More Tie Rod Stuff

[doubleclutchinweasel]

So....

Looks like the (bent) cross tube and tie rod ends (sockets) on my R are NOT the originals. Seems the original had a male-threaded tube with the clamp bolts built in to the ends. I remember those...very robust.

Mine is bent right through the threaded portion on one end, so I can't change that end or even make a fine adjustment to the toe.

The original assembly has been superceded with the more traditional female-threaded tube I have on there now. But, the current assembly uses the odd-ball, unique-to-Mack setup of 2 RH threaded ends (one coarse and one fine).

The cross tube is available, but expensive...as is that one odd-ball, fine-threaded end. So, I am (once again) pursuing the "standard parts" solution.

I have a guy ordering a Triangle Suspensions (Flagg) cross tube. He has standard ends in stock. The tube is the same diameter (2") as the current one, and is about 1/4 - 1/2" longer than mine. Assuming he can screw the ends in far ehough to get the right center-to-center distance, i should be in business. The total setup will cost me less than the Mack tube alone. And, I'll have "industry standard" sockets (one LH, one RH) on both ends. Yay!

Hopefully, he'll have the parts in his hands on Monday. If the measurements look good, maybe I can have them in mine by the end on next week.

I have some ideas on a do-it-yourself toe-in gauge. Very acurate, and not too difficult to build. I like do-it-yourself stuff!

More to come...

[theakerstwo]

You don't need a gauge how ever it is very impressive standing up in the corner of the shop. jack front wheel up so they will spin.While the wheels are being turned paint a white line about 2" wide all the way around in the center of the tire.Then turn the wheels and scribe and line all the way around in the painted line.Do this with a large screw driver on a block of wood so it will be straight.Then let the wheels down on the ground.Measure from center of one scribe line to the other.i find its best to start with the 1 " mark with a measureing tape. Measure front to back and most tires do well with 1/16 to 1/32" of toe in.Did I say let the tires donw on the floor?

[Freightrain]

I kinda did what Glenn said, but with spokes I had to work with a slight wobble from not being a perfect fit on the spokes. After figuring the wobble, I rotated the tires to the middle of the wobble. Then measured and adjusted.

Worked well enough. I thought of removing tires and working off the front face of hub(after removing the center cap).

[39 Baby Mack]

If you do like Glenn says, and scribe the tires it doesn't matter if they have a slight wobble in them or not.

It has no effect on measuring the toe in.

Ron

[doubleclutchinweasel]

Scribing the line around the tires is key to a home-made alignment.

The measuring is the interesting part! Don't know about your truck, but on mine, there is an oil pan right where you need to take the rear measurement!

Plans involve a tape measure, a 2X4, & a framing square...

[doubleclutchinweasel]

Tie rod & ends on the way. Hope to have them in my hands tomorrow evening.

Anybody wanna bet it starts raining?

[doubleclutchinweasel]

Tie rod came in. Cleaned it up and sprayed a little black paint on it.

Swapping it out took about 10 minutes, using the rod end knocker I made some time back.

Tie rod is a CT100D from Triangle/Flagg. Ends are TRW/Raybestos, with standard 1-1/8 - 12 LH/RH threads.

Alignment went something like this...

1. Jacked up both front tires. Spray-painted a silver stripe around them. Spun each tire, and scribed a line around each, near the center, with a scribe supported on a block of wood.

2. Set truck back down.

3. Measured from the ground to the centerline of the hub. Marked each tire, front and back, with this same dimension. The intersection of the scribe marks are the measurement points.

4. Used a scrap piece of aluminum framing (about 2" X 2") as a base, sitting behind the tires, supported on a couple of 4 X 4s.

5. Used a framing square to transfer the measurement points to the aluminum base.

6. Used a small square to scribe these lines across the aluminum base.

7. Repeat measurement at front of tires, starting with left tire witness mark on previous scribe mark.

8. Difference between front and rear of tires is toe. I set it at about 1/16" toe-in.

Drove it down the road. Much less shimmy in the front end, and much tighter steering.

Some pictures of the new rod in place...and one of the old, bent one.