So since I'm building a racecar and messing with the tire angles. my driver side is will be set to 8 degrees and the passenger side will be set to 10. I have to extend the passenger driveaxle because it'll be to short and I've been told that the tie rods will need to be extended as well. So I was musing that It might be best to use heim joints with some threaded shafts to extend them instead of welding on the cast tie rods. Any opinions? I couldn't find anything in the search about anything like this.

 

What kind of racecar are you building??

More details would help out here.

 

I'm building an oval track racing car. The suspension is setup just like the picture. I'm using adjustable upper control arms, getting the lower control arms extended to make the front angles. The axle like I said is getting extended. I'm going to change the factory sway bar end links so they can be adjustable. The rear is basically getting the same.

I just figured that heim joints would be more accurate then the tie rods and would be better off then welding material onto the tire rod ends to make them longer.

 

http://www.ttora.com/forum/archive/i.../t-101135.html

 

Interesting read but the heim joints will be exposed to wear and tear on a racetrack. Which will be all dry days, no salt, no real environmental damage. I don't think movement will be to bad? Should only move a couple of degrees during the suspension movement.

 

Its a good idea, not cheap at all though. I could get you in touch with a shop that has made a few sets for hondas, but they are expensive.

Not sure how much you plan on extended the LCA but you can do it about 1/2" and not need to worry about axles/tie rods.

 

Yeah It'll definitely be more then a 1/2 inch getting it extended. I'm not sure why it'd be so expensive? I mean I can see the heim joints being expensive but I could just drill out the steering knuckle for a bolt through the heim and steering knuckle. then a sleeve is pretty simple.

 

you have to get the tubing, which you need buy in a larger then need quantity because that s the only way they sell it.

Measuring and cutting down of that must be done, also drilling holes for the rosset(sp) weld.

You have to drill and tap the end parts, can't remember what they are called, that go on to the steering rack as no one sells metric stuff. That is time consuming and you need to do it in a lath or else you will not get it straight. Plus needing the correct tap to do the reversed threaded one.

Then there is tig welding the two threaded ends onto the rod.

Plus a few other things i haven't mentioned. But it is time consuming, as you must cut slow and tap slow. And the parts aren't cheap.

 

it's all pretty easy for a machinist. Time consuming? not really. sleeves would only take like a days work

 

correct, and a days time isn't cheap.

 

you don't need to use reverse threads or weld anything if you're just replacing the outer tie rods.
just get a steel bar, drill a hole through it and tap both ends .. the steering end is 14x1.5mm, the rod-end side will be 1/2"-28 both in right hand thread.
use high quality 1/2" bolt (AN-8) and drill out the knuckle.. also use a high quality, high misalignment rod-end.

 

Here is the proper way to build one, not a tie rod but pretty much the same.
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_lfINv1bZvhs/St...0/IMG_3110.JPG

 

Comp engineering made the kit at one point. Not sure if they still do. But that's what you need. Then if u want to lengthen one side, just change to a longer center section (between the inner and outer)

 

Awesome thanks just wanted to know it's been done before. I am a machinist so it's not like it'll be hard for me to do. Like I said I'm not comfortable with what the guy in the civic does by welding onto his cast tie rod seems to me like tapping the wall would destroy it.