Tie rod end rubbing control arm

[SiRaDuDe]

I know this topic has been discussed many a times before, but...

I just installed the Ironman adjustable caster bushings, and I adjusted them to their highest setting, 3.5 degrees.

Now at this setting my tie rod rubs greatly on my controll arms.
I know, grinding them down should relieve the problem (I hope). But they seem to be rubbing realy hard, and I might have to grind a lot of material.

Not having the PanHard rods installed yet might contribute a bit to the problem but maybe not. IDK

My question is:

Why hasn't anyone designed an extended tie rod end to relive this so common of a problem?

or

Has someone found another tie rod end from another vehicle that can be used as a replacement to address this problem?

 

[Rwhat]

Not to be a dick, but you would have to redo the steering arms or other junk thats expensive. Bust out the grinder.

I got J's and Slee's plates. I get minor rubbing with flex.

 

[kidglove13]

Re adjust the bushings alittle bit and grind the arms it is the only way
I ground 1/4 inch out of my arms and at full flex I still rub sometimes
Also have your castor checked a s well

 

[arndog123]

I have the same caster bushings in both my 80's and have the same problem. I ground the arms but it wasn't enough. Need to get back in there and grind more but have been too busy.

 

[SiRaDuDe]

Yeah,

I just believe that 3.5 Degrees just on a bushing might be way too much for the tie rod. The caster correction is OK but you just hit the Tie Rods past anything over 3 degrees of correction, on just bushings.

I'm sure plates will be much better since you can move things around a bit more. But 5 degrees of correction might be just a bit more than I need? Since I got about 3.5" lift in the front...

 

[cruiserdan]

My question is:

Why hasn't anyone designed an extended tie rod end to relive this so common of a problem?

o

If you raise the tie rod it will hit the differential pinion. My wife "raised" her tie rod by bending it on a sizeable granite rock ( ) and it did just that.

If you look at the tie rod/differential interface you will see there isn't much room there to make a move. It's grind-the-arms time.

 

[Turbolx]

I'm having the same problem with the ironman caster plates. When flexing the control arm bends the steering rod a lot. I loosened the tie rod to see how much it needed to clear the arm and with the jack lifting one side, the arm lifted the tie rod about and inch of the arm. So I need a better solution than grinding that much of the arm. Guys let me know if some one has bent the steering arms or some other things that can be done. Thanks

 

[Bjohnston115]

high steer kit should fix this the correct way right? As long as you don't negatively impact the integrity of the control arms i would bust out the grinder for a quick fix.

 

[SiRaDuDe]

I'm having the same problem with the ironman caster plates. When flexing the control arm bends the steering rod a lot. I loosened the tie rod to see how much it needed to clear the arm and with the jack lifting one side, the arm lifted the tie rod about and inch of the arm. So I need a better solution than grinding that much of the arm. Guys let me know if some one has bent the steering arms or some other things that can be done. Thanks

I'm in PR too, PM me for my TEL.

How much lift do you have? For comparison I'm at 23 1/2 in front and 24 3/4 in rear, that is measuring from center of wheel hub to bottom of fender flare on driver side. (by flare I mean the fiberglass flare) PS side is a bit taller, like 1/4 more.


If you only have a 3" lift (which might be as low as 2.5" with load) and you used a 5* caster plate you are probably beyond the stock 3* of caster?, if you are around 5* thats too much. So yes your tie rod will rub that much more. Ironman advertises the plates for suspensions of 4" and higher...

The more + caster you add, the more you rotate the DIff and therefore lower the rod towards the control arm. So I would first check to see how much caster you really have, but the readings you get might be off, since the rod is pressing against the control arm that much. Some caster plates coorect this by raising the diff just a bit when rotating so the rod has space. But every plate is diferent in design.

If you only have 3" lift you might want to remove the plates and use Bushings, I used Ironman's 3.5* bushings with a 4" lift, and that got me to an even 3* caster reading, but with rubbing. With 3" or less lift I would think you would go with go 3* max caster correction, I would assume, NOT 5*+.

Let's start by measuring how much REAL lift you have, by measuring from the center of the diff/hub to the bottom of the Fender flare. (please let un know if you have removed the flares as this might give you a reading a bit taller than those reading with flares.)

PLEASE anyone correct me, since I'm kinda new still, but learn quickly.

 

[Turbolx]

Right now I have 5.5" inches of lift. I took of some material of the control arms and as long as the truck is not flexing, it does not rub. But when flexing (lifting it with a hi-lift which is less than real flexing on the trail) the control arm bends the tie rod shaft. I was thinking of bending the steering arms concerned of weakening them or modifying the caster plates. Personally I don't like the caster correction bushings because the don't last long and don't flex the same as the stock bushings.

 

[SiRaDuDe]

OK you have 5.5" Lift, that should be around 25.5" from center hub to fender flare.

If thats the case, yeah you need the plates! Forget about bushings...

But you are the only person I've met with Ironman plates with that problem.

Have you spoken with Mayo here in PR? or Adam?

How did your stock bushings look when you installed the plates?

We are assuming you had stock bushings before the plates right?

 

[Turbolx]

They problably haven't checked it they way I'm checking it. I will call Adan tomorrow. And yes, I have the stock bushings. I check things differently because do a different type of wheeling than they do, in remote places and don't want anything to break knowing it should be fixed.

OK you have 5.5" Lift, that should be around 25.5" from center hub to fender flare.

If thats the case, yeah you need the plates! Forget about bushings...

But you are the only person I've met with Ironman plates with that problem.

Have you spoken with Mayo here in PR? or Adam?

How did your stock bushings look when you installed the plates?

We are assuming you had stock bushings before the plates right?

 

[kidglove13]

I have almost 6 inches of lift and Ironman plates
I had to grind off quite a bit from the control arms, at least a 1/4 inch or more for clearance
At flex the tierod still hits the control arms
There is not much you can do about it at this point it is the nature of the beast
How much did you grind off?
At rest I have 1/2 inch of clearance or more between the tierod and the control arms
I think you need to do some more grinding
And you should get rid of the factory tierod and get a heavy duty tierod
I dont think you will bend the steering arms you truck does not stay flexed for along time just when you go over an obsticle
Post up some pics of the truck sitting normally in the driveway not flexing showing how much clearance you have between them.

 

[Ebag333]

And you should get rid of the factory tierod and get a heavy duty tierod

If you ditched the factory tierod, could you put a slight bend in it to clear the radius arm?

 

[cruiserdan]

If you ditched the factory tierod, could you put a slight bend in it to clear the radius arm?

If you move the rod upward it will hit the diff.

 

[kidglove13]

If you move the rod upward it will hit the diff.

Not much room back there

Either way you look at it the OP will have to grind a little more
Upon flex you will have contact no matter what
I dont think you can eleviate all of the contact

 

[Turbolx]

Thank you guys..

 

[Walking Eagle]

look up Jodo's build - he swapped the tie rod to the front of the axle.

 

[SiRaDuDe]

look up Jodo's build - he swapped the tie rod to the front of the axle.

Found it! https://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/294260-jodo-97-lx450-coilover-project.html#post4612026

Can anyone share the Chevy Tie Rod ends part# and DOM tube type and/or legnth he used?

This could be a nice options for control arm interference and caster correction limits!

 

[kidglove13]

Found it! https://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/294260-jodo-97-lx450-coilover-project.html#post4612026

Can anyone share the Chevy Tie Rod ends part# and DOM tube type and/or legnth he used?

This could be a nice options for control arm interference and caster correction limits!

Good luck finding a RHD steering arm that you will need to make this conversion
I persaonally think it is a waste of time if that is all you are going to do.
It sounds like you have to much castor, you need to re-adjust your castor and grind more on the arms
To get a RHD steering arm from Japan, if you can get it, will run you $300-400 and than another $200 or so to build the front steering linkage
At that point you might as well just scrap the radius arms and do a 3 link or something