I am restoring power steering to my 1970 Cougar Eliminator and I have all of the parts. I’m having an issue when installing the inner tie rod ends to the drag link. The bolt studs on the tie-rod ends only insert into the center drag link to be flush at the surface of the nut side. Is this a press fit situation or do I have an incompatible mix of parts? I was hoping to get the threaded stud far enough that the nut would be able to pull the tie-rod end into the drag link and fully seat. The size difference is about 0.005" too large for the hole (which is tapered?).
Thanks in advance,
Chuck
BTW, the Marti report shows this car as having been made with power steering but it has been manual since I bought the car new as a demonstrator in 1970. It was originally raced out of Roger Harmon Motors in San Bernardino, CA as “The Top Cat”.
I bought the parts from WCCC so they are correct but I’m wondering if the tie-rod ends were manufactured in China and may not be exactly true-to-design.
I have the parts at home with me and was thinking or pressing the bolt studs into the drag link with my hydraulic press but doing that seems very odd to me. Shouldn’t the stud at least go into the drag link hole far enough for some threads to show through on the other side? Enough so that tightening the nut would draw the stud in and properly seat it?
No press needed. Taper fit on all tie ends to drag link, and to spindle. Ball joints too. So, pic would help answer. Tie rods should be avail, again Rock, but they don’t look exactly like orig. Royce covered doing factory tierods.
Could be a '69 after all. The bar mic’s at 0.7545" so '69! Dang. This is a 1970 car made in October of 1969 and it has 1969 smog on it also.
So I’m guessing I’ll need Inner tie rod ends for a 1969 Cougar or a 1970 Drag Link. Sheesh!
Maybe this is not even a Mercury drag-link that I have. I bought the link and power cylinder on-line and rebuilt the whole shmear a couple of years back. Now I’m finding out the subtleties.
