9/16" tie rods, Fast Ratio arms, etc...

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Kern Dog

Build your car to handle.
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I recently parted out a 1970 Polara and saved a few of the parts that are not likely to sell online or at swap meets. I saved the 9/16" tie rod sleeves and ends and the Idler arm.
I recall that the 9/16" tie rod was an upgrade for the A-B-E crowd over the smaller 1/2" stuff we had originally. The sleeves from the C body are longer than my stock ones in the Charger. It looks like they are threaded the entire way through from end to end. I am thinking of cutting them to the length of the Charger sleeves. Anyone else here have good luck doing this?
I am not against buying new stuff, I just LOVE finding ways to improve things by using a little creativity.
I already have the Fast Ratio idler and Pitman arms in my '70 Charger....BUT the idler arm from this Polara is LONGER than any stock Idler arm I have in my parts stash. As I am typing this I am kicking my *** because I did NOT check the length on the Pitman arm from that car...I just scrapped it. What if they are a CHEAP substitute for the Fast Ratio arms? The Idler is about 3/4" to 1" longer than an A or B idler arm.
I may put the Charger up on the lift tomorrow to compare the Idler arms. I wonder if I just stumbled onto something cool!
This same thing could apply to your Duster, Dart or Barracuda too!
 
The 11/16” tie rod sleeves were a great upgrade before the tubular aftermarket sleeves came out. The split style stock sleeve is weaker because of the split, eliminate that and you don’t need to increase the threaded diameter. Plus the larger 11/16” tie rod ends reduce rim to tie rod end clearance if you’ve gone to wide front tires.

The fast ratio pitman arms are lousy for header clearance as it is. B/E bodies have a couple options but for the A-bodies there’s almost nothing. I can’t imagine that going to anything longer than that would clear any of the available headers.

Firm feel has a list of headers that do fit, for A bodies it’s really short

Firmfeel Mopar Suspension and Steering
 
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It is a funny thing....The TTI instructions clearly state that the FR arms do NOT clear in my application, a 1970 Charger. I had a Fast Ratio Pitman arm that a buddy bought for his Challenger so I held it up to the steering box. It looked like it would be fine so I ordered a Pitman and Idler. They both fit with at least 3/4" clearance. Everything I have is in the stock location so maybe TTI was just covering their ***?
 
I wonder if it would help to weld up the wide open section of the sleeve between the ends of the tie rod shafts. Maybe leave 1/2" or so to allow adjustment.
I know there are guys like me that love to tinker with stuff rather than to just spend the money on new stuff.
 
I wonder if it would help to weld up the wide open section of the sleeve between the ends of the tie rod shafts. Maybe leave 1/2" or so to allow adjustment.
I know there are guys like me that love to tinker with stuff rather than to just spend the money on new stuff.
Just buy the solid sleeves if your going to do that. You will need to have LH and RH threaded jam nuts if you weld them up. Solid sleeves come with jam nuts, plus the split sleeves fit loose until you clamp them down. If you weld them up you cant get rid of that.
 
I updated my post above, 9/16” is the stock size tie rod end for an A-body. The C-body stuff was 11/16”.

The tubular sleeves sell for $50. So, brand new sleeves, no stripped threads, no rust, no welding needed. Sure you can weld up a split sleeve. But then you can’t thread the ends past the weld. And you run the chance of warping the sleeve.

For me it’s just not worth the time to weld on 50 year old used parts when I can buy better, brand new parts.
 
FYI some Aspen/Volare cars had 11/16 tie rod assy. got my stuff new from rock auto about 50$ for sleeves and tierods
 
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