steering links wall thickness

[XJ_ranger]

what is a good wall thickness for steering links?

bulletproof steering offers .22" , .375" and .5"
All Pro offroad's steering systems are .25"
Parts' Mike's steering systems are .188"

.188" being 3/16" wall is pretty thick i think, but it seems weak compared to what the other guys are selling... (i am going to buy metal this week for steering)

what does everyone run?

i am looking at running 1.188" DOM with a .25" wall thickness (if i can find it) giving me an 11/16" ID which is the correct ID for 3/4"-16 UNF threads.

this will just be for the steering links - i have an RRO track bar (unfortunately) that will work for now... (maybe)

Thanks again guys
-Ranger

 

[Bender]

To properly compare the various steering linkages offered you really need to know the O.D of each and the material it's made from. A smaller O.D. tube with a thick wall may be easier to bend than a larger I.D. tube with a thinner wall.

Your setup will definitely be stronger than stock but if you're looking to go "bombproof" or if you tend to hit your steering a lot there is a larger size DOM with 11/16" I.D. I believe it's
1 7/16" O.D x .375 wall or something similar to that. I'm sure your steel guy can let you know.

 

[Roxtar]

Mine is 1.5"OD X 3/16 wall.
I bent a 1 ton TRE without bending the tie rod.

 

[bj-666]

it is sometimes nice to have a tierod that will bend before you break a heim joint or tierod end. you can bend back a tierod pretty good but it is kinda hard to stick a tierod end back together with duct tape:laugh3:

 

[fatwreck]

Mine is 1.5" DOM with .25" wall.

I built it with poison spyder ends and I thought for sure that it would be the last steering setup that I ever had to build for my 44.....but that wasn't the case. I bent the tie rod after the XJ fell on a rock pretty hard.

That was about a year ago now though....and I haven't had to make another one since.

 

[tealcherokee]

go nuts....cold rolled solid stock

 

[CRASH]

I use 1.25"x.25" wall.

I've bent it once, and I've also bent a 1 ton TRE with it, so it sems like a nice middle ground.

 

[MrShoeBoy]

I use 1.25"x.25" wall.

I've bent it once, and I've also bent a 1 ton TRE with it, so it sems like a nice middle ground.

I run the same size tube on my steering and have had no issues with it as of yet. I typically try to avoid hitting rocks and such.....

AARON

 

[RCP Phx]

How about one that can take a hit and still spring back?
Alumi-flex

 

[Rock Yacht]

1.3125" X .250" 1026 Dom

 

[XJ_ranger]

went to two metal supply houses localy, and DOM and HREW tube are hard to come by with a 11/16" ID, so now i am looking at running some solid stock and
"machining" it out and taping that - my machinist friend can do that really easily

is there any dis-advantage to doing that?
i can get a whole 10' stick of 1-3/8" round stock for about 25.00

would it be better to machine out the whole rod? i could do that too...

also - what about buying the ID tube that i need with a thinner wall and sleveing it with another piece plug welding along the way?
In effect making my own "thick wall" tube...

 

[cruzmyxj]

Mine is 1.25 cold rolled solid steel.

 

[MMIXJ]

i'm no fab expert, but i just remember from physics class demos that a hollow tube is stronger
than a solid rod (i.e. won't bend as easily).

that said, at least you could bend a solid rod back more easily if/when it does bend.

:dunno:

 

[Roxtar]

i'm no fab expert, but i just remember from physics class demos that a hollow tube is stronger
than a solid rod (i.e. won't bend as easily).

that said, at least you could bend a solid rod back more easily if/when it does bend.

:dunno:

SPOBI
That is one of the biggest myths in metalworking.
It comes from the fact that steel is sold per pound not per size and length.
The truth is this; tube is stronger than solid per pound not per size.
IOW, say you need 3 feet of length. Ten pounds of tube three feet long will be stronger than ten pounds of solid will be. Of course the solid will be a much smaller diameter than the tube.
2" of solid will, however, be much stronger than, say, 2" X 1.5" of tube.
See for yourself, get a 1/2" OD piece of tube and a 1/2" OD of solid bar and try to bend them both. It'll become pretty obvious.

 

[Dirk Pitt]

SPOBI
That is one of the biggest myths in metalworking.
It comes from the fact that steel is sold per pound not per size and length.
The truth is this; tube is stronger than solid per pound not per size.
IOW, say you need 3 feet of length. Ten pounds of tube three feet long will be stronger than ten pounds of solid will be. Of course the solid will be a much smaller diameter than the tube.
2" of solid will, however, be much stronger than, say, 2" X 1.5" of tube.
See for yourself, get a 1/2" OD piece of tube and a 1/2" OD of solid bar and try to bend them both. It'll become pretty obvious.

Concur, the only application where tube is stronger is in cantilever configuration (supported at one end, not at the other, think diving board). At a certain length the solid stock would not be strong enough to support it's own weight, where tube would.

 

[XJ_ranger]

Concur, the only application where tube is stronger is in cantilever configuration (supported at one end, not at the other, think diving board). At a certain length the solid stock would not be strong enough to support it's own weight, where tube would.

net effect being that solid stock is ok for steering?

how does the metal type come into play - is better metal made into tube and a lower grade of metal made into round stock?

 

[BrettM]

net effect being that solid stock is ok for steering?

how does the metal type come into play - is better metal made into tube and a lower grade of metal made into round stock?

solid is fine if you're not being anal about weight. there are all different grades of steel for tube, pipe and solid, so be sure to check out what you're getting. my thinking is get the OD at/over 1.25 and the wall at/over .188 and it will be plenty strong. mine is currently a sleeved solid chevy tie-rod, for a total of 1.31" solid, so far so good

 

[PFunk242]

Well i'm prety sure it is a bit of over kill but i picked up some solid one inch round stock for when i do me steering soon. I am going to drill out and tap the ends. Should take some abuse.

 

[BrettM]

Well i'm prety sure it is a bit of over kill but i picked up some solid one inch round stock for when i do me steering soon. I am going to drill out and tap the ends. Should take some abuse.

actually that won't be that strong. that's what my stock Waggy tie-rod was (1" solid) and it bent pretty easily. I bet if you ran the numbers 1.25" .188 wall would be stronger in bending. OD influences the bending strength more than wall thickness.

 

[XJ_ranger]

cool

ill pick up the 1-3/8" round stock on the way to the shop friday - friday is fab day for me...