'66 Tie Rod sleeve?

[Ian S.]

Hello,

My Tie rod sleeves each have a slight rolled lip on one end and a bevel on the other. Does it matter which end you install the tie rod end into?

Thanks,

Ian

[Mike M.]

Re: '66 Tie Rod sleeve?

as i recall, the thread on one end is left hand thread and other end is right hand thread so you'll have to install the appropriatly threaded tie rod end into is appropriatly threaded sleeve end.. mike

[Joe L.]

Re: '66 Tie Rod sleeve?

Ian and Mike-----

Yup, that's how it is.

[Mike McKown]

Re: '66 Tie Rod sleeve?

So you would have one tie-rod end with a left hand thread and one with a right hand thread? Right? If so, which tie rod goes on which side? Or, are both tie rod ends right hand threads? Somebody will undoubtably ask.

[Dick W.]

Re: '66 Tie Rod sleeve?

Yes, you have one tie rod end that is left threaded and one right threaded. RH threads go on the right side of the car. Your center steering link is threaded the same way except the LH and RH threads are opposite of the tie rod ends.

[Joe L.]

Re: '66 Tie Rod sleeve?

Mike-----

Yes, each tie rod assembly consists of 1 RH thread tie rod end, 1 LH thread tie rod end, and one sleeve which has RH thread on one end and LH thread on the other end.

Now, as to which end goes where when the tie rods are installed on the car, there is some controversy. That's why I didn't get into that in my original post. GM says that the right hand thread tie rod ends go on the OUTER position. Presumably, this means that on each side of the car they are on the "wheel end". GM says that the LH threaded rods go on the INNER position. Presumably, this means at the position towards the center of the chassis.

Some folks think that the position of the tie rod ends as originally installed on the car was different than described above and it may very well have been the case. I've never been able to cobnfirm it one way or the other. The steering assemblies used on Corvettes were delivered to St. Louis as an assembly. So, we can get no help on this from the AIM.

As a practical matter, it does not matter in which position that the tie rod ends are installed. The only thing that is affected is which direction of turn of the sleeve is required to expand or contract the tie rod assembly.

Unfortunately, in no GM-sourced service information have I been able to find anything which describes installation of the tie rod ends as to which end goes where. Also, I have not been able to find any information as to which direction of turn is supposed to expand and contract the rod on either side. If I knew this, for sure, I'd be able to figure out which tie rod end goes where. I do know, for sure, though, that the sleeves on BOTH SIDES are to be rotated in the same direction (e.g. toward the front of the car) to either expand or contract.

[Patrick H.]

Re: '66 Tie Rod sleeve?

So wouldn't one look at a Bowtie car pretty much give you the answer?

Patrick

[Joe L.]

Re: '66 Tie Rod sleeve?

Patrick-----

That might or might not work. It would depend upon whether one was able to discern the left hand versus right hand thread based upon the visible, exposed thread. Plus, there's always the possibility that the rods have been off the car and changed as to position on re-assembly. Even a Bow-Tie car offers no guarantee of 100% originality and this is just the sort of thing that might have been changed.

Plus, it's too easy just to look at a car and figure it out. I need something more complicated and difficult to keep me happy.

[Eugene B.]

Re: '66 Tie Rod sleeve?

Joe et al,
Just looked at my original '65. The only time the tie rods were off is when I took them off and I marked them with color coded wire ties so that I could reinstall them exactly as they were removed.

One end of the tie rod has a slight groove machined around it (about a 1/4" back from the end). I did not try to determine whether the grooved end is the RH or LH thread end. However, the grooved end of the tie rod is installed to the outboard (wheel) side of the car.

Hope this information is helpful.

Best regards,
Gene

[John H.]

Re: '66 Tie Rod sleeve?

I can't locate them at the moment, but I have (somewhere) a set of steering linkage process sheets from Chevrolet-Buffalo that indicate that the LH thread ends go inboard to the relay rod and the RH thread ends go at the wheel end. This was done so the toe-in pit operator could get both wheels pointed relatively straight ahead (while the steering wheel was clamped in the straight-ahead position) by turning both sleeves in the same direction until one wheel was in spec for toe-in on his dial, then he'd turn the other sleeve in whatever direction was required to bring that wheel into spec on the other dial, verify total toe, then position and tighten the clamps.

[Mike McKown]

Re: '66 Tie Rod sleeve?

John:

That's the way the Blue Oval people did it for the same reasons using similar concept toe-in equipment.

[Patrick H.]

Re: '66 Tie Rod sleeve?

"Plus, it's too easy just to look at a car and figure it out. I need something more complicated and difficult to keep me happy."

I got a good laugh out of that one, Joe.

Patrick