Draglink tension

[Stef]

Replaced the cups, springs etc on the draglink....how tight should the springs be?
The new ones are slightly longer than the old ones, guess the old ones are just worn. I turned the tension screws deep enough for the split pin to fit +- another half turn.

[Mud Dog]

I'm not sure what the specs are, but I would want to minimise any excessive play. So I would nip them up to the point where they come up stiff and then release slightly to the first available split-pin hole.

[Stef]

Kinda what I thought, but I wanted some more tension so that it is a bit stiffer to prevent steering play on bad roads. Was just afraid of making it too tight and bending the link in the event of hitting a pothole for example.

[Mud Dog]

No, you won't just bend the link that easily unless you have changed it from straight to a "goose neck" shape - even then I think it will require some serious force.

What I think about over-tightening it is that the balls might be worn out of shape a little and the new cups may come under a bit more pressure on turns which might damage them. I would also check them for play after a couple of months after they have had chance to bed in.

[Bliksempie]

No, you won't just bend the link that easily unless you have changed it from straight to a "goose neck" shape - even then I think it will require some serious force.

What I think about over-tightening it is that the balls might be worn out of shape a little and the new cups may come under a bit more pressure on turns which might damage them. I would also check them for play after a couple of months after they have had chance to bed in.

Dit is wat ek opgetel het nadat ek myne ook vervang het Stefan. Daar was effe play gewees na 'n ruk, en ek het dit net weer stywer gedraai.

[Stef]

I doubt if one would get excessive wear as a result of more tension...if you look at the drag link the spring is in the front part of the barrel on one end and in the rear part on the other end. The latter being on the steering box side if memory serves

So my reasoning is that when turning you would only have one spring in action for left turn and one for right turn due to the push & pull action from steering box.

When turning there is still x amount of force required to turn the wheels , so the spring will be compressed until the force required to compress the spring any further is greater than the force required to turn the wheels.

Thus in essence by turning the screw-plug the spring is pre-tensioned and the amount of pre-tension will determine the play..in other words how far must the spring compress before the wheels start turning left/right

So in my mind under tensioning would cause the cups to hammer against the balls,wearing them out, whilst over tensioning would lessen the shock absorbsion between the steering box and the rest thus wearing the steering box out.

What is the happy medium then?

[Bliksempie]

Stefan,

I tested the function on the springs inside the draglink. They don't give way when turning the wheel left to right. I therefore can only assume they are there for protecting the ball joint when the wheel strikes a obstacle or something. So, to my knowledge you can tighten the screw until there is no play whatsoever between the ball joint and the draglink. That is what i did with mine, after realising that 2mm play between ball joint and housing makes a vast difference in handling.

[LouisZ]

Ek vra dat iemand my help. Draai eers die kante in sodat die splitpin kan net net ingaan, haal uit die splitpin. Die person binne beweeg die stuurwiel links na regs heeltyd. Ek stel die een kant in totdat ek sien dat die pin het speeling van so 2 tot 3mm. Dieselfde vir die anderkant.

Die idee is om die pin te laat druk met minimale beweging wat die spring dit toelaat. Die beweging is ook genoeg om 'n direkte skok van klip ens te absorber.

[Stef]

Tx Louis

Neem aan jy doen dit met die bakkie wat op sy wiele staan?
Ek druk sommer my arm deur die venster en kyk so hoeveel grade die stuurwiel draai voor die wiele reageer, draai natuurlik moeiliker waneer die bakkie stil staan so mens moet maar ry ook.

PS ek het nie die "ball pins" vervang nie, net cups, springs rubbers en skroewe. Balle het nog mooi gelyk teenor die nuwes. Cups het so klein bietjie slytasie gehad. Nuwe springs is amper een draai langer as die oues

[LouisZ]

Jip, net soos jy se.