Ford tie rod end boots
- Thread starter 46woodie
- Start date
Clem Clement
Well-known member
Dunno. Can you use as patch of innertube and a hose clamp? That is what is on my model A.
There weren't rubber "boots" on Ford tie rod ends.
I've attached two photos that should help clarify what belongs on the end. A small cupped metal washer and a piece of string enforced rubber. The rubber isn't much more than a piece of reinforced heater hose. Nacewicz used to sell a kit. Perhaps Driskell continues to sell them. I'd check with him.
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V8COOPMAN
Well-known member
Thanks for posting this, "Kube". I never knew this. It looks better than a couple of floppy pieces of rubber. Indeed, "Ford has a better idea".
It will always be difficult for Ford to have a "Better Idea" than a TV ad they had for pick-ups 25 years or so ago. Toward the end of the ad, a 'gruff-sounding' guy makes the statement....."Ford trucks have larger fuel tanks so that you can go FARTHER for LESS". That might be a BETTER idea IF it made any practical sense. DD
Zeke3
Well-known member
Michael at 3rd Gen Automotive still offers a kit of these seals for tie rod ends. Thanks Kube for confirming how these are designed to be installed.
There are many current commercials for diabetic drugs that state clearly
"most folks lost an average of up to 12#".
This too makes no sense. Average and "up to" contradict each other.
rotorwrench
Well-known member
Ford did start making all rubber seals for tie rod ends but it was likely for trucks and tractors in dirt or moisture laden environments and it's more of a cap than a seal. I'm not sure when they were implemented for cars but they were likely retrofitted like the 78-3332-A rubber cap. Some of the reproductions are not like the originals and don't fit. My old 850 tractor uses the 8M-3332 cap which also fits my Mercury cars so I keep those around for the tractor. It takes a lot more beating than the cars do. Most tractor parts sources can supply them.
They do better if there is something to keep the crud out.
They do better if there is something to keep the crud out.
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If you tighten the castleated nut far enough to get your cotter pin in then the original style grease retainer is really squished and cupped washer sits on tie rod end,no space. Thats with original size cotter pins.
Like em alot but not sure if they should be this tight.
Like em alot but not sure if they should be this tight.
rich b
Well-known member
The rubber ring should be "squished" tensioning the cupped washer against the tie rod end.
I don't know about your cotter pin dilemma; but I do know that if you don't pull the stud fully into the tapered eye, you soon will have an egged out hole in the eye.
You can also get the rubber cup style boot in black urethane from Energy Suspension.
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alchemy
Well-known member
The depth the rod end is pulled into the spindle should have nothing to do with the castle nut. It all depends on the ID of the tapered hole in the spindle, and the OD of the tie rod end. Tight is tight, and the amount of threads sticking out the top has nothing to do with it.
Sure you can pull it a little bit tighter, but I'd be really surprised if you could get one more thread worth out of it to make that cotter pin go in.
I've had times the tolerances were looser, and the stud pulled up really far and I had to put a washer under the nut to make the castle nut line up with the cotter hole properly.