[KULTULZ]

The stock '64 tie rod ends aren't long enough to get through the mounting hole on the spindle and accept the cotter pin. Could someone recommend a tie rod end interchange... or other method?

Sorry...I have been gone for a few days.

What year spindle did you use? This is from a post above regarding an earlier spindle (1972);

Subject: Extra's


Don,

AS long as you are going to use 15" wheels, this will work well for your car, and the 11 3/4" rotor is very attractive. The spindles, rotors and calipers come from a 70-72 full sized Ford/ Merc donor car. The top of the tie rod mount at the spindle has to be machined 1/8" so the stud on the outer rod end sticks thru far enough to get the cotter pin into the castle nut. Everything else bolts on.

Can you machine enough off the spindle steering arm to accept the tie rod without compromising the strength? Please get back as I would like to know the outcome of the swap.

[Billy Boy]

Thanks K,

I'm gonna have to send you a six pack when this is all done.

I haven't machined (the spindles yet, and i have to admit that I'm not fully psyched about it. I mean, if they thickened up the joint between 64 and 78, it might have been for a reason.

It seems that it would be preferable to use a tie rod end that has a long enough bolt on it.

But once again finding it seems like a hell of a task given that I can't just go poking around a junk yard or stock room myself here in nyc.

I seems like it would be super useful if there was a book that gave the sizes and specifications for the parts. I know that it would be a big thick book, but man it would solve a lot of problems.

Maybe I should just pick up a 78 tie rod end and see if it fits. Or maybe I should just bit the bullet and thin out the connection.

Also, the 77 bronco brake hoses (or at least the ones that i was able to get my hands on) have a totally different kind of fitting on them than the stock 78 cougar hoses that fit into the stock 78 cougar calipers. I'm thinking that since i'm replumbing my brake lines anyway I should just re-position the line-hose connection so that it will work. I'd love to see a picture of the wheel well of a 78 cougar so that I can see how they ran their lines in the factory... but I'm sure i can come up with something.

[KULTULZ]

Originally posted by Billy Boy

Thanks K,

I'm gonna have to send you a six pack when this is all done.

Just one? He doesn't know me very well does he?

I haven't machined (the spindles yet, and i have to admit that I'm not fully psyched about it. I mean, if they thickened up the joint between 64 and 78, it might have been for a reason.

It seems that it would be preferable to use a tie rod end that has a long enough bolt on it.

But once again finding it seems like a hell of a task given that I can't just go poking around a junk yard or stock room myself here in nyc.

Is the taper of the tie rod stud and spindle the same? If the spindle wasn't installed on the car, you could take it to match-up a suitable end. You might take the '64 end and adjusting sleeve to a good size parts store and start checking between the years.

As for the brake line...on most GRANADA conversions, they just extend the metal line so that the brake hose can attach to it easily. Just make sure nothing rubs once installed regarding the turning radius.

This swap is supposed to work on a '64. Wish I was there to help you...??? (Brooklyn?) ...well, maybe not. But I wish I had a fast answer for you. Let me know how it comes out.

[Billy Boy]

OK! All done! That sure taught me a lot.

Here's how it washed out in the end.

I ended up grinding out the connection to the tie rod end as suggested, and quite frankly, I didn't need to take that much metal off, so I guess i was just being a sissy.

I did two things differently than what was suggested.

First up, i found that the 77 bronco hoses were totally different, and while I might have been able to rig something up, I just used the stock 78 cougar brake hoses and I found that with a nylon zip tie to keep them in place on the spindle, and out of the line of fire of the suspension, everything was fine through the full turn radius.

Second, the brake light switch/soloniod. The stock '64 brake light soloniod has a different thread on it than *any* of the brake line parts (tees etc) that I was able to find???? So after a day of running around trying to find a way to plumb the sucker in, I gave up and went for the brake light scheme from the 78 cougar. In order to get that to work I had to remove the rubber block on the top arm of the brake peddle so that the peddle could float on the MC spring and I had to grind out the seat on the brake peddle bolt about 3/32nd of an inch to accept the mechanical brake light sensor from the cougar. This scheme works just fine. The brake peddle sits just a little higher than origional, but it's not a problem, and if it was I could just shorten the MC shaft a bit.

I also had to run the wires for the brake light back through the fire wall. I should probebly have run the switch circit out from the fuse box or something, but I just ran a wire back through the broken gasget around my steering column to get the car back on the road. Any suggestions on this would be great.

All in all, the car stops alot better and feels tighter. Thanks alot to everyone who helped me out along the way.

Bill

[KULTULZ]

Sounds like you overcame the problems OK on your own. I like the idea of the later brake lamp switch. Maybe pull the two wires that went to the origional switch from the engine harness back through the firewall and attach them to the new switch? You could run them in the present harness and it would look factory.

And thanks for getting back with your installation as this will make it easier for the next guy that tries it.