Superbird Tie rod Tube or Sleeve Length?

[62 Max]

Hi John, Size matters!   My Hemi 'bird has 8" and I have the original front end from Superbird RM23U0A174651, also 8". WINGNUT

Pete,
Thanks for your measurements!
We now have 4 Superbirds with 8" sleeves and 3 with 8 1/4" sleeves.
I hope others take the time during this off season to measure their's.
MJ

John,mine are original 8",don't take this the wrong way "BUT" does it really matter ?

[Mopar John]

Hi John, Size matters!   My Hemi 'bird has 8" and I have the original front end from Superbird RM23U0A174651, also 8". WINGNUT

Pete,
Thanks for your measurements!
We now have 4 Superbirds with 8" sleeves and 3 with 8 1/4" sleeves.
I hope others take the time during this off season to measure their's.
MJ

John,mine are original 8",don't take this the wrong way "BUT" does it really matter ?

62 Max,
Thanks for measuring your tie rod sleeves!
Here is why it matters to me:
If we come to a conclusion on what length is correct it will help me decide which sleeves to use.
The ones that I have on the Superbird are decent but I have found some better ones.
MJ

[bannedbird]

Could the factory where the B-Body was made could have different suppliers, and possibly different lengths?  Maybe track the plant and the approximate assembly date of car?  Like mid-production changes we have seen on other 'Bird parts (e.g. radiator fan). 

So how do "we" note where in production a 'Bird was?  I am asking in general, not necessarily for when putting a motor and front suspension into a body.  Certainly not VON. Received date on the 1970 list? Or VIN? 

I sometimes caution using VIN because a car could be pulled off the line for re-work / repair, or start of assembly delayed for certain paint color run (correct me if I am wrong).  My research into assembly line scenarios had cars pulled off into side work areas for re-work / repairs, then put back on the line.  So, for this thread, delay would be only a few days if not only hours.

[Hemi Head]

What is the correct finish of tie rod sleeve, clamp,and bolt and nut?

[nascarxx29]

What is the correct finish of tie rod sleeve, clamp,and bolt and nut?
[/Possibly comsmoline

[maxwellwedge]

What is the correct finish of tie rod sleeve, clamp,and bolt and nut?

I would say zinc phosphate on each part. That's how it looks on my low mileage cars. Eventually it wore off some in the elements.

[Mopar John]

Some of you may have seen my ad in the parts wanted section for NOS sleeves, clamps and bolts.
Well I have found a nice pair of NOS sleeves but no luck so far on the clamps and bolts.
So I decided to clean up my best clamps and bolts for this.
When I got done wiping off the parts I noticed something!
I have attached some pictures of my parts after cleaning.
Pay attention to the little box area in the lock nuts.
Two of them have red dots and two of them have white dots! ( We now know the white dots are actually tan! ) Thanks Barry!
This must be a left and right or inner and outer color code for the assembly line?
Let me know if you have information on this.
Thanks! MJ

[held1823]

my guess is it identifies the shift the part was made and/or assembled on.  New Castle was a suspension parts plant, and during my years there, white = 1st shift, yellow = 2nd shift, blue = 3rd shift. Service and repaired parts might also have a separate color dab. Occasionally, i run across one of the guys who worked there in 69/70, and will see if anyone recalls how things were marked back then.

[69bfan]

Is that not just a nylon pellet insert into the nut to make sure that it does not back itself off and loose griping force on the clamp and the tube itself.  Possibly they used a different color for a different work shift.  The same technology as the nuts that was used on the fuel tank strap studs.

[maxwellwedge]

Is that not just a nylon pellet insert into the nut to make sure that it does not back itself off and loose griping force on the clamp and the tube itself.  Possibly they used a different color for a different work shift.  The same technology as the nuts that was used on the fuel tank strap studs.

I'm sure it's just different vendors on the nuts.

[Alaskan_TA]

 

I'm sure it's just different vendors on the nuts.

Nope.

As alluded to above, they are Nylocks.

Tan & Red, note that the colors go all the way through & the T & R for Red & Tan is stamped on each nut.

The nuts are all RH thread, but the Red ones were found on the clamp with the RH thread end for the tie rod sleeve & Tan for the LH threaded end of the sleeve;

[Alaskan_TA]

2;

[Alaskan_TA]

Last one;

[Mopar John]

Barry,
Thanks for the reply and pictures with explanations!
I have already gone out to the shop and checked the lock nuts.
I have attached 2 pictures of the back side of the nuts.
Just like you say the red have an "R" and the tan have a "T".
Previously I had stated red and white because I thought the yellowish tint was from the grease.
So it is red and tan.
Thanks! MJ

[Mopar John]

Part 2!
Next I went to my parts stash and grabbed a couple of tie rod assemblies.
The first picture shows the red in the lock nut and the "R" in yellow chalk for right hand thread.
The second picture shows the tan in the lock nut and the "L" in yellow chalk for left hand thread.
The last picture is the back side of the tan lock nut cleaned off showing the "T" Barry spoke of.
How many old tie rods did I scrap with the color keyed lock nuts?
MJ