Steering linkage differences/problems

[390Nut]

Ok, so I got a chance to start working on the truck today, and tried to put the new drag link and tie rod ends in place.

Problem is, I ordered all the parts I needed for my truck, and everywhere I go, I see parts labeled as "for trucks through serial #M00001", meaning the changeover in parts design between the `71 and `72 models. All the parts I got, match up with what Keith has labeled as "early style" in the ID tutorial:



The problem is, I've got what appears to be the "late style" on my truck, and it's a `69. Now, my memory isn't perfect, but I don't recall my father ever replacing any of these components, and I know I never have. I did the king pins about 8 years ago, and swapped the entire I-beam assemblies from the `68 parts truck into my `69, but the steering linkage wasn't touched, and the spindles are the same. (still have the originals in my garage right now)

The tutorial says that the setups can be swapped for each other, but only as assemblies, and as long as the components are all matched.

I put this assembly together, and tried to make it exactly like mine (with it out of the truck) and the problems are readily apparent.

1) the hole in the early style drag link for the tie-rod is about 2 inches outboard compared to the late style, and the drag link is also about an inch and a half shorter, meaning that the steering gear needs to be turned quite a bit to make up the difference, so that the assembly can be matched up to the pitman arm.

2) with the new (early style) assembly relatively close to matching overall width of the old assembly (late style, apparently) there is no adjustment left in the sleeve. Both tie rods are butted up to each other, but ONE of them still needs to go in a little more, to make it an even match from one assembly to the other.

3) Maybe I'm just missing something here, and it will work just fine if I bolt it up (but it really doesn't look like it can)

Anyone else run into this, and is it actually nothing to worry about? Really bummed, and PO'd as well. First sunny day I've had and I can't utilize it.

[Leadfoot]

the largest thing is the size or taper of the hole in the pitman arm, check it twice, you mix them up you F*c**d. trust me

[390Nut]

That part is the same, because I checked that when I had them side by sade. Same length/taper on the threaded parts. But here's the kicker.

I just checked the I-beams under my truck, and they are `72 I-beams (D2TA).

Now I KNOW for a fact that they came out of a `68 before I put them on mine, but they could have been swapped into that truck at any time. I ALSO know for a fact that I didn't swap the steering linkage, which makes this even more confusing.

[QC]

The late style drag link shouldn't fit on your truck unless you have a late style pitman arm. It would twist everthing. My '69 had the early style drag link and tie rods, and it is a very late '69.

[390Nut]

That's what's odd. I've owned this truck for nearly 10 years, and driven it off and on for nearly 30, and until just recently I never had problems other than the king pins wearing out. Had to adjust the steering gear a few years ago, but 1/4 turn of the adjuster fixed it up just fine. Aside from that, the truck has always driven pretty straight and true down the road.

It's hard to tell for sure on the truck, but my pitman arm looks like the early version, for what it's worth.

edit: just went out and cleaned it off. sure enough, it has C7TA stamped on it (all I could make out with all the gunk and grease)

Also, the changeover didn't happen till late `71, so there should be no differences in components that early.