Tie rod material...
- Thread starter PeteVS
- Start date
thunderbirdesq
Senior Member
I wouldn't use black iron pipe in any part of my steering system. You can bend that stuff over your knee! Maybe to build seat brackets or something, NOT in the steering system. DOM tubing works well. You can also buy tie rods of various lengths from many different aftermarket manufacturers for a VERY reasonable price.
Pete
BANNED
I wouldn't even use black pipe for what it was intended for.
I use SAE 4130 tubing for drag links and tie rods.
Here is a pic of something where a guy had a lot of faith in pipe.
Can you imagine meeting this guy on the road and the pipe decided to
come unscrewed?
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Frank The Plumber
Well-known member
Black iron pipe is gas pipe, seamed gas pipe, good for sending natural gas to your furnace. If you use gas pipe for any kind of structural anything you will have problems. I would not use it for a swing set, it's cheap steel from who knows where, you want to use a good quality of steel tubing of the proper thickness. If you have any questions about fabricating chassis parts or components you should ask the guys on the HAMB, there are a few really intelligent builders on the site that can help you in every aspect. Please research and attain the knowledge that is required to complete this task in a safe and professional way, don't be afraid to ask questions, please don't use gas pipe. thanks.
PeteVS
Well-known member
OK- I feel vindicated spending the money on the tubing. I cut a piece to length today and cut the threads using the left and right hand taps I got from Speedway a year or so ago. Man, the one tap just didn't want to catch! Duh... I was turning it the wrong way! Anyway, did anyone ever look at some of the OE tie rods? Just sheet metal rolled into a cylinder. It's hard to tell if the seam is welded.
thunderbirdesq
Senior Member
Frank The Plumber
Well-known member
Appearances can be deceiving, that part that you consider sheet metal just may have some engineering and testing involved, it may be a specialty type of steel, they are not all the same, it could have a heat treat, or it may be just plain dangerous per it's application and super ceded by a better more intelligently designed part.
I have to be honest with you, you asked if you could use gas pipe for steering components, that worried me, it seems you are fabricating your own front end components, I just hope you are educating yourself properly as to what materials and design to use, a piece of tube is not just a piece of tube, you shouldn't build steering components from soft architectural steel that you can buy at the corner hardware store. Take a few pics of what you are doing and post them either here or the HAMB, ask questions, I don't want to see you make an innocent mistake that hurts you my friend.
I have to be honest with you, you asked if you could use gas pipe for steering components, that worried me, it seems you are fabricating your own front end components, I just hope you are educating yourself properly as to what materials and design to use, a piece of tube is not just a piece of tube, you shouldn't build steering components from soft architectural steel that you can buy at the corner hardware store. Take a few pics of what you are doing and post them either here or the HAMB, ask questions, I don't want to see you make an innocent mistake that hurts you my friend.
Henry/Kokomo
Well-known member
Check the SpecialtyMetals website. They sell all sorts of metal shapes in different materials by the foot or inch. You can buy only what you need. Steer clear (pun intended) of the pipe.