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Waterloo

(04-05-2017 )Rawze Wrote: My last set of M710 drive tires lasted me 457,000 miles and still had roughly 5/32 tread on them when I changed them. I changed them because they were slipping in the snow and ice more than i liked.

R283 Steers last me about 140-180k miles. It is that Hendrickson air suspension front-end that takes its toll on steers and gets them with all its rubber joints and bushings. I think they would last longer if it were not for that.

Agree on that front suspension. My Volvo had that airbag setup, I hated it, and ate the crap out of steer tires. My ProStar with the old school springs, I just turned 200,000 on my Michelins, they still look like new. High speed balance and yearly alignment at an old school shop by a very competent tech. Drives are at 100,000 and still look new. I still need to do the bearings...

Nilao

What tire shop are you using Waterloo? My toe is out and I can't break the draglink loose. I bent a pipe wrench trying to bust it loose. My toe is measuring 1/8" out but the laser alignment shops all I can find and they say it's in spec. But I know someone doing it old school could set it without unloading the suspension which is changing the geometry enough to show it off n spec on the turntables.

Waterloo

Meekhof Tire
1608 Cooper St.
Jackson, MI 49202
517-782-9747

They are a block off of I-94 and you need an appointment, usually booked out two to three weeks for alignments. They do not do the repairs, but they will tell you if you have a bent axle or other problems. The kid there is damn good, this is the place every mechanic in town will send you.

Your drag link, have you tried heat?

Call the number, and ask for the guy that does the alingments and tell him what your problem is and ask his advise. Everyone goes to him, farmers, truckers, everyone. You need a frame shop, and there are not that many out there anymore that have a clue... We had a bunch up here, but the old guys are now dead or retired. The new bunch couldn't fix a cord on a toaster.

Nilao

I didn't want to apply too much heat and melt the rubber boots on the tie rod ends.

Waterloo

Pull the tie rods off...

Nilao

I can't. That's what the draglinks stuck on lol. I'll probably drape a wet towel Oder then and heat that rod up till it glows. It that doesn't break the threads loose then I guess I'll just buy new tie rod ends and draglink.

kmk

Wingfoot in South Holland,IL is one of the few alignment places in Chicagoland area that I would trust.Chuck does it old school and is damn good at it.

Magard

(04-21-2017 )Nilao Wrote: I didn't want to apply too much heat and melt the rubber boots on the tie rod ends.

Heat the tube. Try not to let the heat get to far out to the ends. The direction your torch points makes a difference. Point it away from tie rod end. I had the same problem and heat with wd40 broke them loose. Use wd40 to cool tie rod ends and manage heat. Don't get two red with the heat. Dull red just able to see it. I wasn't liking it but what else could you do. Rubber boots isn't what bothered me. It was all the tork I had to aply to the ball joints and steering arms that bothered me. But it worked and didn't even hurt the rubber. Floor jack keeping constant tork on end of pipe wrench while heating. Wd40 is just what I had. Any penetrating oil in a can that sprays a stream will work.

Rawze

(04-23-2017 )Magard Wrote:
(04-21-2017 )Nilao Wrote: I didn't want to apply too much heat and melt the rubber boots on the tie rod ends.
Heat the tube. Try not to let the heat get to far out to the ends. The direction your torch points makes a difference. Point it away from tie rod end. I had the same problem and heat with wd40 broke them loose. Use wd40 to cool tie rod ends and manage heat. Don't get two red with the heat. Dull red just able to see it. I wasn't liking it but what else could you do. Rubber boots isn't what bothered me. It was all the tork I had to aply to the ball joints and steering arms that bothered me. But it worked and didn't even hurt the rubber. Floor jack keeping constant tork on end of pipe wrench while heating. Wd40 is just what I had. Any penetrating oil in a can that sprays a stream will work.

Mine were stuck. I removed the locking clamps. I soaked the joint in 50/50 Dextron/acetone mix for a bit. Then used used a couple 3-foot aluminum pipe wrenches. One against the pavement to keep it from stressing the joints and the other with a cheater on it and it broke right loose.