HELP! 2 1/2" Drop making tie rods hit bones.

What's the sweet way to lower steering arms/tie rods to clear wishbone? I am putting in drop axle in 35 ford pickup which puts the tie rod /draglink centered on bones. have to lower about 1 1/2". This must be a common problem. heat and bend arms or cut and add? Thanks fo any info

 

I did a model a years ago with later round back spindles and i heated the arms and bent em. Just remember to let em cool on thier own
Dave

 

Dropped steering arms are available if you would rather not heat and bend them.

 

would it help to redrill the taper in the arms from the top and flip the tierod over?

 

Chassis Enginerring makes some bolt-ons for post 35 front ends, and they clear Post-35 wishbones, as they go under the bone. They do not clear pre-35 wishbones without heating them and bending 'em, so as they go under the bone.

The shape of the bone determines whether the steering goes above or below the bone. If the "recess" for the steering is on the top of the 'bone - use a bolt-on arm for a pre-35 setup, if it goes under (recess for the steering on the bottom side) use the post-35 arms.

Like wise, if you need the steering to go below the wishbone - use a post 35 bone and steering arm. If however you have room for the steering to go above the 'bone - use a pre-35 setup, or swap a pair of post-35 bones side for side, turning them upside down in the process, then pie-cut out a wedge to get the angle right, weld and go.

Hope that helps

 

They are typically heated and bent.