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M35 torque rod inserts

gimpyrobb

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Ok boys and girls, this post is way overdue and I apologize to Bigmike and the rest of you.



Back in March I was contacted by Bigmike that he had some dog bone rod ends he wanted me to test out. We worked out an agreement and he shipped me 8. Some were rebuilds and some were new, but of a different design.


I took off all 4 of my bottom dog bones to swap these in. The round ones (new design) were a tad harder to keep straight while pressing them in, but no big deal if your watching what your doing.
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Also, when pressing the old bushings out, be careful not to catch the dogbone itself, you will bend it pretty easily!
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A comparison shot of the old one I removed and the rod with Mike's new ends in it.
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I planned and had them installed for my trip to the June Haspin event. Rest assured, I put them through their paces and stretched them as much as possible. They performed like a champ and so far I am quite pleased. Anyone that has been wheeling with me can attest I push my suspension as far as it will go. Because I was driving, I had others take pics of my truck while wheeling. Here is where the story gets crappy. Westy had his girlfriend take the pics since she had a sweet dslr camera, but they broke up before I was able to get any of the pics. I'm sure you can all picture my deuce stretched out to it's max at an off-road park, so we will leave it at that. :gimp2:

Aside from Haspin, I have done some city driving and have had no complaints. The rod ends have been installed less than a year, so I will make sure I post updates every so often. If anyone has any questions, feel free to post up and I will do my best to answer you.
 

gringeltaube

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Nice! I like those "round" ends; they seem to be the trick, really...! At least the whole thing wouldn't come apart - even when/if the rubber separated from the outer sleeve. Which is the most common failure, for the normal, straight ends.













Oh, and about those pics "lost"... Excuses!? Maybe he broke her hard - but not the camera, or? What are you waiting for? Get her number, tell her that your credibility is at risk, after what you had just posted! The whole SS-community now wants to see those pics - or nothing ever happened ...:p:mrgreen:
 

bigmike

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FWIW, I'm working out how to obtain a volume of these torque rod inserts. Once that's done, I'll have pricing ready for SS members.
 

DavidWymore

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Nice! I like those "round" ends; they seem to be the trick, really...! At least the whole thing wouldn't come apart - even when/if the rubber separated from the outer sleeve. Which is the most common failure, for the normal, straight ends
Is the end captured somehow on the round ones?

I have an idea to make some races/cups to make the dogbones rebuildable like a "Johnny Joint".
 
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tobyS

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Is the end captured somehow on the round ones?

I have an idea to make some races/cups to make the dogbones rebuildable like a "Johnny Joint".
Would you use HDPE or maybe UHMW plastics for a bearing? I bet there is a molded part about the right size and shape.
 

DavidWymore

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Would you use HDPE or maybe UHMW plastics for a bearing? I bet there is a molded part about the right size and shape.
The trick is, the ball is not a ball, it's a football. It will only swivel so much until bind. It may have to be modified = machined, but that may weaken it. I had one apart and cleaned up to experiment with somewhere around here...
 

tobyS

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We used to put torsion axles together by nitrogen freezing rubber in a triangle mold and then it would expand to fit the (square in square) space. I thought maybe a similar process was used in making these. Yes...it would be interesting to see one dissected for the inner components.

I have some semi parts that are similar...was thinking about a 4 link (going to one rear axle) and air ride using them on top.
 

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DavidWymore

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We used to put torsion axles together by nitrogen freezing rubber in a triangle mold and then it would expand to fit the (square in square) space. I thought maybe a similar process was used in making these. Yes...it would be interesting to see one dissected for the inner components.

I have some semi parts that are similar...was thinking about a 4 link (going to one rear axle) and air ride using them on top.
Those semi links are only designed to move up and down and twist only a little in and out of driveways. A deuce offroad flexes/twists/articulates a lot.

Deuce links are vulcanized together.
 

tobyS

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Those semi links are only designed to move up and down and twist only a little in and out of driveways. A deuce offroad flexes/twists/articulates a lot.

Deuce links are vulcanized together.
Thought so but I haven't studied them. I'd love to see a cross section. Are the ones above "rounded" also a vulcanized rubber joint?

Re use of the trailer axle link, my purpose is not an off road vehicle, it's to smooth ride on the road and adjust for a load on a 4x4. If I have enough, I'd rebuild all of the links using them outside of the frame. Then there would be a Watts link behind the axle for side stability.

But I admit, I'm much more likely to sell the (97) M35A3 than make such a major change. More likely is a dump bed.. I have PTO hydraulics and a telescoping cylinder.
 
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