[d.b. cooper]

i need a rod end to go from 14mm X 1.5 thread female to 7/16" bore. This is a chevette manual rack to strange struts.

1) It seems like most rod ends have the same bore as the thread size. i find this a little strange, but that's the way things are, apparently?

2) i'm new to rod ends (as you can probably tell), even though i've known what they are for decades. It's just now is when i really need one for my situation.

3) Are there rod ends available in this configuration? i will email the major manufactures, but i thought i'd check in here first due to the vast experience that many here have with this type of thing.

4) Is there an adapter/spacer etc. that can bring 14mm down to 7/16" for the bore?

5) Worst comes to worst, i'm not opposed to drilling out the 7/16" hole in the steering arm to 14mm and, if necessary dremeling it out and/or sanding the bolt down so as to keep a tight no-play assembly; As you can see, the steering arms are bolted to the bottom of the struts with 4 allen-type bolts:

So, if i mess things up, or if i want to go back to 7/16", they are easily replaceable. Although i don't see why i would want to go back to 7/16"....

 

[d.b. cooper]

P.S.
The wheels are toed in at the moment----the steering arms are not that close to the tie rod ends.

 

[kso]

A quick search on "heim joint 14x1.5" gets this: QA1 MHFR14-1 Metric H Series Rod Ends, 14mm Bore, 14X1.5 6G RH

It would be a cinch to machine a bushing insert to take the hole dia down to your 7/16".

If there were not such a thing as metric rod ends I suppose we'd be looking at 1/2" (.50") ones to see if there's enough meat to drill/tap into 14mm (.56") but it doesn't look like that's necessary.

 

[ericnova72]

Yep, most common practice for an odd size like this would be to make bushings to fit the 14mm(.552") bore hole in the ball and take it down to 7/16"/ .437".

 

[alwill923]

drill out the 7/16 hole for a 14 mm bolt.

 

[d.b. cooper]

A quick search on "heim joint 14x1.5" gets this: QA1 MHFR14-1 Metric H Series Rod Ends, 14mm Bore, 14X1.5 6G RH

It would be a cinch to machine a bushing insert to take the hole dia down to your 7/16".

If there were not such a thing as metric rod ends I suppose we'd be looking at 1/2" (.50") ones to see if there's enough meat to drill/tap into 14mm (.56") but it doesn't look like that's necessary.

Yep, most common practice for an odd size like this would be to make bushings to fit the 14mm(.552") bore hole in the ball and take it down to 7/16"/ .437".

Um....i'm not really up on my machining; Let's just say i don't know what the hell i'm doing. How do you go about making a bushing?

Just tell the guy at the machine shop you want 14mm outer diameter, 7/16" inner diameter and length?

i've never used a machine shop before and i'm scared. i've got machine shop fever (Even though my brother has and has always had machinists at his job as he works in aerospace.....)

 

[d.b. cooper]

drill out the 7/16 hole for a 14 mm bolt.

i'm considering it.

 

[johnsongrass1]

Personally I'd drill the arm to 1/2" as 1/2 is a standard heim joint size. FK rod ends makes them with metric thread. You'll have to find them in the catalogue OR call them.
IF you end up needing a bushing than PM me and I'll make it for you. It's about 15min job.

CM-M / CF-M – FK Rod Ends

www.fkrodends.com

 

[lmsport]

this is 100% drag race only I hope

 

[ericnova72]

drill out the 7/16 hole for a 14 mm bolt.

Ball is hardened bearing steel....good luck with that....
Unless you meant the steering arm??

"Um....i'm not really up on my machining; Let's just say i don't know what the hell i'm doing. How do you go about making a bushing?
Just tell the guy at the machine shop you want 14mm outer diameter, 7/16" inner diameter and length? "

Yep, that is exactly it. The OD, ID, and length.

 

[johnsongrass1]

Ball is hardened bearing steel....good luck with that....
Unless you meant the steering arm??

"Um....i'm not really up on my machining; Let's just say i don't know what the hell i'm doing. How do you go about making a bushing?
Just tell the guy at the machine shop you want 14mm outer diameter, 7/16" inner diameter and length? "

Yep, that is exactly it. The OD, ID, and length.

They will appreciate the material and tolerances as well.

 

[kso]

You could drill it out but looking at that part, I'd consider the 14mm the biggest hole I'd wanna put there, the issue being not leaving much material around the hole. I'm sure it would be fine. Myself I try to not put big bolts in places where smaller ones will do, my own aerospace influence there I suppose.

Finding some shop or guy who will make a part like that bushing for you may be part of the adventure of building a car...at-least, using some easy non-critical part like that may help you develop pathways for when you need something big and important done, but anyhow, you can also just go buy a 14mm drill bit and that may come in handy for something else too.

If you have a pair of bushings made (maybe ask your brother about it) expect to so something like walk into a shop (pick a small local one off the internet) with the rod end, the bolt, $40 cash in your wallet, tell them aluminum is OK (as it's easier to machine) and your size/tolerance need is just, "snug-fit", let them work out the dimensions of your parts (easy job). Keep the whole exchange as simple as possible. Also, you need it in a week...shorter may be pushing on them, longer and they may put it aside and forget about it.

You may have to try more than one shop. Take any more of their time than you need by telling them all about yourself and your project, or do something like pick a big shop accustomed to big customers with a lot to do and no time for hobbyists, and you'll probably have an unpleasant experience. You need to find someone who's willing to help out other human beings that day and make a little beer money (maybe they'll want to invoice it but then expect to pay more), maybe both parties will meet somebody interesting.

 

[d.b. cooper]

this is 100% drag race only I hope

Yes, 100% track use. i wouldn't attempt to run this on the street. Stock suspension is good for street.

 

[d.b. cooper]

1) What type of material? Aluminum was mentioned; i lean towards aluminum as well, but which style? 6061 good enough?

2) Just for my own understanding (while still leaning towards just drilling the hole in the arm) how, exactly, step-by-step would a bushing be made? And what is each operation called?

Do they just take a 14mm rod, and here, for this part, we're only talking maybe a half an inch in length and then bore thru it? This is assuming rods come in 14mm. If not, do they "lathe" it down to 14mm?

It's not good enough i can buy the part or have them made----i need to know HOW it's made.

 

[johnsongrass1]

Regardless of the material used, The work get installed in the chuck, faced, center drilled, tail support set up, the OD gets turned down to size, tail support removed, center drilled to around .020 final size, than the the ID bored to size. That's aiming for the middle of the tolerance spec on the drawing or customer notes unless there aren't any in which case I hold it at .005 as a standard.

 

[RODSRUS]

FYI 7/16" is 11.1mm

 

[RODSRUS]

I should have added 0.1mm is .004" close enough

 

[Ray Bell]

This is the very reason I joined a Men's Shed A year or so ago...

The one I joined has a couple of lathes and a mill and a bunch of blokes who know what they're doing, they help and advise, or if you're not confident they might even make the bushing for you. Such bushings would not be hard to make at all, I would make a pair in the same fifteen minutes, or maybe twenty, as johnsongrass1 above and I've only started to use the lathe when I joined the Men's Shed.

Sort of 'first day at machinists' school' stuff...

 

[enjenjo]

Tap the 7/16 hole to 14mm 1.5 and bolt it together.

 

[enjenjo]

Tap the 7/16 hole to 14mm 1.5 and bolt it together.

Tap drill size for 14mm 1.5 is 11mm