Steering rod ends pt. 2

I'm pretty happy with the way this project turned out.

I left off yesterday with all the pieces off the truck and ready to go back on, so after Eric and I picked up some new hardware, everything was ready to go back on. Along with the tubes, the clamps got a little cleanup with the wire wheel:



Everything got a quick coat of chassis black. I like the way this replicates the from-the-factory black. Looks like it will be easy to touch up while on the truck, also.



I upgraded the hardware with some real tough zinc-plated stuff. Home Depot is open until 6pm on Easter Sunday, by the way.



NOTE: When replacing tie rod ends, remember that the drag link end and the driver side relay rod end are the same, but the passenger side relay rod end has a longer shank. They look very similar.



We got everything cinched up, put the wheels back on and measured toe-in again. I was able to use the marks on the board from the first time around- that's how dead-on the toe-in was.



Looks pretty good:



Thanks to Eric for all the help today. We took it down to get some gas after putting it back on the ground, and I couldn't believe how neutral the steering had remained. You can let go of the wheel for 10 seconds and hardly wander in the lane. Our attempts to adjust the drag link in order to get the steering wheel straight failed, so I'll have to take it off and straighten it up.