If you can rotate the wheels to give more access to get some sort of puller in there, it may help with the approach I use. I use a puller or pickle fork on the joint, then I hit the outside of the taper with a cutting torch. The idea of using a cutting torch or rosebud is to heat the outside of the fit BEFORE the inside taper gets hot and expands. This approach DOES NOT work with a propane or MAPP torch. You have to put a lot of heat on it fast. I find the joint easily pops apart this way.
BTW, the situation you found with the rod ends twisted was intentional. It is an old trick to reduce play in tie rod joints. I suppose it can be overdone to the point of binding as you discovered.
If you are looking to replace the drag link ends, my next comment is moot. If you just want to free the pinch joint so you can rotate the drag link, then you might shift your focus to the pinch joint. Heat as described above may allow the threads to turn.
Richard and Rhonda Entrekin
99 Newell, 512
Maverick Hybrid Toad
Inverness, FL (when we're home )
(09-03-2023, 09:13 AM)Richard Wrote: If you can rotate the wheels to give more access to get some sort of puller in there, it may help with the approach I use. I use a puller or pickle fork on the joint, then I hit the outside of the taper with a cutting torch. The idea of using a cutting torch or rosebud is to heat the outside of the fit BEFORE the inside taper gets hot and expands. This approach DOES NOT work with a propane or MAPP torch. You have to put a lot of heat on it fast. I find the joint easily pops apart this way.
BTW, the situation you found with the rod ends twisted was intentional. It is an old trick to reduce play in tie rod joints. I suppose it can be overdone to the point of binding as you discovered.
If you are looking to replace the drag link ends, my next comment is moot. If you just want to free the pinch joint so you can rotate the drag link, then you might shift your focus to the pinch joint. Heat as described above may allow the threads to turn.
I was able to get it loose. I do not have a torch so I hit it with the mapp gas torch and then hit the bolt with freeze off. A couple of whacks to the arm and it popped off.
I guess I could see that maybe adding some stiffness to the joints, but I am finding that most of the tapers are loose. The play at the pitman arm was because the bolt was loose. I ended up having to really tighten it to get to the next notch on the castle nut. I am also finding that there is the same loose bolts on the cross shaft between the two bell cranks. I already turned one of the castle nuts a full turn. So I am going to tighten everything up for now and then see how it drives. I am putting replacement of all these joints in the future service plans.
On that big cross shaft, the joints are adjustable. You have to unscrew the center tube to access great big cross heads internally. Remove the cotter key, and tighten by inserting a tool into the cross.
This next comment is pure speculation, but perhaps worth looking into. The DANA IFS 84 suspension was made in Spain primarily aimed at the Euro bus and truck market. Replacement tie rod ends and drag link ends have been hard to obtain. I do not know if the taper used on Metric suspension parts is the same taper as used on SAE parts. My point being that if someone substituted a locally obtained rod end you MAY, and I say MAY, have a mismatch in tapers. That is pure speculation on my part
Richard and Rhonda Entrekin
99 Newell, 512
Maverick Hybrid Toad
Inverness, FL (when we're home )
Wanted to update some progress and what all I have found.
So I finally have the front end down to minimal play. Most of what I found was loosened connections at all the steering joints. Removing the castle nut and tightening them has removed almost all of the play.
I wanted to circle back to on the drag link ends being twisted. I was putting the drag link back on and I have the Howard steering assist, so I wanted to look up the adjustment and how it should be installed. So I found the manual for its adjustment, but the one thing that they mention in there is to turn those drag link joints so they are tight, so it was on purpose for the Howard steering assist unit. I will have to go back now and twist them tight. So the thought is that the Howard unit holds the drag link in place and if it can twist the drag link then the unit will not be effective. It all made sense after hooking the Howard unit back up. Anyways wanted to pass that along, mystery solved as to why that drag link was twisted.
Now I need to read up on how to use the Howard unit, but I am thinking a lot of my issues are now solved.
I also put new Koni shocks on the front. I actually used the same shock as is on the drive axle. They have the same specs as the original shocks, I measured the expanded and collapsed lengths when I took the old ones off. It was a bit of a bear getting the new shocks in place, I had no idea it would be as difficult as it was. The main issue is the new bushings, getting them to collapse and slide in the slot was not an easy task. They wanted to deform and not sit correctly. I finally found that if I put grease all over the bushings and in the slot it seemed to help quite a bit. There was still some finagling to be done to get the bushing sitting correctly to be able to get the bolt through them. Finalizing checks this weekend and hopefully should be able to get it out for a test drive to hopefully see how all my fixes have helped or not.
Going to get it to some nice level pavement to check the front toe alignment as well, just to see where it is. I am thinking it may be out of whack since there was so much play in the front. I was able to move the front wheel at least 3/4” to 1” without the steering wheel moving!!
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