tightening tie rod ends

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mollythemoggie
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tightening tie rod ends

Post by mollythemoggie »

Hi guys,
I got some ye olde tie rod ends as although my mm is a 1960 alas someone put an old steering rack in so had to order some with the smaller thread size.. the only issue i have when trying to do up the nyloc nuts is that as soon as it hits the nylon(?) part of the nut.. the thread part starts rotating not allowing me to hold the shaft and do up the nut tighter.. does anyone have any tips?

Cheers,
Tom
kennatt
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Re: tightening tie rod ends

Post by kennatt »

many will say clamp them together ,tap the track rod end onto the steering arm to engage the taper to stop it turning,or put enough washers onto the shaft of the track rod end to pack it out then put the nut on and you will find that just before you hit the nylon the taper has engaged,take the nut off,will come off easily AS LONG as you havent screwed it onto the plastic bit take the washers off and then you will find that the taper will hold as you tighten the nut up fully.Alternatively find the old nut and burn out the plastic so that it spins freely on and off the threads and use that to engage the taper,obviously take it off and put the new one on.You can sometimes do the same by wedging a screwdriver between the nut and the steering arm at the point when the track rod spins this sometimes gives just enough grab to engage the taper then simply pull or knock the screwdreive out and tighten.It's a common problem with locknuts,I prefer the old castle nut and split pin with these the nut spins on by hand to the point where it touches the steering arm and rarely causes the same problem. any of the above will work Good luck
mollythemoggie
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Re: tightening tie rod ends

Post by mollythemoggie »

thanks for the reply..
sorry i don't quite get what you mean "tap the track rod end onto the steering arm"

would a clamp work? i.e. clamp the top of the track rod end and the nut as tight as possible then turn the nut by a spanner and do the clamp up tighter?

Thanks,
Tom
kennatt
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Re: tightening tie rod ends

Post by kennatt »

just hit the top of the TRE with a hammer to drive the taper into the steering arm, Clamping the top of the TRE and the nut will have no effect,you need to clamp the TRE to the Steering arm to pull the two together,sometimes you actually don't need to clamp as such as long as you can pull the two together, you could even just put a bit of rope round the two and twist it with a bar to pull them together But if you have a large G Clamp that will work essentially anything that will hold the taper into the steering arm,try the screwdriver trick thats what I normally do just screw the nut on till the shaft spins then tap a screwdriver between the nut and the steering arm to pull the taper in then give the nut a half turn or so and then remove the screwdriver,you may need to tap it out from the otherside with a hammer,don't worry you can't damage anything.It dosen't need to be held untill the nut is tight only enough to stop the shaft spinning inside the TRE,you can sometimes even just squeeze them together by hand enough to get it to hold when new and no rusty threads to contend with.
Last edited by kennatt on Mon Apr 23, 2012 8:13 am, edited 1 time in total.
mollythemoggie
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Re: tightening tie rod ends

Post by mollythemoggie »

sorry what do you mean "pull the two together" i just can't picture it.. the top of my tre has a grease nipple so i can't hit the top of it can i.. I just can't see what you mean about the screw driver...


the tre is in the steering arm already I just can't get the nut tightened without the shaft spinning.. do you have a pic of the screwdriver trick?
bmcecosse
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Re: tightening tie rod ends

Post by bmcecosse »

Take the grease nipple off.......and interspose a bit of timber. Or - pull it down with a plain nut first - then undo and fit the nyloc nut.
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mollythemoggie
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Re: tightening tie rod ends

Post by mollythemoggie »

but it feels spring loaded..
how would hitting the top push it down and surely that is counterintuative to it's function.. isn't it spring loaded and supposed to rotate?

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kennatt
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Re: tightening tie rod ends

Post by kennatt »

right, the shaft is tapered and designed to be pulled into the oposite taper on the steering arm so that when tightened up the shaft and steering arm are locked together solid so that the shaft moves inside the TRE when the wheel it turned,If you only try to tighten the nut without the tapers being slightly engaged the shaft will always spin,you have no way of holding the other end. Just remove the nipple and knock the two together or pull them together by clamping the top of the TRE and the underside of the steering arm.Or put a large socket over the nipple and hit that down,don't get too confused over it its a very simple design but just needs to be held together enough to hold the shaft .GGOD LUCK
Last edited by kennatt on Mon Apr 23, 2012 8:27 am, edited 1 time in total.
bmcecosse
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Re: tightening tie rod ends

Post by bmcecosse »

If you can find another way to do it - good luck! It's not 'spring loaded'....... We're not talking massive blows here - just enough to seat the taper. Plain nut is the answer.......
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mollythemoggie
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Re: tightening tie rod ends

Post by mollythemoggie »

no no I would love to know HOW to do it.. i just don't understand what people are writing....

how do you knock the top of the tre with a hammer without damaging the thread that the nut needs to go on?
OR is it that you put the TRE into the hole it goes in to.. THEN hit the metal top bit with a hammer and that locks the taper? is that it?

reading something and actually picturing it is a very different thing.. im more visual..
kennatt
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Re: tightening tie rod ends

Post by kennatt »

YES put it in and iether take out the nipple,or put a large socket over it and hit the top of the tre or socket if you use that method with a hammer to drive it into the steering arm,you will not damage anything it's the Easiest way to do it OR find a nut (NOT one with the nylon insert)and make sure it is free to fully travel by hand right onto and off the threads. Put the TRE onto the steering arm Use the nut to pull the TRE down onto the arm then you will find that it has wedged the TRE pin into the Steering arm and you can take the nut off and put the Nylock nut on and tighten up. You have fitted the new TRE onto the end of the steering rack rod first haven't you,because you need to do that first before fitting it onto the steering arm.I would advise that if you are having trouble understanding this then maybe someone who does, should do it ,steering and brakes are critical items. you will also need to have the tracking checked afterwards since it is allmost certain to be out of adjustment after this sort of work.
mollythemoggie
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Re: tightening tie rod ends

Post by mollythemoggie »

Thank you for your patience. I really do appreciate all the replies and the time you've taken to explain it all to me..
I'll keep you posted! :)
MarkyB
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Re: tightening tie rod ends

Post by MarkyB »

You don't have to hit the TRE directly above the pin, all the force will go into it anyway, saves removing the grease nipple.

"Once you break something you will see how it was put together"
Tom and Maria
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Re: tightening tie rod ends

Post by Tom and Maria »

I find that you can usually pursuance the nut to bite by turning the track rod (not the end but the rod) with a spanner to 'lock' it in place. The rod has a flattened section which takes a 1/2inch or 9/16 spannernjust behind the lock nut. Just put the tre in the hole and twist the rod, the nut will bite.

Tom
les
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Re: tightening tie rod ends

Post by les »

Make sure the taper and hole are wiped clean with petrol or something, then the friction between the 2 parts will help the grip.
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