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Old 06-17-2011, 10:07 AM   #5
DICK SPADARO
Senior Member
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Altamont, NY
Posts: 1,004
Default Re: tie rod hitting the front radius rods

This is a common problem when attempting to use a dropped axle on A to 34 radius rods. There is no easy solution. You need to itemize the parts you are using to get an accurate answer to your question.

Depending on the spindles you are using you may attempt to use the hot rod style steering arms that bolt directly to 37-48 Ford style spindles , if you are using earlier spindles nothing fits.

The Hot rod style bolt on deep drop steering arms are your best bet, they lower the tie rod by about 1 1/2" over the stock steering arm position, this still may not be enough clearance.

Around here I reverse the perch pin boss on 32-4 wishbones to get more clearance. This is done by carefully cutting the seam weld at the junction of the radius rod to the perch boss with a 1/8" cutoff wheel and separating the boss from the radius rod tube. Then exchange sides of the bosses R becomes L , L becomes R, now by inverting the bosses you will see that the wishbone drop which had been biased to the bottom becomes biased to the top of the boss. This picks up about 3/4" extra spacing to prevent the tie rod from rubbing on the wishbone. It also allows you to reset the caster of the axle when you weld the parts back together. You must use some accuracy in this operation because cutting to much of one side of the wishbone tube will place the axle out of square.

You should avoid at all costs bending the original steering arms downward for clearance as this changes the steer ratio at the spindles and can produce spooky steering at higher speeds.
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