Tie rod ends rub against tire with Dropped axle

[mark '87 930]

i put some miles on the truck today and put it up on the hoist this evening to check everything... turns out the tie rod ends are rubbing against the tires. There is not much room there to start off with..so i'm not sure what to do.

What have you guys done?
Buy new tires or wheels?
Wheel spacers?
Bent both steering arms?

I'm running 235/70-15 tires on 15" rims with what i think is 4" back spacing. I know backspacing may be the issue here.

[mr48chev]

I had to run spacers on my 48 with 14 inch rims and 205-60-14 tires on it for the same reason without a dropped axle.

I think what I would do is put it back on the hoist and pull one of the wheels off (do the one that looks like it is rubbing the most) and stack some flat washers on each stud and bolt the wheel back on and see if you have clearance. DO NOT DRIVE IT THAT WAY. The thickness of the washer stacks it takes to clear the tie rods is the thickness of the spacers you need.

The other options are to change to rims with less back spacing or change to the newer style tie rod ends that should give you more clearance and probably tighten up the steering a bit. If you already changed tie rod ends it's plan A or B.

[mark '87 930]

I already have 1/4" between the tie rod end and the tire (about half that with it on the ground).. my guess is that it rubs when i turn somewhat hard. The sidewall likely walks over in that direction depending on which way i turn. Do you think 1/4 spacers would do it?

That would give me about 3/8" of space when it it is on the ground.. or i go to 1/2" spacers.

[mr48chev]

That is why I suggested putting washers behind the wheel to help figure it out.

I'm wondering why the clearance changes when you put the weight on the tires because it shouldn't unless something is loose. With an I beam axle good king pins and good and properly adjusted wheel bearings the relationship between those components shouldn't change with weigh on or off.

[mark '87 930]

The weight of the truck alone makes the tire bulge, albeit at the bottom, but wouldn't it make the whole tire slightly wider.. or at least that makes sense to me that it would.

Kings pins are new and wheel bearings have all been adjusted.

If i go to 1/2 spacers, I will need to change out the wheel studs, or switch to open ended nuts instead of closed end lug nuts.

[mr48chev]

I don't think you need 1/2 inch, in this situation a miss is as good as a mile and as long as it clears all the time and from lock to lock you are good. If I needed a half inch I think I would be changing rims rather than using spacers and changing studs.

[mark '87 930]

ok. I'll get 1/4 and try it. I tightened up the wheel bearings (newer taper roller ones). I was always taught that bearings should be just barely touching the washer and that the wheel has just enough play that you feel it (with wheel on). I tightened them up 1/8 so the cotter pin fits into the next gap in the nut. Feels too tight though and has some resistance when turning the wheel.

Thanks for the input.

[roger55]

Originally Posted by mark '87 930

i put some miles on the truck today and put it up on the hoist this evening to check everything... turns out the tie rod ends are rubbing against the tires. There is not much room there to start off with..so i'm not sure what to do.

What have you guys done?
Buy new tires or wheels?
Wheel spacers?
Bent both steering arms?

I'm running 235/70-15 tires on 15" rims with what i think is 4" back spacing. I know backspacing may be the issue here.

New style or original style tie rod ends?

[mark '87 930]

newer style for sure, just don't know how new they are. They are now exactly like the CPP ones in that the threaded end that goes onto the bar is female threaded, not male.

I could take a picture, but they are definitely newer style. I have to flip them over onto the bottom of the steering arms when i went with the dropped axle.

[roger55]

Originally Posted by mark '87 930

newer style for sure, just don't know how new they are. They are now exactly like the CPP ones in that the threaded end that goes onto the bar is female threaded, not male.

I could take a picture, but they are definitely newer style. I have to flip them over onto the bottom of the steering arms when i went with the dropped axle.

That's what I was wondering, whether you tried them both ways or not.

[mark '87 930]

I can't put them on top as they are stock, the bar will not clear the springs.

[roger55]

I have the new style from CPP on mine and have them on the top. But, it's stock height.
Tried them on the bottom and they rub the tire. Top is fine.

[NEWFISHER]

Sid at dropped axles . com sells bent steering arms for this concearn. I have purchased his, I have added longer studs with spacers and I have bent my steering arms and re aligned the current truck. On the next huild if I have the cash, ill buy sids arms. If i dont, I will bend them again myself.

[mark '87 930]

i thought all he did was reverse the taper, but bending makes sense. I can do that on my own. Thanks for the suggestion... likely the least expensive one..

[Old Crow]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

I'm wondering why the clearance changes when you put the weight on the tires because it shouldn't unless something is loose. With an I beam axle good king pins and good and properly adjusted wheel bearings the relationship between those components shouldn't change with weigh on or off.

I don't think it's actually anything with the truck itself changing, probably running radial tires. They'll bulge at the bottom with the weight of the truck on them, and they'll probably flex enough to rub the tie rod ends when cornering above parking lot speeds.

[_Ogre]

I tightened up the wheel bearings (newer taper roller ones). I was always taught that bearings should be just barely touching the washer and that the wheel has just enough play that you feel it (with wheel on).

that would correct for roller bearing, for tapered bearings i usually snug them up while turning the hub until you feel a bit of bind and then back it off 1/4 to 1/2 turn. roller bearing want to be a little tighter. loose bearings may be your only problem.

[mark '87 930]

i'll chalk up the tires and go for a spirited toot to see if it rubs again with the tighter bearing nut.

Thanks again guys, great to have this board.

[_Ogre]

go for a spirited toot

oh those crazy canucks

[NEWFISHER]

Lol.

[mark '87 930]

Lol.. i guess i wasn't thinking of how that sounds...

[_Ogre]

i think we all understood
just never heard it put that way

[NEWFISHER]

Fyi just bolted up some 17x7s with 4.5 backspace and they clear by a mile.

[71swb4x4]

Originally Posted by NEWFISHER

Fyi just bolted up some 17x7s with 4.5 backspace and they clear by a mile.

Dang, that's a lot of clearance.

[mark '87 930]

the bulge of the tire would be at a different spot with 17"s though would it not? I installed 1/4" spacers today and will go for a drive tomorrow to see. I hope that does it, otherwise i'm having to bend the arms.

[mark '87 930]

just to update everyone, I added 1/4" spaces, and it's still not enough. I will have to bend the steering arms. I'll try to do that this evening.