Has anyone repaired the threads on the studs of the rear radius rods? The ones I have have very little of the threads remaining.
I have either mig welded or brazed the studs and run a threading die over them.
On the ones I was able to save, the threads were mostly missing in the middle of the threaded portion because of movement at the ball bracket hole. The very end of the threads were OK far enough to get a die started straight. I held the radius rod in a vise lined with some wood blocks to prevent it from being marred up and then built up the missing threaded area with a mig welder. One of my Milwaukee hole saws had an inside diameter that was just a wee bit larger than the good threaded end portion outer diameter. I chucked that hole saw up in my hand drill but left out the normal pilot drill bit. The end of the threaded stud was my guide and I was able to essentially turn down the mig welded steel part to a decent round by going slow and aligning the hole saw to the good threaded portions as my guide while it trimmed away the welded area to a round size that was the same as the inside diameter of my hole saw. Eventually I had the hole saw all the way onto the stud as far as possible and was then able to shape it a bit with a file and finally started the die at the end where the good threads were and it continued on over the welded up part and the rod looked very good when I was done with decent threads long enough to hold.
Warren Webb:
I have a few rear radius rods if I can help you. Your profile does not say what year your pick-up is, my rods are earlier ones. I do not have any 26 rods.
Warren
When I redid my rear end I found the threads on the radius rods to be in bad shape - beyond saving.
On my radius rods the threads were simply sections of threaded rods welded into the hollow radius rods.
I simply cut the ends of the rods off until I reached the hollow part of the radius rods. I then get some grade 8 bolts, cut off the heads and inserted them into the hollow tube and welded them in. (I think I may have had to bend the bolts to match the original bends - don't remember)
Takes a bit of careful measuring and care to preserve as much of the radius rod as you can, but you wind up with a very sturdy radius rod.
The welding is minimal, but if you don't weld, it should be a cheap job at your local welders.
Good luck
What is the TPI on the Radius rod?
Get Dave Huson to send you a pair of good rods and don't mess with welding them up.
Dave doesn't "send" things like that. You have to pick them up at his place.
9/16-18 thread
Mike:
I would send radius rods because I have some light boxes from ACE that I could put one or two in. But things like hogs heads, blocks, fenders oil pans must be picked up.