Model A and 37/41 spindles

What do I do for tie rod arms with 37/41 spindles on a model A with a standard axle and steering?

 

Your question is a little confusing, but I’ll take a shot.

The ’37 to ’41, (and all early V-8 Fords, plus some of the early 50’s F-1 pickups,) have “arms” as part of the forgings. These arms curve out from the spindle back, and have one or two holes towards the end of the arm. The driver’s side has one hole, the p***enger side has two holes, one for the attachment of the tie rod, and one for the drag link which connects to the pitman arm, (coming off of the sector shaft of the cross steering box,) which is mounted on the driver’s side frame rail.

If your spindles do not have arms, they’ve either been cut off, or you have aftermarket spindles, which are made to use bolt on arms. When the ’37 to ’41 arms are cut off, you also need to find bolt on arms.

So, ***uming you have two spindles with the arms still attached, your issue is to fab a connection to the Model A’s ball end steering, drag link, and tie rods. You also have to fabricate or find a steering arm which will attach your “push/pull” side steer Model A box’s pitman arm to the driver’s side spindle. There are still some being made and sold by people like Speedway Motors, although I am in no way suggesting them as a source. Here is a link to one of their styles.

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Hoop-Style-Steering-Arms,1167.html

An option to hook this type of arm to your Model A steering box is to make a new drag link that has the Model A ball style receiver on the steering box end, (I’ve used a Model A tie rod, cut to the correct length,) and a Ford style (tapered) tie rod end at the aftermarket steering arm, (which already has the tapered bung for the tie rod end.) Ideally, your new drag link should have at least one threaded end to allow adjustment.

Making the tie rod is much more straight forward. Note that the holes in the spindle arms are tapered. The standard Ford tie rod end is also tapered to fit. Using a left had thread on one side, and a right hand thread on the other, you can buy a pre—cut length tie rod and ***emble to connect the driver’s side spindle to the p***enger side spindle. If you are using the side steer Model A steering box, you can cut the second tapered hole from the p***enger side spindle arm, (although I’ve always left it on there.)

Here are is another link to the Speedway tie rod ends. Search their site for “custom made” tie rods. Again, I am in no way promoting Speedway parts, it is simply an easy way to show you what I’m trying to explain.

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/1948-64-Ford-Outer-Tie-Rods,6958.html

If you study the attached drawing, you will maybe see what you need to “do.”

I suspect there are dozens of pictures of different ways of making this stuff here on the HAMB, as well as on the Internet. You’ll have to do some digging, but what you are looking to do has been being done since the late ‘30‘s.

Hope this is of some help. GA