Thread: stock track rod - made of cheese or just me?

Yep, most of us replace the stupid thing.
The extruded channel under the diff is a joke.

When I told a mate of mine, an ex-JRA/Land Rover Oz engineer I was buying a Defender 7 years ago, he suggested the first things I did was to replace the track rod and drag link and rear trailing arms with something heavier. when i finally bought mine, the track rod had already been bent and straightened once or twice.

JRA used to cut the ends off stock ones and sleeve with heavy duty tube for the Army stuff, and it's what he did with his County, I just bought Maxi Drive ones.
Problem solved.

A few people claim it puts too much strain on the other steering components, but all the ADF ones are heavy duty, and as you've observed, the late GU Patrol ones are huge. (which was an upgrade over the earlier GU ones, which are still larger/stiffer than Land Rover ones)

I've often thought about a stronger rod but then I think would I rather bend a rod or have all the force transferved via a stronger rod to other components?
In the field I think it would be easier to straighten the rod than replace busted parts?
Not sure really though so it's left as is. Been lucky so far and never bent it.

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

I dont know about you but a bent tie rod I can straighten and adjust on the side of the road with basic tools and a hammer, bust a steering arm, the pitman arm or worse still the sector shaft and your basically FUBAR. Sure I can replace them If I have the parts but even I dont carry a spare set of swivel housings, arms and a power steering box And I dont generally travel shy of spare parts..

I know what I prefer tofix if I have to fix steering stuff...

a competition vehicle is a different story tho.

Originally Posted by Blknight.aus

I dont know about you but a bent tie rod I can straighten and adjust on the side of the road with basic tools and a hammer, bust a steering arm, the pitman arm or worse still the sector shaft and your basically FUBAR. Sure I can replace them If I have the parts but even I dont carry a spare set of swivel housings, arms and a power steering box And I dont generally travel shy of spare parts..

I know what I prefer tofix if I have to fix steering stuff...

a competition vehicle is a different story tho.

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.

i'm with dave on this one,
i have bent bits of my steering and fixed it on the spot, the last track rod became the spare after i hooked it so bad the front wheels were both turning out about 45 degrees - there is a u tube vid of it somewhere, anyway i fixed it on the track and drove home.
most times we aren't able to fix broken steering stuff in the bush, so how do you get it home?
at least land rover have done this right [of course it might have been better if all this stuff was up higher where we didn't hook it]

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

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

yes, it's illegal for us to weld steering components that way, although manufacturers do it all the time. (have a look under the front end of a Patrol )
This was part of the reason why Mal made his from heavy wall tube in one piece.