suicide tie rod

[52chevyrat]

Hey guys
This may be a dumb question but how do i put my tie on the front side of the axle like this one pictured below.
It looks like i could just take out out the perch bolts and flip the axle around but i dont know. What is best way to do this?

 

[Unkl Ian]

Why not leave it on the back where it belongs ?

Moving it to the front screws up the Ackerman.
Also looks terrible.

 

[sgo70]

I always just thought you flip the steering arms around and to the other side. Have to go with traditional steering though.
I agree with Ian the other way looks better but you can't drop your rad down as low, and it is your car.

Sean

 

[52chevyrat]

tie rod

I want it to be out front because its in the way of my leaf spring. I fabed some mounts on the wishbones and i am planning on running traditional steering.
I think it looks good out in the wind
So i need to flip the steering arms around. I didn't know if i could flip the axle around or not.
Thanks for input good and bad

 

[sgo70]

I don't think??? you can flip the axle. Mine has some rake to it so I'd imagine it would be like riding a motorbike with the forks bent in. Maybe though, I'm no expert. Sometimes I wish I had gone traditional with the tie rod up front, then I could've slammed my grill right down. Not meant to be bad input either, your entire car is built on personal preference, lots will like it out there, on some cars me included.

Sean

 

[grouchy]

With the tie rod in front you need to watch your Ackerman. Normally the inside tire toes out a bit because it turns in a tighter radius. Alot of times with the tie rod in front this will be reversed, meaning that the out side tire toes in, and drags the inside tire throught the turn. Something to think about...grouchy

 

[donsrods]

The PERFECT way to do it is with the tie rod behind. That is the PERFECT way. But with the current trend toward ground scraping cars, sometimes it is impossible to get the tie rod behind. My T is that way, it is so low the tie rod has lots of stuff in the way of it going behind, so I put it in front. As a test one day, I put the tie rod behind (had to pull my headlights off to do it) and drove the car. It drove exactly the same way as when in front, except the tires didn't scrub as bad in the parking lot on low speed turns. Otherwise, it was the same, so I put it back in front.

Yes, you can pull your perch pins and turn the whole axle around, there is no front or back to an axle. Or, you can simply put the right spindle on the left and vice versa. Of all the suspension sins you can commit, getting screwed up ackermann is the least sinful. Caster and camber are not to be ignored, but ackermann really only comes into play when you turn the wheel, especially on sharp, low speed turns.

Don

 

[dmw56]

I would have liked to put the tie rod in back but I couldn't find the right steering arms to do it with all the stuff in the way. The steering arm I'm using are for T-buckets and maintains proper Akerman. But these are the bolt on type.

 

[Caddad65]

Might there also be a problem with just flipping the axle around if running self adjusting drum brakes?!

 

[52chevyrat]

Cool
Thanks for the help guys
Im running disc brakes and i don't any problems there. It looks like my turning radius is already going to be pretty tight because the tires want to rub on the bones. But im not worried about its a rat who needs to turn sharp huh.

 

[Bonehead]

The PERFECT way to do it is with the tie rod behind. That is the PERFECT way. But with the current trend toward ground scraping cars, sometimes it is impossible to get the tie rod behind. My T is that way, it is so low the tie rod has lots of stuff in the way of it going behind, so I put it in front. As a test one day, I put the tie rod behind (had to pull my headlights off to do it) and drove the car. It drove exactly the same way as when in front, except the tires didn't scrub as bad in the parking lot on low speed turns. Otherwise, it was the same, so I put it back in front.Yes, you can pull your perch pins and turn the whole axle around, there is no front or back to an axle. Or, you can simply put the right spindle on the left and vice versa. Of all the suspension sins you can commit, getting screwed up ackermann is the least sinful. Caster and camber are not to be ignored, but ackermann really only comes into play when you turn the wheel, especially on sharp, low speed turns.

Don
]

I agree, I would have like to have mine in the back where it belongs, but, no room...

 

[Reptile dysfunction]

I had to swap my Ford spindles side to side and put the tierod in front because with a 4" drop axle the tierod wants to be right where the radius rods are. I read in Speedway catalog to heat and bend the steering arms but man, it would take a lot to clear. Is this why people use split wishbones?

 

[bob w]

Yep.

 

[Reptile dysfunction]

BY th way, isnt ackerman that football player for dallas? Whats he got to do with my steering?

 

[dmw56]

BY th way, isnt ackerman that football player for dallas? Whats he got to do with my steering?

Yeah, but he isn't playing anymore. I think I heard he's building a Rat Rod.

 

[donsrods]

I had to swap my Ford spindles side to side and put the tierod in front because with a 4" drop axle the tierod wants to be right where the radius rods are. I read in Speedway catalog to heat and bend the steering arms but man, it would take a lot to clear. Is this why people use split wishbones?

No, I think you might be confusing two terms. "Split wishbones" are where you take a stock pair of Ford wishbones and cut them in the center and weld threaded bungs in for tierod ends or rod ends. Then you swing the mounting point outboard until they bolt to a pair of brackets , one on each frame rail. This was done mainly because the wishbone in it's stock configuration won't clear most V8 oil pans.

The term I think you were meaning to say was "hairpin radius rods", and those are the type Bob W is showing in his picture. These were either aftermarket or homemade, and built from round tubing with a space between the two tubes for things like the tie rod to pass through the center.

Look at Bob's picture, those are hairpins, then look at the picture below, these are split wishbones. Hope this helps.

Don

 

[52chevyrat]

wishbones

thanks Don that is the same way im setting up my front end, but im not sure my steering box will work what are you using
thanks
Jason

 

[Blue Eyed Devil]

But im not worried about its a rat who needs to turn sharp huh.

You might reconsider that when some dumbass pulls out in front of you...

 

[donsrods]

thanks Don that is the same way im setting up my front end, but im not sure my steering box will work what are you using
thanks
Jason

It's a Flaming River reversed Corvair type box.

Don

 

[117harv]

Correct ackerman is when you draw an imaginary line from the center of your kingpin through your tierod end and all the way to the direct center of the rear end, all three should be in a direct line. This will change with weelbase and front axle width.

When akerman is right, while turning the inside tire turns progressivly shaper, as it's turning a tighter cir. You can get this or closer to this with the tierod out front as long as the tierods are as far apart (as close to your backing plates or discs) as possible to stop the push and tire scrub and premature wear.

It is allways better to have it behind when possible.