Bought an Escort Mk2 2.4 rack from RD plus some extensions as I reckoned there wouldn't be enough thread into the track rod end. Problem is the
extensions give approx. 50mm extension (too much) whereas I only need about 25mm. Anyone have any idea how to overcome this please? It's either
shorter extensions (can't reduce the existing ones due to the way they're machined) or longer track rod ends. Thanks, Pewe .
hmmmmmm, tricky one!!!
See your problem!
I think you will need to try and find some male threaded track rod ends that fit the escort/sierra taper in the upright, then you can use a
"female - female " ended adaptor to convert the made trackrod end to the male trackrod.
You won't be able to make a very short extension because you need some "meat" in the transition from the female bit to the male bit.
Another alternative is to cut the escort trackrods down, rethread them (think you can thread the trackrod 1/2" UNF but check its big enough
first! ) and make some new longer extensions with female 1/2" unf thread at the inner end and the male M14 thread on the outer end, if that makes
any sense!
I have done the latter a number of times with sierra trackrods, bu not sure if the escort ones are the same dia on the bit that is not threaded??
Dev, thanks for that. There was a post on here some time ago as to whether the rods were hardened or not but cutting them down and re-threading could
be an option. RD do RS200 ends that look longer - I'll give them a ring to see if they are. Alternatively my local Henry parts dept has proved
helpful on other items so maybe they'll know. Cheers, Pewe
yes, this sounds all very familiar - been through this. 
My rack screwed into the track rod ends 4 or 5 turns - not enough - you are aiming for a miminum distance 1.5 times the diameter; so for M14 that is
21 mm.
The simplest solution, if it were possible is to find a longer tre. I spent a few hours looking at the track rod end catalougue to match up the
taper, thread diameter and pitch nad direction (LH or RH) and there are 3 parts that match; bedford rascal (+syzuki eauivalent) but £££ since they are
no longer made - but not sure how mcuh longer the arms are and the volvo 850. The latter has much longer arms that are cranked. These are too
long.
I say too long since it would mean cutting thread on the RD rack.
The RD rack uses 14 mm dimater track rods - Ford uses 12 mm and rolls the thread on) and it is hardened so you cannot cut it using a die - you need a
lathe. I do not have a lather and did not want to take a brand new rck apart.
I also looked at other track rod ends with the same taper and inserring a helicoil but a) is is £££ and b) there is not enough metal once drilled for
the helicoil.
So opted for an intermediate solution; and that was to have a set of exstension made. To increase the thickness of the solid part of the extension
(oi.e. between the thread hole and the threaded bolt end), I cut the rack down by about 10 mm and found shorter track rod ends.
Track rod ends vary in length and a bit of trial and error I found shorter ones - can;t remeber how but approx 5 mm.
the extension I had made have 9 mm soil section cf. with RD that use 5 mm (I cvhose 9 mm since that woudl be thickness of a M14 bolt head.
We looked at some Renault (19?) for this, they are long and male thread but I can't remember if the taper was right.
Thanks for that guys. I'll look at the options. You'd have thought RD would come up with a solution or is everyone else running their track
rods on a wing and a prayer?
GF do you have a drawing of your pattern - looked at your photo archive last night and they look the bus.?
Ho, hum - as usual one step forward and two back.
Cheers, Pewe
i had this problem, first fix was to weld them up which worked just fine but isnt MOT passable. So i then got my old extensions out and chopped some
off the track rod, and some off the extension. The extension was just a piece of threaded tube with a bit of threaded rod in the end, hence easy to
modify.
quote:
Originally posted by 02GF74
yes, this sounds all very familiar - been through this.
My rack screwed into the track rod ends 4 or 5 turns - not enough - you are aiming for a miminum distance 1.5 times the diameter; so for M14 that is 21 mm.
The simplest solution, if it were possible is to find a longer tre. I spent a few hours looking at the track rod end catalougue to match up the taper, thread diameter and pitch nad direction (LH or RH) and there are 3 parts that match; bedford rascal (+syzuki eauivalent) but £££ since they are no longer made - but not sure how mcuh longer the arms are and the volvo 850. The latter has much longer arms that are cranked. These are too long.
I say too long since it would mean cutting thread on the RD rack.
The RD rack uses 14 mm dimater track rods - Ford uses 12 mm and rolls the thread on) and it is hardened so you cannot cut it using a die - you need a lathe. I do not have a lather and did not want to take a brand new rck apart.
I also looked at other track rod ends with the same taper and inserring a helicoil but a) is is £££ and b) there is not enough metal once drilled for the helicoil.
So opted for an intermediate solution; and that was to have a set of exstension made. To increase the thickness of the solid part of the extension (oi.e. between the thread hole and the threaded bolt end), I cut the rack down by about 10 mm and found shorter track rod ends.
Track rod ends vary in length and a bit of trial and error I found shorter ones - can;t remeber how but approx 5 mm.
the extension I had made have 9 mm soil section cf. with RD that use 5 mm (I cvhose 9 mm since that woudl be thickness of a M14 bolt head.
Pardon the horrifically muddy state of it, but this is a very cut down sierra trackrod, threaded 1/2" UNF, with a tube threaded 1/2"UNF each
end, and 1/2" rose joints at the outer ends.
Change the outer ends for M14 and jobs a goodun.
grassersteer2
[Edited on 10/10/06 by NS Dev]
quote:
Originally posted by NS Dev
Aye you absolutely sure that the trackrods are hardened?
that is what I was told, they seemed tougher than mild steel when I sawed them down.
quote:
Originally posted by pewe
You'd have thought RD would come up with a solution or is everyone else running their track rods on a wing and a prayer?
quote:
Originally posted by Peteff
We looked at some Renault (19?) for this, they are long and male thread but I can't remember if the taper was right.
quote:
Originally posted by 02GF74
quote:
Originally posted by NS Dev
Aye you absolutely sure that the trackrods are hardened?
don't hit me please
quote:
Originally posted by 02GF74
quote:
Originally posted by Peteff
We looked at some Renault (19?) for this, they are long and male thread but I can't remember if the taper was right.
I looked thorugh the full catalogue, if the taper matched, then the threads were not compatible, or LH etc: and vice versa. The ISO M14 that Ford uses is rather less common, a lot more in M14 x 1.5.
I looked at the tube exension - 2 different threads - but don't think there was a suitable taper.
quote:
Originally posted by NS Dev
i think they will be EN16, so can be cut down and rethreaded. The threads will obviously then be cut not rolled, and so will be a tad weaker, but you can make the threaded part a lot longer for more engagement, and you are not putting anything like the load on them.
just check the trackrod diameter before you try to run the die down it, as I can't remember whether I had to turn mine down a touch or not, I may have had to knock them down from 14mm to 1/2", but then I am sure that the M14 rolled thread actually stands slightly proud of the rod surface, so they may be 1/2"