Yep, Replacing the rod with a tube would also require bending it to the same dog leg curve..
I have been doing some engineering of the idea. I could cut off the steering gear ball joint and weld on a tube (a standard 1/2" steel pipe has a very close ID needed), tap the tube end with a 11/16-20 thread to match the ball joint used on the tie rod. I would then slit the tube with a hack saw and put on the same clamp that is used on the tie rod. This works because the steering gear end (Pittman arm) of the reach rod has the same taper as the ball joints on the tie rod.
I'm going to put this on my list after I get other billion others things done.
BTW, the ball joint I have has no threads on it...
Posted on Aug 16, 2011, 11:02 AM from IP address 71.191.64.167