stock track rod - made of cheese or just me?

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Originally Posted by rick130

having said all that, how often do the beefed up rods cause a problem on the work vehicles ?
At least the JRA ones had them, not sure of the BAe made ones.

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at work the stock rovers with the stock track rods go about 2 track rods a year, the handfull with the uprated gear on them (and powersteering) go about a box every 2 years, given that theres about 4 times as many normal rovers as the uprated ones and that each one of the stock rovers in a year will cover more ground than all the uprated ones combined....

for a field repair we are allowed to straighten the bar to +/-x mm on its length and then so long as the steering is inside limits it can be released with a restricted use proviso.

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Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

Hi Guys

With those people who reinforce their own track rods etc how do they get around the engineering certification? Or is this a case of "mums the word".

The main reason I ask is that I have to make a longer pair of track rod/drag links and thought there is an issue about having welded steering components and the risk of a circumferential stress crack leading to component failure.

Or am I worrying about something I shouldn't???

Diana :confused:

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its illigal for someone who is not a certified welder of a certain standard to weld up a track rod or any other steering part (and lets not mention critical componentry/chassis/suspension) . But if you bought me a length of steel tube theres nothing to stop me from making up a rod using the suitable taps and dies, providing the rod conforms to the OEM specs and uses the corect ADR complient components. (I couldnt make it out of copper tubing and I couldnt use a tie rod end from a lighter class vehicle as examples)

wierd isnt it...

the problem is the weak spot seems too weak. im bending them very easily (nearly every trip) and once they are bent they loose all their strength. the main strength in the rod is the fact that its dead straight, get a slight kink in it and it might as well be made of cheese. im using 35" tyres though... i have bent one on 31s as well :(

cheers- mitch

also have to add that bending the rod leads to more damage, last time i blew a CV. i think this was due to the CV going out of working range because the wheel was so far toe-out?

cheers- mitch

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Originally Posted by mitch

also have to add that bending the rod leads to more damage, last time i blew a CV. i think this was due to the CV going out of working range because the wheel was so far toe-out?

cheers- mitch

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in theory if everything else is stock you shouldnt be able to do that, the tyres will hit the suspension arms going one way and the steering stops the other before the CV goes out of range.

Im guessing that not only are you running 35's but youve also had a suspension lift, if thats the case youve removed the engineered limits that prevent your CV's from lunching themselves, if they were standard CV's strying to push your 35's and then you put them near the limit and gave it a boofull Im not surprised they broke. Good time to put the ashcrofts in but I'd still leave the rod as stock and revise the driving technique.......

I am assuming that the vehicle in question is a daily driver and not a toy/comp truck in which case go your hardest, you're not likely to be dependant on the vehicle in a life/death situation.

The LROC fried egg bent one yesterday, it happens just too easily. Doesn't need to be a modified vehicle, about 2 years ago I notice a curved shadow on a bog standard, very new Defender. Owner wan't aware.

I've got Maxidrive stuff, never caused any dramas to related components.

Regards
Max P

I'm thinking instead of strengthening the stock one, I'll make a guide to prevent it flexing too far then buckliing. The safari guard 3 link front end had something similar
Of course first the steering damper has to move, mine is beside the diff head.

**** it off and put a mal leslie/maxi/whatever one on, you WILL continue to bend them playing games in the bush and the steering component wont break because of the stronger arm, nor will the sky cave in anytime soon

They're made of crap and NEED to be stronger for most people that do "harder" buch work

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Originally Posted by Lotz-A-Landies

You guys are all forgetting about tradition and heritage and all that stuff.

The 1,200Kg 1948 model Land Rover ones were made out of the same stuff so it has to be used on all subsequent Land Rovers.

Diana :D ;)

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The only difference being that a new Deefer weighs about a tonne more and the old series trucks had the tie rod in front of the axle. This meant that the bar was in tension when the wheels struck anything, whereas the Deefers bar is in compression. Things in tension are so much stronger than in compression. Try pushing with string!

I'm with Dave on this.The track rod should be the fusible link, in that it is easily repaired and cheap. Reinforce the rod and you stand a very good chance of transferring the load to a less easily replaced and much more expensive component. If you want to make your own, then get a piece of 4140 or 4340 steel tube. The thread size is 11/16 x 16tpi NS right hand and left hand. I can supply taps and dies ex stock. Use a sticky cutting agent like Trefolex.

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Originally Posted by foz.in.oz

Try pushing with string!

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Are we allowed to use liquid nitrogen?:angel: