my front steering isnt bad - but could use alignment before i invest in new tires.
my track bar between tie rod ends. is bent maybe 2 degrees right in the center. how terrible is this. how can this be bent back straight. also the passenger tie rod end that the track bar goes into is stripped and wont accept proper castel nut. so i have next size bigger held on barely with cotter pin. ( i bought it with washers and a nail on it)
i think the correct tire rod end can be got at rock auto for less than $30.
ive not done a front end alignment before. any tips before i go at this; appreciated
Hello, as a part time alignment technician for large trucks, i would try to replace the tierod and cross tube pipe, if possible? I've found with old tierods, to adjust them is a bear for you can not break them loose, you end up putting a torch to them and giant pipe wrenches to turn them, and I would say that with the cross tube bent it will not help when aligning it, for it is probably weakened, if you straightened it or left it the future road force will more than likely bend it again and you will be back to square one with your tire wear, remember the cross tube is on the rear side of the axle and the road force is squeezing it, just thoughts,
jarrod1964 wrote:Hello, as a part time alignment technician for large trucks, i would try to replace the tierod and cross tube pipe, if possible? I've found with old tierods, to adjust them is a bear for you can not break them loose, you end up putting a torch to them and giant pipe wrenches to turn them, and I would say that with the cross tube bent it will not help when aligning it, for it is probably weakened, if you straightened it or left it the future road force will more than likely bend it again and you will be back to square one with your tire wear, remember the cross tube is on the rear side of the axle and the road force is squeezing it, just thoughts,
jarrod1964
couldnt some sort of brace on straigtened out track bar/cross tube reinforce it. and bolted on to previously bent area. can steel rod of correct diameter be cut to length and threaded for new tierods.
I do not know about bracing the cross tube, and how expensive would taps of the size of the tierod ends cost and getting the right thread pitch, i would check with a company called SPEEDWAY MOTORS, they deal with a lot of straight axle stuff, racing and hotrod stuff as well, lot of what i've seen with them is they ask for measurements, so i would say they could work with you, or show in the right direction,
