Thread: DEbending a tie rod (track rod/whateveresle you want to call it.

Ok before I start Im talking about the bar that goes from the left steering wheel arm to the right steering wheel arm and makes them turn left to right about the same amount at about the same time when you input your steering suggestions via the round thing you sit behind and rest your hands on while your driving.

This isnt to deal with how to straighten it after youve got it so bent that it could run for parliment but is more to deal with the "whoops just slipped off of the ridge, into the ruts and hung it on the diff" type bend or the "why does my steering feel just a touch light and why does it wander a bit more than it used to?" slight deflection from straight that they seem to develop.

ITs all dobbos fault that it happened, he suggested that we go for an easy four wheel drive... this is the end result..



mud and a bent tie rod giving me about 2mm too much toe out.it happend because I slid off of the ridges and dropped big red into the ruts and the axle was dragging the ground for a bit and obviously the tie rod got scared, wanted to take cover out of harms way. Being bolted to the steering arms it was only partially sucessful and bent a little in the process.

This is about the limit of bend that you can take out of a tierod with this method. Any more than this and you're better off removing it and using the tow ball, highlift handle and a good pair of vice grips or stilsons.



What your going to need.

1. your mattock handle
2. your drag chain
3. a dog (chain tensioning type not leg humping type)
4. somewhere to park so that the ground slopes down away from the front wheels (dobbos driveway is perfect)
a bit of patients and

5. something straight to measure up the bend. (or lack thereof)

To begin with park up on a flat with the ground sloping down away from the front wheels and with the steering turned so that the biggest defelction of the tie rod is over under the long leg of the axle. Go have a coffee and wait for the water to stop dripping out of the body work then come back and grab the gear.

first off tie up the drag chain to the bar work or the winch or anything else thats going to let you use the chain to put enough forwards tension on the tie rod so the deflection wont try to rotate the tie rod on its ends. hook up the dog and tension away (the pic shows the dog loose so you can see the location of the mattock handle better)


then insert the mattock handle over the tie rod + under the axle tube


once your setup like this its just a case of tightening the dog and then pulling up on the mattock handle and your tie rod will once again be straight. IF your lucky you'll get it on the first go.

To check unlatch the dog, roll the tie rod a little (it turns about 30-50 degrees on the rod ends) so that the bend is measurable through the loop in the chain) and slide your comparison bar in place. IF you dont get much of a gap your done.

simple.

IF like me your going to loop the chain through the risers of the bar work like this

pay attention to how you attach the dog or the loop will slide up the chain and pull links through the bar work damaging the paint and extending the time that you have to spend laying in mud..

the first pic shows the best way Ive found for doing it.

I know this problem all to well dave maby u mite be interested in some 32mm od 16mm id track rod and drag link straight out bolt in replacements which ive got on the burner at the moment