Long story short I've been looking into a source for cheaper and more readily available TRE's for the Volvo axles - sure you can convert to heim joints but I don't like 'em, I don't think they're ideal for being submerged in mud repeatedly.

Anyway, I've got a load of measurements off the Volvo TRE's, the business seems to be a bit strange as everyone seems to measure taper as a gradient (1 in 8, etc.) rather than degrees (and of course none of the gradients make nice round numbers of degrees) and no bugger seems to hold any useful data on the parts they make. Lemforder, even when presented with the part number of a component they manufactured, could only tell me how wide the top of the taper was but not the gradient, depth, thread on the end, etc.

I have also been unable to make anyone understand that, if they can't find an identical part, something with the same taper would be fine so I can just re-make the steering bars to suit. I keep being told "we don't have anything like that" when the actual taper is a standard thing and they probably have 100 different ball joints in stock that would fit in the hole.

I've been researching the possibility of reaming the taper out to a common one and sourcing some beefy items from the USA but that does rather defeat the point, plus they measure taper in inches per freedom-foot

So - does anyone have any suggestions, a big book of TRE's they can refer to, or know someone who works for Lemforder/QH/TRW/Track Rod Ends R Us who isn't a total cretin

John - how about approaching it from the other angle - find a TRE you like the look of in terms of beef-per-unit-cashishe, then create a track rod (bar with tapped holes in the ends) to suit, and then worry about matching the taper in your arms?

Maybe a stroll round the scrappy will yield something with a full set of cajones that you know you'll be able to find more of in the future? You can always figure out the thread and tap it to suit, and as long as its not rusted to smithereens you should be able to measure the taper.

All the taper methods you refer to can be 'normalised' to a gradient, it's just a bit of hand-cranking on the portable-babbage-contrivance.

I agree about heims and mud, even though it'd make life easier.

Al.

It's not the bars, it's the tapered "socket" on the portal box I don't particularly want to muck about with. Modifying it is all well and good but if we can find a source of good TRE's that fit a standard hole we can spread the love more easily.

As I said, you'd think I wouldn't have to wander a scrapyard with a vernier caliper when the tech department of the TRE manufacturers have a direct line, but they seem unable to grasp simple questions like "do you make anything that has the same taper as this?" The bluddy part only has a couple of critical measurements and they seem not to know them!

If you can give me the details better still an old US one i'll ask a friend of mine who supplies all things agricultural. eg MOG 404 tre's £40 ish each adjustable, he managed to find new tractor replacements for £20 inc vat each superb !! Obviously the more you order the better !!!

just let me know.

nath

Although it has it's own set of problems, I made a taper adaptor by machining out an internal taper for the TRE. Then machine a new taper (different angle) on the outside. Had to make a special nut which screwed to the TRE thread, but had a plain outside diameter which matched the hole in to which the outer taper fits. Bit like a top hat with a hexagonal brim.

The top of the tapered adaptor also had a lip to allow a ball joint extractor to be used to separate the bits.

Fair bit of work, but it acts as a permanent adabptor between one and the other.

Si