Is this not crooked?

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Joined
Mar 30, 2017
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Location
The Netherlands
My Car
73 Grande 351C
71 Mach 1 429CJ
Busy looking at what I will need to restore the steering linkages, I've looked closer at the drag assy and it looks like it's crooked.
Didn't really looked at it from this angle before, but both the eyes for the tie rods balljoints should be on the same line no? (weather is too bad to go crawl under my 73 to check)

On this repop of the linkage, I see it's kinda straight and aligned but not really either.

https://www.npdlink.com/product/rod-assy-drag-link-steering-arm-to-idler/148621/203221

What's best way to fix if the metal is not too hard? Or is finding a replacement the best/only option?

rod_assy2.jpg

rod_assy1.jpg

 
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Thx guys, ok, so if I look at @Stanglover's picts, it's more than clear that it's crooked on 2 planes. Straightening it in the middle of the 2 tie rods eyes shouldn't be a problem, but it looks like the 2 curves where the idler and pitman eyes are have been twisted too. Which make it much harder to fix unless you have a good one to compare the angle/curve. And ofc If I would have one, I would not have to fix that one :D

So looks like during the ancient accident that bended the hood, fender and front apron, the impact forced the wheel to turn and somehow bended it. If these cars could talk...

Soooo: Anybody has a parts car that could miss this baby?
Gonna look around here first tho, as this baby is not the lightest...

 
Fabrice, glad my pics were able to help. You can get drag links aftermarket and I think most vendors will have them. I know NPD does. If it were me, I'd buy MOOG inner and outer tie rods and maybe, a new Idler arm as well. There was a post on this just a few days ago.

 
@Stanglover yes thx, they made clear it what I already thought.

I do plan renew all the components and took already some notes. Moog is fine and great quality and is what I have on my 73. I already ordered Moog's balljoints to replace the upper arms ones on the 71 and looking at a ref for the lower arm. So far no luck and most vendors only offer the bushings or full arms.( I'd love to keep the thicker metal original ones vs a repop). I'll go for same quality for steering components as I did on my 73 as its kind of important :)

@Bentworker That's fantastic and I might PM you very soon about that! I'm in no rush, if this is what you mean about the "catch". I have enough to do elsewhere and the crooked one will do ok for the few times I'd need to turn the wheels!
For now a good friend of mine with tons of mustangs and parts is looking for me to see if he has one laying somewhere doing nothing... I'll let you know.

The more I look at it, the more I see it's crooked and can't help think about the time my friend PO drove it like this at high speeds...  

 
@Stanglover yes thx, they made clear it what I already thought.

I do plan renew all the components and took already some notes. Moog is fine and great quality and is what I have on my 73. I already ordered Moog's balljoints to replace the upper arms ones on the 71 and looking at a ref for the lower arm. So far no luck and most vendors only offer the bushings or full arms.( I'd love to keep the thicker metal original ones vs a repop). I'll go for same quality for steering components as I did on my 73 as its kind of important :)

@Bentworker That's fantastic and I might PM you very soon about that! I'm in no rush, if this is what you mean about the "catch". I have enough to do elsewhere and the crooked one will do ok for the few times I'd need to turn the wheels!
For now a good friend of mine with tons of mustangs and parts is looking for me to see if he has one laying somewhere doing nothing... I'll let you know.

The more I look at it, the more I see it's crooked and can't help think about the time my friend PO drove it like this at high speeds...  
Sounds like you have a good plan. Glad to be helpful.

 
If you decide to get a new one , do not get the cheap one from CJ Pony parts, it is complete garbage. It’s poorly made, not the same thickness, it looked like it was three pieces welded together then poorly ground down, lots of grind marks on it. At the time it was the only one available. I ended up sending it back and getting my money back then found a good used one. Ryan

 
If you decide to get a new one , do not get the cheap one from CJ Pony parts, it is complete garbage. It’s poorly made, not the same thickness, it looked like it was three pieces welded together then poorly ground down, lots of grind marks on it. At the time it was the only one available. I ended up sending it back and getting my money back then found a good used one. Ryan
That's the problem with most aftermarket vendors. They don't give a damn about quality, nor do most mention who makes the junk or where it is made, as long as they can sell it to some unsuspecting "person".

For this part, I'd agree, buy a good used one if possible.

 
Dido............Tweaked for sure.

Was the steering wheel crooked? I would think it being bent in (as if it was hit or something) would rotate the steering wheel making it wrong? Maybe someone pulled the wheel and put it back on making it look straight?  Thinking out loud :)

 I would use a hydraulic press to straighten it back up again.

 
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Every time I read this thread, I think back on some politician many years ago that said:

"I am not crooked.  And you won't have me to kick around any more" or something like that...

Poor drag link... needs to stop dressing up in drag and go straight for awhile...

 
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