B7100 drag link repair

[Little tractor20]

Recently bought an old b7100. Drag link was wasted. Priced one and it was $600. No way!!! Measured stud going in to drag link. 12mm. Ordered 2 tie rod ends. Cut welds on drag link and removed old tie rods. Remember to mark their orientation!!!! New tie rod threaded end fits almost perfectly in the drag link. Measure distance from end of tube to the middle of old tie rod and write it down. Cut new tie rod to measurement of old tie rod end and weld in. You will have to adjust the taper in pitman arm and steering arm ever so slightly with a sander cone in the pics. I have included pics with part numbers. Hope this helps.

 

[procraftmike]

Nice work on the fab job. I have a little play on the one end of my drag link. I have thought of the same thing...changing out ends vs. spending that much money on a replacement drag link.

 

[Win22wrf]

Nice Job and saved money!

 

[rentthis]

Sweet save. My first thought would be to find someone with a hydraulic press.

 

[torch]

Just to clarify: is the existing drag link shaft hollow? And the threaded ends slide in unmodified?

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Just to clarify: is the existing drag link shaft hollow? And the threaded ends slide in unmodified?

No the drag link on these are solid.
He's cut and ground off the threaded end and welded it onto the end of the drag link.
Like the original was done.

 

[torch]

No the drag link on these are solid.
He's cut and ground off the threaded end and welded it onto the end of the drag link.
Like the original was done.

That's what I thought at first too. But looking at his 4th picture and the comment " New tie rod threaded end fits almost perfectly in the drag link" (emphasis added) makes me wonder...

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

My apologies, you could very well be right, as the 4th picture is the old joint being pulled out.
I just did a quick look at it the first time and thought it was the new one being welded on.
There must be a drilled indent in the end of the drag link.
That would make it much stronger!

 

[kubotasam]

My apologies, you could very well be right, as the 4th picture is the old joint being pulled out.
I just did a quick look at it the first time and thought it was the new one being welded on.
There must be a drilled indent in the end of the drag link.
That would make it much stronger!

Yes that is how the drag link is built from the factory. Solid bar with a hole drilled in the end. I cut one apart when I added power assist steering to my B7100 last fall.

 

[torch]

Ok, that all makes sense now. Thanks guys!

 

[torch]

BTW: I'm thinking that a heli-coil installed in there would allow the replacement ends to be threaded in to allow for future replacement.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

BTW: I'm thinking that a heli-coil installed in there would allow the replacement ends to be threaded in to allow for future replacement.
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Wouldn't it be better to just weld a nut to the end. Cheaper and stronger?

But think about it this way, it's 30+ years old, you think you'll need to replace it again?