Seems like getting a male threaded rod end and a coupling nut would be 1000x easier?

FWIW, I know people have talked about concerns on axle length with this, but when I tore my axle apart there was a small amount of wear showing the end of the axle had actually contacted the axle cup. I am sure it happened while I had my camber maxed out around 3.5-4* but if you are in that range often, seems like pulling the hub out a 1/2" might be a good thing for the axle.

 

I haven't had any luck finding a female to male coupler. Also don't know how long it actually needs to be...

 

Use a male rod end and then it's just a coupling nut?

Not saying this is exactly what you need...but they are available in metric sizes.
Metric Male M14x1.5 Rod End

 

Issue is the necessary extension is less than I pictured. Pics from full race Geoff




He mentions cutting down stock tie rods as part of his extension fab, but I can't tell exactly what he did...sort of looks like he cut a chunk out of another tie rod and welded on some threaded rod?

 

I pick up my stuff from Robi on Friday. I was out on vacation for the last 2 weeks. But now I am back and ready to get this damn car back together. As soon as I have all the parts I will post up some pics.

 

So worth mentioning here, in the suspension forum on the "drop spindle" thread their are some difference on the X upright that could be of interest too in this discussion.

 

I would personally never feel safe with that on my car. You didn't even put a proper grip length bolt in it, so you're subjecting the threaded portion of the bolt to shearing forces. And a lock washer instead of a metal-metal lock nut. *scaredface*

 

Pretty cool you can see the bolt shank from those pics. Can you also tell the bolt is a different length in each pic? Pics were taken during fit testing. Thanks for the internet design evaluation, though. ;-)

 

Unless you buy aircraft bolts to length, you have to cut the excess threads off of a hardware store bolt if you want the proper grip length. And since you're not using an aircraft locknut, it's a good bet that's not an aircraft bolt.

I wouldn't run something like that without doubt blue shearing it. Regardless of the bolt.

 

Would be a good idea to add a safety washer on there should the tie-rod end fail.

Not using a tapered fit into the hub and using a coarse thread is giving up a lot of strength though Looks like a grade 5 bolt?

 

In the on me pic, the head looks metric, probably 8.8..

 

Metric 8.8 with 92,000 psi yield. It is 14mm to match the rod end, which is larger than the factory thread on the end of the tapered tie rod end. I drilled out the taper to get a straight fit with the bolt shank. The machined spacer fits flush on the rod end and kuckle side to maximize clamp area when the bolt is torqued. The bolt load when tighted should be in the axial direction if done properly, not shear. That is taken by the through bolted material. This is different than the tapered stock rod end, where the shear load is in the bolt/taper because it is one piece. The spacer is T6061T6. As for extra security, the free end of the bolt through the nut can always be drilled for a cotter pin or wire... you don't have to buy aircraft bolts to get that feature.

 

The safety washer isn't about it loosening up. It's about the rod-end failing. A safety washer prevents a failed rod end from becoming two separate pieces should the ball pull out of the race. Sounds unlikely, but once you get some wear, this is the common failure mode.

As for the design, like all things race car, I'm sure you'll keep an eye on it either way. Keep an eye out for fretting wear on that spacer. Any fretting wear means the bolt is seeing bending loads.

If it's better or worse then a tapered bolt setup, it's hard to say. I wouldn't think what you have will run into issues, but if you do, it will be due to bending loads in that fastener.

 

Safety washer = OD bigger than race so it cannot pull out. Makes sense. I was focused on loose fasteners. Will add to winter upgrade list. Thanks!

 

My comment on it being an aircraft bolt, or not, was related to grip length.


Standard bolts are sold by underhead length, so 99 times out of 100, in order to have proper grip length, you end up with a bunch of extra threaded length. Your picture showed a normal amount of extra threads, but the bolt wasn't cut down, and since you had a regular nut on it, I assumed it wasn't an aircraft bolt. I'm sure you know that you can order aircraft bolts by grip length. It had nothing to do with a cotter pin feature. And that's not even why aircraft nuts have the castle nut look, They are made that way because they are a metal/metal lock nut, but they don't harm the threads like a typical stover nut tends to do, due to that design.


I would still never run something like that in single shear.