I bent the tube that holds the wheels in parallel, 66 W200

[Cris]

How screwed am I.? It looks like a hunting bow, need to replace it. Not quite sure what it's called either, track bar, tie rod bar etc.
Bolts to the front of the spindles, tie rods on each end and keeps both wheels pointed in the same direction.

Wasn't paying attention in hooking the winch to the front to load onto a trailer, really dumb mistake @ o-dark 30.
Will I end up having one of these fabbed or can I find one 'off the shelf' somewhere. Went to a semi local 4x4 shop, no love.

Thanks in advance,
Cris

[Hobcobble]

Sounds like the tie rod. I'm not sure its a good idea to try to
straighten it. Put an ad in the Parts Wanted section.
John

[712edf]

Its a center link.

They should be available new, but if not, get one from a parts truck (somebody on this site likely has one) & install new tie rods.
Then get a front end alignment.

If this was a truck that didn't see road/street use, you could get by straightening your old one if its not too mangled.

Bucky

[Johninky]

Many years ago, coming out of a woods with a load of firewood in a 63 F350, I ran over a low stump that severely bent that drag link. Wheels pointed inward so much, driving home was out of the question and home was 25 miles away. Only tools I had consists of a pair of Vicegrips and several mauls. Removed the link with the grips, laid the bent link on a stump and hammered it straight with the maul. Guess I got lucky because never had to get an alignment. Have always regretted letting that truck get away from me.

[digdoug]

It cracks me up how different people call this rod that ties the wheels together different things. I prefer the word ankerzugstange I have straightened a few w200 tierods.They are pretty robust. Of course it depends on how bad you bent it...
Its getting cold out there so I better get working on my kalt-start-beschleuniger

[soopernaut]

Sprechen Sie Deutsch?

The call it a "rod" and a "tie rod" in the parts book. It depends on the illustration.

[Txas2step]

It cracks me up how different people call this rod that ties the wheels together different things. I prefer the word ankerzugstange I have straightened a few w200 tierods.They are pretty robust. Of course it depends on how bad you bent it...
Its getting cold out there so I better get working on my kalt-start-beschleuniger

Doug, that was a great Gayfunkinstinker!

[Cris]

Well, few hours online & I've found one on the LMC Dodge page, but not for our year trucks, and it's for a 1/2 ton not 3/4 ton
(but other than that it's perfect~).
They call it the 'adjusting tube', $119.95, then 19.95 x 2 for the replacement tie rod ends. What are the odds that this will be the same length as my 66 runs.?

Thanks for the help & the German lessons (I was born in Heidelberg, Army brat) I'm going to keep looking to try and find the 3/4 ton variant, or perhaps something stouter while I'm hemorraging (sp?) cash. Sure is tough being stoopid sometimes.

Thanks again,

Cris

[712edf]

FWIW on 61 thru 68 4x4 trucks, both 1/2 ton & 3/4 tons used same front axle (Dana 44, but there were 2 versions of knuckles) and possibly the part list for a W100 would work on W200. And yes that axle was used by both after 68, just had totally different hubs.

Measure yours & see how it stacks up to the ones you found online.

Bucky

[Hobcobble]

Its getting cold out there so I better get working on my kalt-start-beschleuniger

If you need a good tune while you're working.... try Steppenwolf's
EarSchplittenLoudenBoomer
John

[ozzie]

bent mine when I rolled the truck in 1974. took it to an alignment place and had it straightened. since then have replaced the body twice, still have the same rod, no issues in 40 years. ozzie.

[Cris]

Good information here. It's got about an 8 inch bend from flat. One of the shops I visited Friday offered to bend it straight,
but I don't want to screw with fatigued metal controlling oversized tires at speeds this truck wasn't designed to go. I fully plan on driving this truck on I25 going 80 miles an hour, maybe pulling a trailer while doing it. I know the motor will be up to the task.
Once the guy from helitool is back from Peru I'll be getting discs in the front for another part of that equation.

The shop that's been doing the heavy lifting on my British car project (we're putting a drysumped Lotus Twincam into a Hillman Husky wagon, tripling the h.p & fun) I'm sure could build me a new & improved piece. VPW also sells their 'tie rod with clamps' for $179, but it's for a 48-53 vintage & then you still need to get the t.r. ends. Good to hear there wasn't a difference between the 1/2 ton vs. 3/4 ton. Sounds like knowing that now the LMC piece will/should do. Of the two I've found online, there's no measurement given on the length of the piece they sell, so that's an unknown. Pay your money & take your chances, right.?

Thanks again for all the help fellas, mucho appreciato' (switched to taco bell spanglish).

Cris

[sweatybetty]

straighten it and then weld a piece of 1" angle iron on it. good as new. i think i may have one that i dont need

[Rawbert]

A new tie rod is pretty easy to fabricate. I fabbed one with drop ends to clear my leafs. Any fab shop should be able to weld some bungs on a length of tube, if they can't, they are not a real fab shop. Here is a link to my build, let me know if I can help in any way.
viewtopic.php?f=20&t=36733

[Cris]

A new tie rod is pretty easy to fabricate. I fabbed one with drop ends to clear my leafs. Any fab shop should be able to weld some bungs on a length of tube, if they can't, they are not a real fab shop. Here is a link to my build, let me know if I can help in any way.
viewtopic.php?f=20&t=36733

Howdy Rawbert, I've been trying not to fabricate anything on this truck & go with off the shelf parts. That hasn't worked well at all so far on this problem I created. Ordered an adjusting tube from LMC trucks ($119.95) for a '72 & up. They've got one end boogered out so the tie rod end itself just wallows in there, doesn't thread in at all (like throwing a hot dog down a hallway to steal a joke punchline) and the pinch bolt does nothing to hold it 'captive' in the tube. Also the tie rod ends for a 3/4 ton 72 & up don't thread into this tube, boogered out or not.Going to end up having one fabbed after al I reckon. Thanks for the link to your thread, looks like that'll be the way to go at this point, minus the drop.


Cheers,
Cris