Defender Track Rod

[DeanoH]

I'm guessing that my track rod isn't supposed to look like this. :p 1995 Defender 130.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/09/1224.jpg

The red rod is there as a straight edge. :)

What I want to know , is it supposed to be perfectly straight or does it have a crank in it ? :confused:,( apart from the bends.)


Deano :)

[dobbo]

It depends how drunk your Defer was

[langy]

Hey, it's better than mine was:

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachment.php?attachmentid=50725&d=1346921869

(And to answer your question - it's more a question of length than being exactly straight. Although the tie rod ends will work better if it's reasonably straight rather than cranked)

[87County]

Looks like it's had a hard life - straightened no doubt by some bush mechanicing.


do yourself a favour and get a new one :) (new rod that is, not a new defender)

[jakeslouw]

Whack that puppy straight, mark and remove the TREs and put a piece of water pipe over it then put the TRE's back.

Or else go buy a piece of DOM thick wall pipe, thread the ends, and put some heavy duty TREs in. Sorted.

[wally]

You could do all that, but then a new one's only about $35 or thereabouts.

[Blknight.aus]

Whack that puppy straight, mark and remove the TREs and put a piece of water pipe over it then put the TRE's back.

Or else go buy a piece of DOM thick wall pipe, thread the ends, and put some heavy duty TREs in. Sorted.

Just no doing that to the drag link.

[goingbush]

You could always buy a pre-bent one

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/11/166.jpg
but makes toe in adjustment a little fiddly



.

[uninformed]

Whack that puppy straight, mark and remove the TREs and put a piece of water pipe over it then put the TRE's back.

Or else go buy a piece of DOM thick wall pipe, thread the ends, and put some heavy duty TREs in. Sorted.

By the time you buy the 2 taps and have the ability to actually tap it, you could just buy a heavy duty maxidrive track rod from M R Automotive.

[DeanoH]

Whack that puppy straight, mark and remove the TREs and put a piece of water pipe over it then put the TRE's back................................

I kind of liked this solution, the question is how straight can I get it before sleeving ?

goingbush's set up looks ideal though. Is this the Maxidrive version ?

I thought this blokes solution was Ok too. :o

Land Rover - Track rod fix - Skibby nov. 2007 - YouTube

Deano :)

[rick130]

[snip]

goingbush's set up looks ideal though. Is this the Maxidrive version ?

[snip]

Deano :)

No, that looks like the Rovingtracks (nee Rovertracks) one.

The Maxidrive one is heavy wall straight tube, (32mm ?) tapered at the ends.
I've had MD tie rod and drag links for ten years, they are excellent bits of kit.
They were the first bits I swapped out when I bought my Defender on the advice of a mate who was an engineer for the Perentie and at the time was still consulting to land Rover Australia.

The originals were bent and had been straightened. :rolleyes:

[Didge]

Just a couple of weeks ago I paid $245 for the HD drag link and track rod (they come as a (pair). Hadn't seen the type goingbush has - looks a beauty. Why is alignment a problem with it? It's the same length no matter which direction the kink is facing.
cheers gerald

[goingbush]

....
goingbush's set up looks ideal though. Is this the Maxidrive version ?



Deano :)

its a Rockware track rod from
from expedition exchange, they have lots of neat Defender stuff

the track rod is here

Rock Ware -- EE -- Expedition Exchange Incorporated (http://www.expeditionexchange.com/rockware/)


.

[uninformed]

Toe in/toe out is adjusted by rotating the track rod. This works because one TRE is right hand thread and the other is left hand thread, so rotating either lengthens or shortens, depending on direction. With the bent track rod you can't just rotate it....

[rick130]

its a Rockware track rod from
from expedition exchange, they have lots of neat Defender stuff

the track rod is here

Rock Ware -- EE -- Expedition Exchange Incorporated (http://www.expeditionexchange.com/rockware/)


.

Ok, I thought it might have been one of Keith's (who is a member here too)


http://www.rovingtracks.com/images/products/tierod.jpg

RovingTracks Heavy Duty Land Rover Accessories (http://www.rovingtracks.com/products/steering.html)

[goingbush]

Toe in/toe out is adjusted by rotating the track rod. This works because one TRE is right hand thread and the other is left hand thread, so rotating either lengthens or shortens, depending on direction. With the bent track rod you can't just rotate it....

yep, you have to undo a tie rod end from its taper and turn it one turn at a time to adjust it, . a Pain, but a lot less painful than bending a track rod.

Wheel alignment places won't touch you which is a good thing because they are yet to do any Defender correctly, they all give them toe IN !!!.

[rick130]

[snip]
Wheel alignment places won't touch you which is a good thing because they are yet to do any Defender correctly, they all give them toe IN !!!.

Which is why I've only ever done my own alignment ;)

A string line is your friend :D

[rovercare]

Which is why I've only ever done my own alignment ;)

A string line is your friend :D

I've done mine with a tape measure on live axle jobbies, then had them checked, no probs, all can't believe I did it with a tape!

I think we had this convo many moons ago:D

[goingbush]

Well one thing is for sure, You will get a better job done using a piece of string or a tape measure than going to a wheel Alignment specialist. What a con job they are.

I use a piece of 5/8 gal electrical conduit with a threaded adjustment on one end and measure the distance between the inside of the rims at the rear then the front, if the front is 0.5 - 1mm wider than the rear I know its all good

[rick130]

I've done mine with a tape measure on live axle jobbies, then had them checked, no probs, all can't believe I did it with a tape!

I think we had this convo many moons ago:D

Matt I think you're right !


Well one thing is for sure, You will get a better job done using a piece of string or a tape measure than going to a wheel Alignment specialist. What a con job they are.

I use a piece of 5/8 gal electrical conduit with a threaded adjustment on one end and measure the distance between the inside of the rims at the rear then the front, if the front is 0.5 - 1mm wider than the rear I know its all good

I used to wheel align open wheel race cars with a string line, that's toe at both ends, camber at bother ends and castor and was paid to do it ;)
OK I used a digi inclinometer for camber/caster (or a Dunlop gauge, but they are fiddly bloody things) but the basis for everything was the string line.


A laser aligner is only a string line made from light :D

[DeanoH]

Thank you all for the good info.

Just checked the manual and 0-2mm toe OUT is the recomended setting.

I learn something new every time I come to this forum, I'd have thought 0-2mm toe IN and probably not checked apart from goingbush's post, so thanks again all. :D

Deano:)