grim

had a rough day today...
truck was parked on a slight hill, and running.

I was crouching down in front of it to pick up my dog and put her in the truck.
all of a sudden i look up and the bumper is inches from my face. I rolled outta the way and missed getting flattened, but my dogs foot got run over.
In the end, i was fine and my dog has a limp but is somehow alright.
But truck ended up in the woods. my nice bumper took out a tree but the stump bent the tie rod adjuster tube. (I think thats its name)

SO... no parts stores in my area have these. and they told me parts stores dont generally carry that part. the dealer said they dont either. so im wondering if i take it off, could i bend it back without loosing its structural integrity? Its the weekend so all the wreckers are closed but none in my area generally have any of these trucks.

also do i need any special tools to remove this or the tie rods?

Onemoparnut

I don't know what to tell you about the adjuster sleeve but I am glad you are ok and I hope the dog heals up fast. How did it roll away?

Wettstein

Oh man sorry to head about your dog. And i would say that that bumper just payed for itself lol. but you should be able to straten that center link out. As for the tools, big ajustable whrench, pickle fork,BFH, and needle nose pliers

hope this helps

Jim

Mark Nixon

You might be able to bend it back the way you bent it.
Use a chain and a tree (or the same stump), wrap the chain a couple times around the bent part and EASE it backwards nice and slow.

I keep a spare one of those tie rod assemblies around, just for screw-ups like that.

Mark.

grim

unfortunatley im an idiot and didnt have the parkin brake on. it was sitting on a flat part of the driveway, where it was idling and standin still . but i guess the vibrations started it movin forward and it made to the hill. again im an idiot. took dog to vet seems fine very lucky

so i definately have those tools except the pickle fork. im assumin the pickle fork and pliers are for removin the tie rods? im sure i can substitute the pickle fork for sometin else.

thrashingcows

Go to your local NAPA, or Autozone, or other Free tool rental place, and see if you can get a front end kit to pop the tie rods out. The adjustment sleeve should be replaced, but bending back into shape, and maybe a piece of angle iron over the bent area to ad a little added strength, might get you by until you can replace it properly.

grim

alright so ill probly remove it and find a way to straighten it. i can also weld on some angle iron for reinforcement.

im wondering though, when the center link bent. something somewhere must have given wouldnt it? it would have pulled my wheels together and out of alignment?

redneck8000

Any parts store should be able to get the adjuster sleeve for you. Crap, Autozone stocks them here. If not then you should be able to get one quickly from Rockauto.com. They are always cheap on name brand stuff and have always been spot on with my orders.

grim

cant seem to find em at rock auto either.
i think im gonna ave to just take it off, straighten it and reinforce it for now.
wonderin if i should weld on a reiforcement or bolt/clamp someting to it?

also i was thinkin of doin my tie rods anyway so now might be the time.
What do you guys think of these? seems like quite a deal. but im not familiar with different quality types.

http://www.autopartsway.ca/PartList..../pagenum1/tabS

redneck8000

If you are planning to redo the whole show then I would look into 1 ton Chevy TRE's. If I remember correctly, they are the same taper as the Dodge. You might want to do some research on this on your own first though. If they are then just order everything for an 86 Chevy 1 ton 4X4 and you should be fine.

Trooperthorn

M & H machine makes them out of Chromoly. Grim, I sent you a pm.

grim

I've had a couple friends tell me it might be ok to just drive on it. It's definatley bent but not kinked or dented. I tried moving around in my driveway a bit and everything seemed ok. A little creaky though. What would the affects be? Or what do y'all think of that. No parts store have it here for sure and can't even find online.
I'm still gonna try and straighten it and reinforce though.

Trooperthorn

If it is bent, besides being weaker, it will increase your toe-in.

grim

ok so i think i found a part number in the sticky.
its DS1411S Moog

and i found it on rockauto, but that part says its not for a 92. latest year was 85, will that still fit?

Mark Nixon

Moog DS1411S is for the gas versions with the D-44, it has the tapered ends on it.
The diesel/D-60 versions do not have the tapered ends.

The diesel/D-60 ones have been increasingly difficult to acquire for the last 4 or 5 years.

Just straighten yours, it's not hardened steel, so there really is no danger of cracking it by pressing or pulling it back into shape.

Contrary to some advice here, DO NOT HEAT IT OR WELD ON IT!

You increase the chances of de-tempering it with heat, by doing either.

Just have a person that's good with a press straighten it.

Mark.