Originally Posted by Warb
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Further to what Warb said. Tie rod ends for Series Landrovers changed at about the start of Series 3 production. The earlier ones have an unthreaded section that the tube clamps on to. Later ones are threaded all the way, and the clamp is on the threaded section.
The two types must not be interchanged - i.e. the type of tube must match the type of end.
If they are mixed, the clamping is insecure, as either way you have just the crests of the thread clamping against a smooth surface - vibration or even temperature changes will soon wear off the crests and there is no clamping. From there it is just a matter of time before the joint either unwinds or the thread wears enough to fail completely. Either way you have steering failure, and there are reports of fatal accidents as a result.
While Series 1,2,2a would normally have the older type, and Series 3 the later, there is no guarantee that the links on your vehicle have not been swapped to those of a different vehicle. There is no substitute for checking what you have. Just look and see if the threaded section of the tube goes all the way to the end, and that the ball joint matches this with no unthreaded section, or conversely, that there is an unthreaded section on both. Do not reuse either tubes or ends that have been in service mismatched, unless a competent engineer can confirm that the threads are undamaged.
The other part of the joint, the taper bit, is all the same, although the thread may be BSF, UNF or metric, and the nut may be pinned or various varieties of self locking. This does not matter, nor is it a particular concern whether it is permanently lubricated or greasable.
John
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