New Product - BC Broncos Heim Joint Stud

[chuck]

I thought the 76 & 77 knuckles set higher than all the others. I will be installing them on my 76 as soon as chuck sends them out. ;D

I just got it. I should be more clear. I ment the heims set lower as in they are not as tall as the stock TRE. The part of the 76-77 knuckles that the tierod mounts to does set higher and they are turned out toward the wheel more than the others knuckles do.

 

[68 Broncoholic]

Hey! Not to get in the middle of this but why not look into the Chevy 1 Ton tie rod ends? The passengerside rod end as a mounting location for the drag link. When doing tie-rod over this large 1 ton rod end will take out the hours galss shape when reaming (no shim cones needed). The rod ends are at any local part store and will flex further than the heim joint at the pitman arm.

I raised my trac bar mount on axle and attached to the frame (no drop trac bar). I will be using the stock lower trac bar bolt for the ram assist.
See attached photos...

 

[68 Broncoholic]

Just for kicks, I'll add this info incase anyone is interested. This is a write up from Quinn from way back...

The steering linkages are made using 1985 Chevy Blazer tie rod and drag link ends. The drag link ends are neat because they have about double the amount of travel of the standard tie rod end. I bought mine through Autozone.com which had really good prices.

Autozone Online Prices:
ES2233L $25.99 Passenger side tie rod (with drag link attachment hole)
ES2234R $24.99 Driver side tie rod
ES2027L $24.99 Left hand threaded drag link end
ES2026R $24.99 Right hand threaded drag link end

For the tubing, I used 1.5" OD x 1/4" wall DOM and then bored it out to accept some threaded rod end adapters. I only did this since I had the adapters and tubing already purchased. If I had to do it again, I would go with either 1.25" OD x .219 wall DOM or 1.5" OD x 0.344" wall (11/32nds). This way you can run the tap directly into the tubing and won't need any threaded adapters. The Chevy stuff does require some special tooling. You need a 7 degree tapered reamer and 7/8"x18 right and left hand taps.

Seems like a cheap strong route to me!

 

[BRONKEN]

This thread is NOT about TRE. The chevy set-up has already been beat to death on other threads, do a search.

 

[chuck]

I raised my trac bar mount on axle and attached to the frame (no drop trac bar). I will be using the stock lower trac bar bolt for the ram assist.
I hope there is more to the track bar raise bracket than shows in the picture. Also the heim joint at the pitman arm does not bind on Jason's 7" lift at full droop.

 

[chuck]

I raised my trac bar mount on axle and attached to the frame (no drop trac bar). I will be using the stock lower trac bar bolt for the ram assist.
There is nothing wrong with the chevy stuff but I hope there is more to the track bar raise bracket than shows in the picture. Also the heim joint at the pitman arm does not bind on Jason's 7" lift at full droop.

 

[68ford]

i just run a 3/4 hiem with misallignment spacers(5/8 bolt at the pitman arm, not even close to bunding, but the price between going to the bigger heim plus the misallignment spacers is about double if i remember right.

 

[chuck]

We heated the pitman arm and gave it a little twist to make the heim set in the middle at ride height. With Jason's 7" lift and 14" wheel travel when the axle was at full droop the heim was at its limit so we gave it the little twist just to be sure. The stud allows more heim angle without spacers because of the built in shoulder.
Also, 68 broncoholic, you typed "Cheap and strong". I was thinging about that and I am not sure the cheap rod ends are all that strong and I know the DOM is strong but not cheap so assuming the rod ends are strong enough could you work up a little price list for all the parts and stuff needed at current prices? Also I was wondering what the weak link would be in the steering system if the tierod is not it. Anyone?

 

[RT]

We heated the pitman arm and gave it a little twist to make the heim set in the middle at ride height. With Jason's 7" lift and 14" wheel travel when the axle was at full droop the heim was at its limit so we gave it the little twist just to be sure. The stud allows more heim angle without spacers because of the built in shoulder.
Also, 68 broncoholic, you typed "Cheap and strong". I was thinging about that and I am not sure the cheap rod ends are all that strong and I know the DOM is strong but not cheap so assuming the rod ends are strong enough could you work up a little price list for all the parts and stuff needed at current prices? Also I was wondering what the weak link would be in the steering system if the tierod is not it. Anyone?

I'm thinking the knuckle. I've looked at my stock ones on my 76 and to me it looks like a lack of meat on the arm. I wonder what it would take to break one if the tierod didn't bend. Or if a little crack started on the trail and went unnoticed , untill the drive home.The little shock forces that are absorbed by a slightly flexable tie rod would now be transfered completely to the sector shaft and knuckles.

Or I may just be overthinking this too much , I havent known anyone who's broken the knuckle , except in competition. But thats another story.

 

[chuck]

Have you seen one broken in competiton? I have never seen one break but I have'n been looking.

 

[RT]

I've only been there twice in about 20 years when the arm on a knuckle broke not far from the tie rod end, but these were modified race trucks too. No idea if the axles were stock to the truck or not.Or what kind of abuse they've already seen.

I've seen pics of guys welding up (or trying to) their knuckles on the trail too. But they were also running some pretty big rubber.

The material on mine just looks kinda skimpy , kinda old , fighting the forces of a 35" tire and me driving in a ,,,umm,,, spirited fashion,,yeh thats it,,spirited ;D

If I new more about metallurgy, I might not be so concerned , or maybe more ?

 

[chuck]

The knuckles and spindles are my main concern on the racer. Most everything else is easy to replace,repair or ignore. it may not be an issue as I have not seen it yet and doesn't happen often

 

[CAGE Offroad]

Hey Chuck, you might save yourself a little money on custom machining that piece by just buying the ones the circle track car guys use on their rack and pinions to convert to spherical rod ends. Several companies out there that make them in various sizes to put the rod ends onto tapered holes. I haven't checked the sizes to fit the Bronco taper but you might want to check it out. Could be a cost savings for you if you bought them in bulk and could still offer the conversion but then again also might not have the right taper.

 

[chuck]

Hi Jim, I was not aware that anyone made them until I showed them to Todd Z at the Az. Stampede. He told me that the C track guys used them but he could not find them to fit the EB. After I got home I looked also but could not find our size either. But the C-track crowd seems to like them.
At any rate as I didn't have a model you can see mine is a little different besides size, We cut a stud out of a F-150 TRE, then welded a 3/4" stud onto the end of that, then mechined it down to the right size to have a working model. Then put it on cad. I made mine for EB's to my spec. So as usual I have a lot of time and money in them and the other parts I looked at were more and I think mine are better. They are made of 4340 that has been heat treated and plated so they don't rust. So I will stay with mine for now but thanks.

 

[BRONKEN]

Chuck, will you be adding the washers to your set-up? Personally I still feel a little uncomfortable with just the nut to hold the end on. Maybe just old school but I would like to see at least a cotter pin to assure the nut does not come off.

 

[CAGE Offroad]

Just thought I'd mention it just in case you hadn't seen the circle track stuff. Its a good idea to do. Reason I even knew about the circle track conversion pieces is I had looked at doing this quite a while back just never got around to pursuing it further. If memory serves the ones I was looking at were 1" per foot and 1.5" per foot taper. You beat me to it! : )

 

[toddz69]

Just thought I'd mention it just in case you hadn't seen the circle track stuff. Its a good idea to do. Reason I even knew about the circle track conversion pieces is I had looked at doing this quite a while back just never got around to pursuing it further. If memory serves the ones I was looking at were 1" per foot and 1.5" per foot taper. You beat me to it! : )

I was looking into them a few years ago myself and came up empty handed too. Baer Racing sells them in their bumpstop eliminator kits for the Mustangs, Speedway sells them for the circle track guys, and Kartek sells them for Bug front ends. All these applications were smaller.

Todd Z.

 

[airman]

Ok, I like what I see here.

I have heim steering now with the drag link all the way to the knuckle.

I want the shackle to bring in the pivot on the low end of the drag link. Easy to understand.

Now what I'm unclear on is with my knuckles drilled out to 3/4" can I get Chuck's tie rod over bushings and then use the tappered bolts and keep the heims or because I have drilled to 3/4" am I stuck with bolts and washers?

I think my shopping list would be, 1 shackle, 2 tappered heim joint studs, and a tie rod over kit? (of course I will have to shorten my drag link.)

Thank guys
Jeff

 

[chuck]

As it turns out the outside of the TRO bushings will fit the straight 3/4" hole in the knuckle after it has been tapered to fit the TRO and the inside of the TRO bushing will fit the heim stud.

 

[airman]

As it turns out the outside of the TRO bushings will fit the straight 3/4" hole in the knuckle after it has been tapered to fit the TRO and the inside of the TRO bushing will fit the heim stud.

What taper do I put on the 3/4" straight hole? Is this just a "get it close" with a reamer?

One more question. Would it be a bad idea to have a spare heim stud in the box or is that overkill?

Sorry for all of the questions.

Jeff