I took this photo yesterday. What do you think? I'll post more info after you fellas have a little time to digest it.
You need, wait your wife needs to cut the grass??? Dan
Hmmm... yesterday was the T-totalers tour you hosted, and that looks a T in the ditch after the steering linkage came apart.
Everyone OK?
Looks like there was no cotter pin in the hole and the nut came off.
Looks like the spring shackle is on backwards and either the tie rod is backward or the car was a right hand drive model.
Norm
I am with Norman on the tie rod.
I don't think the tie rod is backwards, just that you can't see the lobe that the ball end bolts through from that camera angle.
Actually, before I noticed the loose drag link, I spotted the backward spring shackle.
The tie rod yoke ball is out of the hole where it should be. Perhaps there was no cotter pin in the nut to hold the nut in place, so the nut came off. Then the tie rod came loose resulting in loss of steering control. A recipe for disaster for sure.
Did this result in an accident?
Keith
How do you guys know the spring shackle is backwards? It would be quicker and easier to install the way that one is, and every second counted at the assembly plants.
Derek and Steve got it. See the follow-up here: http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/331880/372536.html?1373062942
I believe according to the Ford Manual, it depicts the front shackle (late style) nuts fastened towards the rear (inboard) of the car and the rear shackle (again late style) nuts are pointing outward - but then most if not all of the illustrations in the manual appear to be "Artist's renditions".
Ref the comment about the spring perch being in backwards -- it is NOT, but rather it is installed correctly. Ref the Jul 1921 Ford Service Bulletin that has the illustration below:
Note in the actual photo at the beginning of the posting the "boss" is towards the back. [Note -- if you were using an auxiliary springs/shocks etc. many of them have you swap the front spring perches but the boss is still is still to the back so the front axle caster is still positive.]
Also if the spring perches were installed incorrectly it would normally result in the front axle having negative caster (assuming that was the only non-standard installation or part.) With negative caster, the wheels would have gone hard right or hard left as soon as the drag link fell free from the tie rod.
Respectfully submitted,
Hap l9l5 cut off
Now I see the shaft from the ball is in the drag link end. I was looking for the ball on the end of the tie rod! This is the first time I have heard of this happening. It is a good thing that you posted it for all to see, so we can all check our cotter pins!
Norm