Raised tie rod arms?

[CJStefan]

So I just woke up to make my daughter a bottle and a thought popped into my head...has anyone ever bent the tie rod arms up as opposed to heating/bending the steering arms down? I'd rather bend mild steel than cast.
I'm in the process of redoing my front suspension and I'm flipping my uprights on my '49. I was looking for dropped tie rod ends but I'm coming up with nothing.

 

[V8COOPMAN]

So I just woke up to make my daughter a bottle and a thought popped into my head...has anyone ever bent the tie rod arms up as opposed to heating/bending the steering arms down? I'd rather bend mild steel than cast.
I'm in the process of redoing my front suspension and I'm flipping my uprights on my '49. I was looking for dropped tie rod ends but I'm coming up with nothing.

CJStefan.... I'm not familiar with the pieces on a '49 and later front end, but just realize that you CAN NOT heat and BEND cast iron!

BELOW is a link to these dropped tie rod ends.

Coop

https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Speedway-1948-64-Ford-Pickup-Truck-Dropped-Tie-Rod-Ends,50152.html

 

[Tim Ayers]

Early Willy's tie rods have female ends and work with an early Ford tie rod.

The main reason you need to bend the arms is to clear the axle when the axle is dropped. If not, you'll reduce the amount your spindles can turn side to side. If using '32-'34 spindles, it also messes with the steering geometry if you don't drop them as well.

 

[cadillac512]

Aren't the steering arms forged steel? Sure think they must be since both earlier and later both are.



Terry

 

[1948F-1Pickup]

So I just woke up to make my daughter a bottle and a thought popped into my head...has anyone ever bent the tie rod arms up as opposed to heating/bending the steering arms down? I'd rather bend mild steel than cast.
I'm in the process of redoing my front suspension and I'm flipping my uprights on my '49. I was looking for dropped tie rod ends but I'm coming up with nothing.

Who said the spindles were cast?

 

[CJStefan]

CJStefan.... I'm not familiar with the pieces on a '49 and later front end, but just realize that you CAN NOT heat and BEND cast iron!

BELOW is a link to these dropped tie rod ends.

Coop

https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Speedway-1948-64-Ford-Pickup-Truck-Dropped-Tie-Rod-Ends,50152.html

I was thinking about getting those actually but there almost twice as long as the factory ends. One of the thoughts I had was cutting the tie rod and rethreading it to make these work but I wanted to see if there was another way first

 

[CJStefan]

Early Willy's tie rods have female ends and work with an early Ford tie rod.

The main reason you need to bend the arms is to clear the axle when the axle is dropped. If not, you'll reduce the amount your spindles can turn side to side. If using '32-'34 spindles, it also messes with the steering geometry if you don't drop them as well.

My car is a '49. Not having bumpster is my biggest concern

 

[CJStefan]

Who said the spindles were cast?

I don't know who said it but I thought I read that they were cast steel and that heating and bending them would cause them to break

 

[CJStefan]

Think I found my solution

 

[BlueNotes]

Early Willy's tie rods have female ends and work with an early Ford tie rod.

The main reason you need to bend the arms is to clear the axle when the axle is dropped. If not, you'll reduce the amount your spindles can turn side to side. If using '32-'34 spindles, it also messes with the steering geometry if you don't drop them as well.

This is 1939 Willys tie rods.

 

[CJStefan]

This is 1939 Willys tie rods.

I just wish they weren't 200 bucks

 

[Tim Ayers]

I just wish they weren't 200 bucks

Yeah. They are pricey. Beat the bushes a bit. You may find them cheaper.