Anyone knows Where to get / Who can make a custom length Tie Rod? Old Ford Style 11/64-18 OOPS TYPO 11/16-18 LH/RH with slits / clamps at the end. Tie Rod Tube - 45" Mahalo Tommy
Speedway makes 'em............................ http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Plain...th-5-8-Heim-Rod-Ends-Custom-Length,36442.html
The Speedway tie rod kits don't have slits and clamps, they are used with jamb nuts. I don't know od anyone making custom length tie rod tubes for the factory clamps
Yep get the tierod from speedway cut the slit yourself and scrounge up some old clamps. I know for a fact that I must have a dozen laying around.
If you have a tie rod that is too long you can cut the right hand thread end off and have it rethreaded and cut the slits.
Or just about anyone with the proper taps. It is basically just a piece of tubing with the ends tapped. A hack saw, a pair of taps and some tubing and anyone with half a brain can be in the custom tie rod business.
I agree, 7/8" seamless tubing, 11/16"- 18 (not 11/64" as you specified) RH and LH taps, available from McMaster-Carr and a cut off wheel for the slot and you are done. The clamps are available at numerous suppliers.
I've had several custom length tie rods and drag links made at Pete & Jakes. Quick service and reasonable prices. They also have the clamps. Buy American.
P.S. If you have one that's to long you only need to shorten one end and chase the threads. The Wizzard
You are absolutely correct. The down side is that most of them don't know it. "there are those that know not, and know not that they know not . . ."
Have cut and tapped quite a few--will look in my stash--have several as mentioned-must be a common length as two measure 45" stud to stud at middle of adjustment
Thanks for you help, ideas, offers guys!..it's always good to shoot the breeze... I decided to do it myself. Cheaper and I have more Cool tools for the future! TUBING: I ordered DOM 7/8 OD. x .156 WALL TUBING COLD DRAWN SEAMLESS from QS Components + Little extra for the next project... TAPS: And I'm getting the Industrial Taps probably from Speedway...don't know where they're made..? (Everything on E-bay is made in China)! Apparently the 11/16-18 RH / LH threads / taps aren't that common outside the Ford (Hot Rod) World... Taping / drilling research: Found the best stuff on practicalmachinist.com Early Ford tie rod ends? I always have used the same tap drill as 11/16-16, 5/8". You can buy DOM tubing from Speedway or others with a 5/8 ID and a 7/8" OD that is about ready to cut to length and tap. For a heavier tie rod or draglink, get 7/8" OD x 1/2" ID, and drill the ends to 5/8". I found this same question on another forum awhile back. Here's the answer: Calculating a tap drill size- .975 divided by the pitch (18 in your case) yields the double depth of the thread,which for an 18 pitch would be .054" Subtract the double depth (.054) from the major diameter (11/16 or .6875" in your case) and the result would be the tap hole size which here would be .633". Assuming deflection/spindle runout etc in this case a 5/8" (.625") drill would be the ticket. In a pinch, I've always used OD minus the pitch. Never let me down yet. So... OD minus the pitch is 0.6875-0.18? Is that how you figure it out, by dividing the pitch by 100 and subtracting it from the OD? No, convert pitch of TPI in to thou, ie 18tpi =1/18 = 0.0555 therefore .6875 - .0555 = .632, say 5/8 . for general purpose on that dia .007 is niether here nor there. Mahalo Tommy
Neat formula. I always just look in my machinists hand book but I like the formula and it comes out the same as the book. The taps may not be American made. But they may not be Chinese either. My last job we got a bunch of tools made in Brazil that were excellent quality. Remember one thing don't tap it dry, make sure you use plenty of lubricant/coolant on it so you can use the taps again.
McMaster-Carr has taps from 0000-160 (I would love to see one of these) thru 1&7/8"-12, both LH & RH.
A lesson I learned a long time ago when taping tubing. Always face the end after cutting the length you need then just Kiss the I.D. with a countersink. I learned this the hard way. The Wizzard
Stock Henry is not bored .625 straight thru. I.e. the threaded ends are first drilled or bored to .625 then tapped this leaves the center something like 9/16" or so. Regardless it's not rocket science. Cut to length (middle of travel) the right hand thread side. Bore it .625 for an 1.5" or so. Tap it use tap magic or similar take very slow or you will need an EDM machine! Use a Dremel to cut slit...after you drill and tap!
Good info, One thing I would add do not cut any tubing or solid rod that you intend to do machine work on including tapping threads in or on it with a chop saw or cut off wheel. The heat hardens the end of the cut piece and it is hard on machine tools, taps or dies. I got my ass chewed out royally at a machine shop I had carried a piece of shaft in to have turned down that I had cut to size with a chop saw a few years ago.
Thanks for the Advice's Guys!!!... Just got the Taps & new Tie Rod ends from Speedway. I'll drill 5/8" and tap it using my little "Baby" Smithy Midas 1220 XL Lathe - Mill - Drill machine for this. It comes in handy for a lot of stuff! (got it cheap on Craigslist) ...Lotso Lube! Tie Rod Slit: The slit on my crooked/too short Ford tie rod is ~ 1/8" wide... I'll put two 1/32 cutting discs in the arbor set it up in the smithy with a stop so I don't mess up the threads in the back.
Pist-n-broke is right..do it your self... I don't think Henry hired rocket scientists to make tie rods... And I kissed it with a counter sink...good advice!! I cut it with my Milwaukee band saw and trimmed the end in the lathe. Marked it with tape. Made a test piece first...Perfect thread length...for maximum strength. Yes I pulled the chuck by hand! = Safe!
Some of the best lathe advise(mill too) you will ever get. And not just any ol' lube, use a good cutting oil. Doug P.S. gloves on a lathe=blood and pain, just ask me, never wore them again.
The other point is; the jam nut has a much better chance of staying "jammed" if the end is faced square, not just(but equally important) for starting the tap. Machinist handbook= good investment, you may never, ever run a machine tool, but if you have never looked at one, you will not believe the information within, also very handy for anyone working with sheet metal.
Gloves?...I was rotating the chuck by hand with a wrench when tapping the threads! ...It's a great advise NOT to wear them when milling or using the lathe! Jam Nuts? I'm gonna use the clamps and cut a slit in the end like Henry's tie rods. ...But I cut them square anyways since it was in the lathe! Lots'o Good advise (Mahalo Guys!) and the Steering id getting there...
340--Looks good I figured you were hip to all that, just putting it out there for those that aren't. When I was kid; a friend(machinist) did his mods on his small lathe with a single point tool, long before the industry started making these taps available to the hot rod crowd. Doug P.S. If you can yell real loud, say hey to my wife, she's visiting Princeville.
Thanks Doug! That's Serious Machining... Not impossible...! My Little Baby Lathe has a feed with a ~25 different gears... ...But I'm far from there yet! That's what's soo cool with the HAMB...You always learn something here... Cause the day I know everything....I'm six feet under! HEY WIFEY!
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