The Ford Barn

Logan · 03-21-2011, 09:14 PM

We have been having some problems with the front end on my coupe, and the other day we took the tie rod off and it was badly bent, and of course at one point it was strait. My question is has anyone seen this before, and what do Y'all think causes the tie rod to bend?

TinCup · 03-21-2011, 09:21 PM

Ok since I just replaced the tie rod on my coupe that had compound bends, but it came that way from previous owner. Was the tie rod straight at one time since you have owned the car?

Logan · 03-21-2011, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TinCup

Ok since I just replaced the tie rod on my coupe that had compound bends, but it came that way from previous owner. Was the tie rod straight at one time since you have owned the car?

Yes it was straight, but recently we have been having steering problems. And when we took it out the middle was bowed out.

Logan · 03-21-2011, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fordgarage

Two likely causes:
Zenith forklift carburetor or weber carburetor.
Or the nut at the wheel?

No, thats not a right awnser

kenparker · 03-21-2011, 09:54 PM

It probably has a lot to do with teenage drivers. And trying to do a U turn on a state highway with get you a bent tie rod - among other things.

Logan · 03-21-2011, 10:02 PM

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Quote:

Originally Posted by kenparker

It probably has a lot to do with teenage drivers. And trying to do a U turn on a state highway with get you a bent tie rod - among other things.

Hahaha ken you should have seen your face when that state trooper pulled me over! you were more scared than i was!

Jordan · 03-21-2011, 11:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fordgarage

Two likely causes:
Zenith forklift carburetor or weber carburetor.
Or the nut at the wheel?

cant tell if it's a joke or an insult.

Mitch//pa · 03-22-2011, 06:58 AM

maybe someone misjudged and whacked the wheel into a curb.

kenparker · 03-22-2011, 07:03 AM

It was 'posed to be a funny. No insult intended. Now seriously. Has someone bumped a curb or hit a Texas sized pothole recently. Tie rod can be pulled off and straightened fairly easyily. Just be sure and protect the threads when you start straighteneing (sp) it.

Patrick L. · 03-22-2011, 07:41 AM

Maybe someone wasn't watching too closely when they stuck a jack under it.. It seems like many of them look like a twisty country road,but, they can straightened easily.. Or, new ones are not too expensive..

Jack '29 Sport Coupe · 03-22-2011, 10:04 AM

I had a car towed once and the tow driver hooked onto a tie rod
and managed to bend it. It wasn't my Model A. Fortunately for me
the garage owner where the car was towed to observed it and called
it to the tow driver's attention and he had to pay for the new rod.

Jack

Tom Endy · 03-22-2011, 10:58 AM

When I first acquired my Vic the previous owner had installed one of these shock absorber mods that clamps to the tie rod with a small U-clamp. The U-clamp had loosened slightly so that the position of the clamp could drift when turning. I began to notice I didn't have full turning radius in one direction. In order to make a full turn I had to pull hard on the wheel. The result was a bent tie rod. Upon discovery I discarded the mod and straightened the tie rod.

I have noticed that every time you install a mod to a Model A it usually comes with hidden side affects.

Tom Endy

Jim Brierley · 03-22-2011, 11:12 AM

Could be from not placing a floor jack in the right place and it pushed up on the tie rod. We used to straighten bent rods on trucks while still in place, on a lift to get access. Should be OK to straighten it, just inspect it for cracks afterwards.

Fred K-OR · 03-22-2011, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenparker

It was 'posed to be a funny. No insult intended. Now seriously. Has someone bumped a curb or hit a Texas sized pothole recently. Tie rod can be pulled off and straightened fairly easyily. Just be sure and protect the threads when you start straighteneing (sp) it.

This sounds to me like the most possible answer and the easy way to fix. I had a bent one when I redid my A and it was easy to straighten.

msmaron · 03-22-2011, 04:23 PM

had the same problem found after i installed one of those steering stabilizers..Dont know if that really caused it but that is when it was noticed, Just replaced it and all was fine after that. did not happen again

Chris in WNC · 03-22-2011, 07:51 PM

the '37 Plymouth we drove for 7 years came with a '53 Dodge truck engine installed. this was a good thing, except: the original Plymouth engine had a rear sump oil pan and the Dodge engine had a front sump pan. so when the engine was installed, it bent the tie rod and the tie rod was rubbing on the deep part of the pan! evidently the boneheads who changed engines either didn't notice or didn't care. we bought a correct pan on eBay, straightened out the tie rod and all was well.

Mikeinnj · 03-22-2011, 08:43 PM

Ia it safe to straighten a bent tie rod ? I would want to replace it....

Benson · 03-22-2011, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Logan

We have been having some problems with the front end on my coupe, and the other day we took the tie rod off and it was badly bent, and of course at one point it was strait. My question is has anyone seen this before, and what do Y'all think causes the tie rod to bend?

Logan,

When you see an Armadillo in the road do you blast the horn?

When an Armidillo gets scared he jumps up in air!

If you time the horn blast just right he will jump when under your car ... Maybe a bunch of them have crashed into your tie rod!??

ABento · 03-23-2011, 12:24 AM

Straighten the tie rod in a press, gently pressing just a little beyond straight, this will get the needed results, when your done you can insert a piece of solid rod the same diamater as the inside of the tie rod, drill a couple holes in the tie rod and plug weld it to keep it in place, I've done several this way and have had no problems.

Logan · 03-23-2011, 07:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Brierley

Could be from not placing a floor jack in the right place and it pushed up on the tie rod. We used to straighten bent rods on trucks while still in place, on a lift to get access. Should be OK to straighten it, just inspect it for cracks afterwards.

How would you go about straitening it?

03-21-2011, 09:14 PM	#1
Logan Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Fort Worth, Texas Posts: 1,055	Badly bent tie-rod We have been having some problems with the front end on my coupe, and the other day we took the tie rod off and it was badly bent, and of course at one point it was strait. My question is has anyone seen this before, and what do Y'all think causes the tie rod to bend? __________________ Cowtown A's

03-21-2011, 09:21 PM	#2
TinCup Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: OKC / Tonkawa, Ok. Posts: 1,977	Re: Badly bent tie-rod Ok since I just replaced the tie rod on my coupe that had compound bends, but it came that way from previous owner. Was the tie rod straight at one time since you have owned the car? __________________ Oklahoma City Model A Restorers Group.

03-21-2011, 09:54 PM	#5
kenparker Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Van, Texas Posts: 1,122	Re: Badly bent tie-rod It probably has a lot to do with teenage drivers. And trying to do a U turn on a state highway with get you a bent tie rod - among other things.

03-22-2011, 06:58 AM	#8
Mitch//pa BANNED Join Date: May 2010 Location: Bucks County, PA Posts: 11,454	Re: Badly bent tie-rod maybe someone misjudged and whacked the wheel into a curb.

03-22-2011, 07:03 AM	#9
kenparker Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Van, Texas Posts: 1,122	Re: Badly bent tie-rod It was 'posed to be a funny. No insult intended. Now seriously. Has someone bumped a curb or hit a Texas sized pothole recently. Tie rod can be pulled off and straightened fairly easyily. Just be sure and protect the threads when you start straighteneing (sp) it.

03-22-2011, 07:41 AM	#10
Patrick L. Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Largo Florida Posts: 7,225	Re: Badly bent tie-rod Maybe someone wasn't watching too closely when they stuck a jack under it.. It seems like many of them look like a twisty country road,but, they can straightened easily.. Or, new ones are not too expensive..

03-22-2011, 10:04 AM	#11
Jack '29 Sport Coupe Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Cincinnati, Ohio Posts: 798	Re: Badly bent tie-rod I had a car towed once and the tow driver hooked onto a tie rod and managed to bend it. It wasn't my Model A. Fortunately for me the garage owner where the car was towed to observed it and called it to the tow driver's attention and he had to pay for the new rod. Jack __________________ Cincinnati, Ohio

03-22-2011, 10:58 AM	#12
Tom Endy Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Southern California Posts: 3,131	Re: Badly bent tie-rod When I first acquired my Vic the previous owner had installed one of these shock absorber mods that clamps to the tie rod with a small U-clamp. The U-clamp had loosened slightly so that the position of the clamp could drift when turning. I began to notice I didn't have full turning radius in one direction. In order to make a full turn I had to pull hard on the wheel. The result was a bent tie rod. Upon discovery I discarded the mod and straightened the tie rod. I have noticed that every time you install a mod to a Model A it usually comes with hidden side affects. Tom Endy

03-22-2011, 11:12 AM	#13
Jim Brierley Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Temecula, CA Posts: 4,089	Re: Badly bent tie-rod Could be from not placing a floor jack in the right place and it pushed up on the tie rod. We used to straighten bent rods on trucks while still in place, on a lift to get access. Should be OK to straighten it, just inspect it for cracks afterwards.

03-22-2011, 04:23 PM	#15
msmaron Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Wauconda, IL Posts: 3,600	Re: Badly bent tie-rod had the same problem found after i installed one of those steering stabilizers..Dont know if that really caused it but that is when it was noticed, Just replaced it and all was fine after that. did not happen again __________________ Mark Maron Ill., Region MARC & MAFCA MARC JSC Member MAFFI Trustee National Facebook Admin. https://www.facebook.com/groups/MARC.group/ A7191-Sport Coupe 29 Roadster 29-Town Sedan 29-Original Special Coupe

03-22-2011, 07:51 PM	#16
Chris in WNC Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Spruce Pine, NC Posts: 1,458	bent tie-rod, not Model A the '37 Plymouth we drove for 7 years came with a '53 Dodge truck engine installed. this was a good thing, except: the original Plymouth engine had a rear sump oil pan and the Dodge engine had a front sump pan. so when the engine was installed, it bent the tie rod and the tie rod was rubbing on the deep part of the pan! evidently the boneheads who changed engines either didn't notice or didn't care. we bought a correct pan on eBay, straightened out the tie rod and all was well.

03-22-2011, 08:43 PM	#17
Mikeinnj Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Northern New Jersey Posts: 1,262	Re: Badly bent tie-rod Ia it safe to straighten a bent tie rod ? I would want to replace it....

03-23-2011, 12:24 AM	#19
ABento Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: San Luis Obispo Posts: 237	Re: Badly bent tie-rod Straighten the tie rod in a press, gently pressing just a little beyond straight, this will get the needed results, when your done you can insert a piece of solid rod the same diamater as the inside of the tie rod, drill a couple holes in the tie rod and plug weld it to keep it in place, I've done several this way and have had no problems.