67 steering linkage question

[Chris E.]

I'm wondering about the tie rods. The book says those should be semi-gloss black. How much of the tie rods are painted? Were the surface were the zerks were unpainted?

I have a manual steering car, and it says the pitman arm is painted. Painted what color? Semi-gloss black? Mine appears to be some kind of grey finish to it.

Also, I have what I believe are my original tie rods, and they have zerk fittings. Is that correct?

[Joe L.]

Re: 67 steering linkage question

I'm wondering about the tie rods. The book says those should be semi-gloss black. How much of the tie rods are painted? Were the surface were the zerks were unpainted?

I have a manual steering car, and it says the pitman arm is painted. Painted what color? Semi-gloss black? Mine appears to be some kind of grey finish to it.

Also, I have what I believe are my original tie rods, and they have zerk fittings. Is that correct?

Chris-----


The steering assembly was coated with a black, asphaltic coating at the manufacturing plant. The tie rod ends had cardboard tubes over the tie rod end ball studs, but the rest of the assembly was pretty much coated with the described material. The coating was more-or-less similar in semi-gloss black. However, it was really not black, at all, but was a VERY dark brown which APPEARED as black.

The tie rod ends were originally equipped with zerk fittings.

[Stephen L.]

Re: 67 steering linkage question

Chris,
This is my take on the tie rod assy "paint" requirements....

The pitman arm was black with a blue marking.
The tie rod ends were not painted on the threads and the cone shape.
The idler arm was not painted.
The tie rod ends had yellow "inspection marks".

[Chris E.]

Re: 67 steering linkage question

Thanks guys, for the info.

Steve, in the TIM/JG, is says that the idler should be natural with power steering cars, and painted with non-power steering cars.

Yet when I scrubbed and cleaned what I believe to be my original idler arm, it doesn't APPEAR painted. I'll have to shoot a picture of it.

[John H.]

Re: 67 steering linkage question

Steve, in the TIM/JG, is says that the idler should be natural with power steering cars, and painted with non-power steering cars.

Chris -

Actually, the JG says that the pitman arm is natural on power steering cars and painted on manual steering cars, not the idler arm (because the pitman arm was installed on the linkage at Buffalo and painted with the assembly, and the power steering pitman arm was installed in the power steering bench subassembly at St. Louis).

The JG also says the idler arm is natural; I've submitted a change recommendation on that to show it as painted, as it was part of the painted linkage assembly at Buffalo just like the manual steering pitman arm.

[Chris E.]

Re: 67 steering linkage question

Ok John, thanks for the clarification on the idler. But I'm still wondering what COLOR it should be.

[Stephen L.]

Re: 67 steering linkage question

John Hinckley

Do you have a page UPC 9 A1 & A2 in your 1967 AIM? My copy does not have those pages which, I assume, show the tie rod assy installation as well as the steering box. If this assy is all preassembled from wheel to wheel on those pages then the color/paint would be all the same assuming the tie rod was painted as an assembly including both the idler and pitman arm. Those pages might still be in earlier assy manuals such as 63-66

Chris -

Actually, the JG says that the pitman arm is natural on power steering cars and painted on manual steering cars, not the idler arm (because the pitman arm was installed on the linkage at Buffalo and painted with the assembly, and the power steering pitman arm was installed in the power steering bench subassembly at St. Louis).

The JG also says the idler arm is natural; I've submitted a change recommendation on that to show it as painted, as it was part of the painted linkage assembly at Buffalo just like the manual steering pitman arm.

[John H.]

Re: 67 steering linkage question

John Hinckley

Do you have a page UPC 9 A1 & A2 in your 1967 AIM? My copy does not have those pages which, I assume, show the tie rod assy installation as well as the steering box. If this assy is all preassembled from wheel to wheel on those pages then the color/paint would be all the same assuming the tie rod was painted as an assembly including both the idler and pitman arm. Those pages might still be in earlier assy manuals such as 63-66

Steve -

I have three different '67 AIM's, and none of them have 9-A1 or 9-A2; however, I have the '63-'64-'65-'66 AIM's too, and they all have those pages, which carried over to '67. The "relay & tie rod assembly" is the entire wheel-to-wheel steering linkage (including the pitman arm and idler arm), which was painted black as an assembly, except for the tapers and threads on the outer tie rod ends and the splined hole in the pitman arm). The N40 sections all show the St. Louis-installed pitman arm, which was a natural-finish forging, not painted.

[Stephen L.]

Re: 67 steering linkage question

John,

I kind of thought that would be the case. Could you post a copy of those pages, so all the 67 guys can update their AIM?

Thanks

[John H.]

Re: 67 steering linkage question

John,

I kind of thought that would be the case. Could you post a copy of those pages, so all the 67 guys can update their AIM?

Thanks

Steve -

9-A1 is just an index sheet; here's 9-A2 from the '66 Assembly Manual. The part number for the steering linkage assembly ("relay & tie rod asm") never changed from '63 through '67, and probably carried over into '68.

[Stephen L.]

Re: 67 steering linkage question

Thanks John. I'll add this page to my AIM

[Joseph M.]

Re: 67 steering linkage question

I'm redoing the linkage from my 67 non power steering car. Just to clarify, are the bolts, slotted nuts, clamps and cotter pins also black finish? If the nuts, bolts and clamps are not painted, what is the typical finish? Thanks.

[Stephen L.]

Re: 67 steering linkage question

Joe,

Note the items that are called out on the AIM sheet...

The tie rod end taper bolt was not painted.
Castle nut was black (oxide?)
Cotter Key was natural
Grease zerks were natural.

These items were installed during suspension assembly at ST Louis.

As I understand it... everything else was preassembled and dipped and therefore would be black.

This raises a question for me. If the tie rod assy was dipped, why wasn't the idler arm black? (67 judging manual page 135 says natural) It isn't called out as an item on the AIM sheet....so I can only assume it was part of the tie rod assy.

[Joseph M.]

Re: 67 steering linkage question

Stephen, which bolt is the tie rod taper bolt. Are they the clamp bolts?

[Stephen L.]

Re: 67 steering linkage question

Its the tapered stud that is part of the tie rod end and goes into the steering arm coming from the wheel.