and tap.

 

for 5/16 fine thread rod ends on suspension and steering for 1/4 midgets we used to use a 1/2 dia tube with a thick wall, something like .100 or .110 This leaves almost the right size hole for the threads, just need to clean out the hole with the tap drill for 5/16-24.

This was a common sized tubing used in aircraft for the same purposes. Any steel supplier should have it.

You really want to use tubing rather than a solid bar for any kind of linkage. Something to do with physics.


Or maybe .120 wall

 

Of course I meant to say 5/8" thread, not 3/8" in my first post as corrected by C9!

Great information everybody. Need to archive it for reference...

 

Well it's in your quote. Also I think ERW is Electric Resistance Welded.

 

I used 1-1/8" x .250 wall DOM for a drag link on my Jeep. I just got the tube and ran the tap in the end by hand with the tube clamped in a vice. Worked great for the 11/16-18 tie rod ends.

Been on there for years, and takes a good beating offroad.

Probably heavier wall than a hotrod needs though.

Pete

 

Or, you could use something like this............
http://www.midwestcontrol.com/catdisplay_short.php?pg=225


dbradley, Holy ****, what an exceptional source!!

I guess these guys are good to deal with??

K

 

I think Pete1930 gave you excellent advice. He's 100% right about starting the tap using a lathe using the tailstock. Then continue cutting the threads with the tap by hand, using the dead or live ball bearing center in the tailstock for support and alignment and turning the tap with an adjustable wrench a little at a time. You may have to lock and unlock the spindle each time you make a cut.

 

Dbradley, I am gonna add that to my favorites!