OK. I built my new tie rods this weekend and just have a question for you guys that have "sleeved" your tierods. I sleeved mine and basically slit the "sleeve" at the ends lengthwise and welded it to the inner tube.

How are you attaching the sleeve to the inner tube? PICS?

http://www.rightcoastcrawler.com/billaVista/Steering/Steering_1/steering8.jpg

Not shown in pic, but I cut the outer tube at an angle and welded it all the way around. You need a nice tight fit.

You could also drill the outer tube in places and add a couple of rosette welds.

Originally posted by BillaVista
You could also drill the outer tube in places and add a couple of rosette welds.

That's what I was thinking, but if you care, you might want to seal the ends with sillycone to prevent moisture from getting in there.

Bryan

I thought about welding mine around the ends but thought that by slitting the outer tube lengthwise about 4" in 2 places, I would end up with more weld area. I have about 8" of weld on each end of the tierod.

Billavista, how is your tie rod holding up? I originally started with 1 1/4" chromolly .120" steering 38" tires. Went to 42" tires and was OK but the ram just bent the hell out of it with the 44"ers. The new tie rod is 1" .250 wall DOM drilled and tapped for the 3/4 rod ends and sleeved with 1 1/4" .120 DOM. I know that diameter of tube is just as much a factor of strength as wall thickness but I cant use anything larger than 1 1/4" due to clearance issues with the leaf springs.

Is it supposed to be stronger to sleeve 2 tubes together? With Billavistas setup you get .215" wall. Why not just go with .25" wall and not have to mess with sleeving and welding anything?

I know everyone say's use tube it's stronger, it is until it colapses when it is bent. I've used 11/4" 1018 bar stock for years with full hydro steering, I've never bent one unless I used it for a skid plate and then it never bent to the point that I couldn't keep going the rod would just get a bow in it. The one I'm running now has a bow in it and has been that way for about a year and it regularly gets used as a skid plate. Not saying this is better but it has worked for me and never had a failure.

Originally posted by YELLER BLAZER
I know everyone say's use tube it's stronger, it is until it colapses when it is bent. I've used 11/4" 1018 bar stock for years with full hydro steering, I've never bent one unless I used it for a skid plate and then it never bent to the point that I couldn't keep going the rod would just get a bow in it. The one I'm running now has a bow in it and has been that way for about a year and it regularly gets used as a skid plate. Not saying this is better but it has worked for me and never had a failure.


yep, same thing here...good stuff.
I think the reason for most folks running the tube is because they can weld in inserts for the rod ends. Easy for the DIY'er at home. You dont need to have a lathe to drill/thread the bar stock.

That tie rod held up well enough to snap a tie rod end shank like a twig without flinching.

The reason I used 2 pieces of tube instead of one, was because the weld-in threaded bungs I used fit in the smaller tube.

And solid bar is actually stronger than the same material tube, despite what many think.

Here's part of my article explaining everything:

http://www.rightcoastcrawler.com/billaVista/Steering/Steering_1/SteeringV1.htm

I should add, I don't think it's a good idea to mount any kind of ram to the tie-rod (don't know if that's waht you're doing or not) even though many people do it. Unless you have perfect allignment, every time you steer with any kind of resistance, you're bending that tie rod back and forth, back and forth...not good.

look in a steel supply list, you will find 11/16" ID 1-1/4" OD DOM (bushing stock) 11/16" is perfect for threading 3/4" fine threads with out drilling. this has been working for me since day one. I am running modified TTB's (DONT LAUGH!!!!!!!!!!!) and to make the steering clear I had to intentionaly put bends in the tie rods. i never gusseted them or anything and they have been fine so far.