MetalworkingFun Forum

I'm still plodding away on my old Ford tractor, there's now barely a component that hasn't been dismantled and overhauled. One component that is going to need overhaul, as a replacement is not readily available, is this steering arm with the flogged-out hole where the tie rod end goes.
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I figure I can weld the hole up and start again, but how to go about renewing the tapered hole? Can you buy tapered endmills? A tapered reamer? Make a tapered D-bit?
I probably won't get to this for a while as there is still plenty else to do, but thought I'd get the ball rolling with this question in case I need to order a tool.

What about drilling the arm so that you can turn up a bush with the correct taper and then weld it into place?

That has merit, I could even cut the end off the arm, turn a ring with a tapered bore and weld it on the end. Would save buying any tooling.

I wouldn't cut it off. Simply drill it out and turn up a sleeve with the right tapered bore. No need to buy any tools - well none for that job but I'm sure you could use it as an excuse to buy some anyway...

I thought about making a sleeve and welding it in as well (great minds think alike. ). My only concern would be if there is enough "meat" on the arm to do that and keep it safe. Steering arms on tractors can take a hell of a beating. Tapered end mills are available, but are pricey and your chances of using it for something else are slim. A D-reamer would do the trick and you could make it yourself, but you would likely need to step bore the arm first to get it close to size.

Tom

+1
Another vote for using a sleeve and not cutting off the end of the steering arm. I've replaced ooodles of them on passenger cars and trucks that got destroyed on paved roads. The forces encountered a tractor are going to be ten times that I would think. Cleanliness and proper torque when installing the joints goes a long way in their survival.

I think I'd try the tapered D-reamer route.

I too favor the bushing approach with one reservation.  Welding will result in warping to one degree or another.  What is the taper of the tie rod?  If it happens to be a Morse taper they are readily available and I have a set from a #1 to a #5.

Thanks for those replies. I'm also concerned about the amount of material that would remain if I bored the hole out enough to take a bush. I'll have to figure out how to measure the taper, interesting thought that it might be a morse taper. I have a few morse socket adaptors, I could see if one of them is a snug fit on the male part.

I was going to suggest die-sinking end mills until I checked prices