I will make space in my sponsor threads for this since it is not really a how to and is not proven yet.
This is some information I thought I would share while I can, and at some point develop a tie rod replacement, if needed.
It seems now in my area NAPA is supplying standard 16mm tie rods while the local ex-Hummer dealer told me he did not show any in the system. I don't know how accurate that is at this time but has happened before. There could be some dealers do not want to show theirs in the system, if that is possible.
I did find that I could have other tie rods modded to fit if that became necessary, but have not pursued the building of bigger shaft tie rods.
The reason I stopped there for now is that by doing this using the standard type fittings but a stronger tie rod shaft goes against the "fuse" theory and the reason I followed thru with the Bulletproof design work to fit an H3.
A 1500 series truck tie rod is 16mm but the inner end is bigger and so is the threaded part that goes in the rack. The machine shop I use said they could turn down the bigger diameter end, turn down the bigger threads and recut to fit the rack with the flat surface area the fits the end of the rack. The are also a tad long and would have to be cut and some threads added up the shaft.
Weird thing is 2500 series truck tie rods are 14mm and the inner connection has smaller threads than the 1500 but bigger than the H3.
Where I was going with this was Fabtech made those larger shaft tie rods that will fit an H2 but I think they use 2500 truck fittings that fit the H2. Anybody know that for sure, like have an H2? So same deal this place I use said they could take those and cut down the inner threads and assembly to fit the H3 rack.
That was only an attempt to see what would be required to do that should another source not be found.
Funny thing is my local yocal NAPA dealer out in the burbs is a block behind the old Hummer dealer on the main hwy and has H3 tie rods in stock!
There were a bunch of H3's bought down here locally that are daily drivers. I saw 5 today, all were women driving and three used ones at dealers.
The inner fitting has to go inside the outer rack tube thus requiring the ones I looked at to be turned down and the thread size changed.
1500 series truck top
H3 bottom
Here was an idea that was before the BulletProof tie rod decision. I at one time had the contact info from the people that made this several hard drives ago. They at the time were not interested in doing any for the H3 without having one at their facility.
I went with the BP design after contacting them and their willingness to try it.
BP of course was concerned about the strength of this smaller clevis, but who knows. The have lots of articulation on the inner connection but the outer is still limited and looks to be about maxed out in this photo and the inner is barely using up it's ability to move. The connection between the two where the threads are looks to only be about 16mm and in my broken tie rod thread several of those broke at that point.
By the way this was on a Ford and I am still trying to find the info I had on it.
This is some information I thought I would share while I can, and at some point develop a tie rod replacement, if needed.
It seems now in my area NAPA is supplying standard 16mm tie rods while the local ex-Hummer dealer told me he did not show any in the system. I don't know how accurate that is at this time but has happened before. There could be some dealers do not want to show theirs in the system, if that is possible.
I did find that I could have other tie rods modded to fit if that became necessary, but have not pursued the building of bigger shaft tie rods.
The reason I stopped there for now is that by doing this using the standard type fittings but a stronger tie rod shaft goes against the "fuse" theory and the reason I followed thru with the Bulletproof design work to fit an H3.
A 1500 series truck tie rod is 16mm but the inner end is bigger and so is the threaded part that goes in the rack. The machine shop I use said they could turn down the bigger diameter end, turn down the bigger threads and recut to fit the rack with the flat surface area the fits the end of the rack. The are also a tad long and would have to be cut and some threads added up the shaft.
Weird thing is 2500 series truck tie rods are 14mm and the inner connection has smaller threads than the 1500 but bigger than the H3.
Where I was going with this was Fabtech made those larger shaft tie rods that will fit an H2 but I think they use 2500 truck fittings that fit the H2. Anybody know that for sure, like have an H2? So same deal this place I use said they could take those and cut down the inner threads and assembly to fit the H3 rack.
That was only an attempt to see what would be required to do that should another source not be found.
Funny thing is my local yocal NAPA dealer out in the burbs is a block behind the old Hummer dealer on the main hwy and has H3 tie rods in stock!
There were a bunch of H3's bought down here locally that are daily drivers. I saw 5 today, all were women driving and three used ones at dealers.
The inner fitting has to go inside the outer rack tube thus requiring the ones I looked at to be turned down and the thread size changed.
1500 series truck top
H3 bottom
Here was an idea that was before the BulletProof tie rod decision. I at one time had the contact info from the people that made this several hard drives ago. They at the time were not interested in doing any for the H3 without having one at their facility.
I went with the BP design after contacting them and their willingness to try it.
BP of course was concerned about the strength of this smaller clevis, but who knows. The have lots of articulation on the inner connection but the outer is still limited and looks to be about maxed out in this photo and the inner is barely using up it's ability to move. The connection between the two where the threads are looks to only be about 16mm and in my broken tie rod thread several of those broke at that point.
By the way this was on a Ford and I am still trying to find the info I had on it.
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