Retaper tie rod ends

LeroyM

LeroyM

Senior Member
Has anybody retapered a set of 32-34 Ford tie rod ends to allow the tie rod to go below the wishbone? If so how hard was this to do? From what I've found it's a 7 degree taper. Do you think a typical machine shop should be able to do this?

Pics and info would be great.

Thanks.
 
you can buy the hand reamer and do it yourself. you only go half way, so now your hole is hour glass shaped and weaker in theory, but folks been doing it for decades. i think i bought the reamer off the snap on truck years ago
 
Just so we have the terminology right, you can't retaper the tie rod ends, but you can retaper the steering arms or pitman arm half and half. I remember an aftermarket steering arm was half and half from new.

The steering arm on my roadster is tapered half and half.

Mart.
 
There are period Willys tie rod ends that drop sufficiently to clear stock '32-'34 front axle radius rods. Their threads are identical to those of the Ford tie rod ends.
 
Many years ago when I did this to my 32, there were "cone shaped" items that were put into the opposite end to take up the slack, so to speak & make everything tight.
I tried to find them again for a friend of mine, but couldn't locate any. I was trying to find them in the Dorman products catalog.
 
Just to clear things up I want to retaper the steering arms on the 32-34 spindles. Reason is I'm running a 32-36 ford ford axle with the 32-34 spindles. This is on a model a couple with a reverse eyed front spring with a few leaves removed. I'm currently running the tie rod over the axle like factory but I had to bend it in the middle some to clear the V8 I'm running. I want to replace my shocks from factory model a types to mgb shocks, the thing is the mgb shocks are about 4 inches longer and would hit the tie rod from my measurements.

Do they make a sleeve that would get pressed in to fill up the slack from where the taper was on top? Nothing is apart yet, just getting ideas.

Thanks.
 
A person could use a hat bushing with the hat flange to the side the rod end is positioned in. A person could also braze the taper part way shut then re-drill and re-taper if they wanted a complete taper all the way through. As many have mentioned, it should be no problem to just taper it from both sides equally. It's just to center the end and keep it tight from shake or wiggle. With enough tension on the nut it should work well enough. Folks have been doing this for 70+ years.
 
Looks like they make an insert for Bronco's, no idea if it would work on a flathead Ford tie rod. I would assume the Bronco tie rod end is a larger side, but really have no idea. Note: guess it is actually CJ not Bronco.

http://www.ok4wd.com/flipkitinstall.pdf

Again, don't think the insert is needed, just found it interesting.
 
i have never heard of the insert idea either. it would have to be tapered inside and outside, in opposite angles, and really be a precise fit to do any thing. just forget the idea i'd say
 
as usual ol ron is right if you have to bend the arms. if you do, and have never done it you should do a search on the hamb for the right way to keep the ackerman theory intact, and keep things right to have happy motoring
 
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