Thread: Broken tie bar on my '29 Ford..... What are my options?

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The previous owner of my '29 was goofing off in his shop and ended up breaking the front tie bar when he hit a lift tower






Is there a bolt on tube available?

Also where would be the best place to get a new radiator shell and mesh insert?





Rick

Rick,

By tie bar do you mean the radius rod that connects the axle to the frame? If so it must have been pretty hard hit to break it and I would be looking for other damage in addition to the tie bar. If this is a after market front suspension find out whose and buy a replacement. If this was fabed from a original radius rod, have another fabed to match your busted one. If the tie bar is not a radius rod you will have to explain better or show pics of your problem.

Jack.

P.S. Just looked at your pics again and it looks like you have 4 bar or hair pin rods. Find out whose and get a replacement.

He may mean the front spreader bar that ties the frame horns together.

If that's the case, try Mac's, C.W. Moss, Sacremento Vintage Ford or any early ford parts store, they will also have grille shells.

Mick

Do you mean the tie rod that goes between the two spindle arms and keeps both wheels in line?

Don

Sorry guys, I don't know the correct name

It's a chrome bar that goes between the frame rails at the very front of the chassis...

You can see in the pix above where it broke off and rust marks from where it was mounted.




Rick

Yep, Mick is right, spreader bar. I don't know if anyone has a chrome or stainless one for a model A frame like yours. I had to make my own out of a stainless tube. Grille shells are available lots of places though.

Don

Here's an old pic of what it used to looks like.....




It doesn't seem to have any bolts to hold it in place though

That is the trouble with buying someone else's car, you never know how they did things or what parts they used. I think he custom made that spreader bar, like I had to do. Are there any holes on the outside of the frame horns, like a bolt went through there to secure the bar?


Don

Hi Rick,

Sorry about the mix up, I should have thought of the spreader bar. Anyway, should be an easy remake. If you don't have a welder or have a friend with one you could buy some SS tubing and make some threaded plugs to tightly fit in the tube and use J B weld or Gorilla Glue to keep the plugs from spinning and bolt it on that way. The plugs need to only keep the bar in place.

Jack.

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

. Are there any holes on the outside of the frame horns, like a bolt went through there to secure the bar?


Don

Nope, no holes.

Looks like it was welded in place

Originally Posted by Jack F

If you don't have a welder or have a friend with one you could buy some SS tubing and make some threaded plugs to tightly fit in the tube and use J B weld or Gorilla Glue to keep the plugs from spinning and bolt it on that way. The plugs need to only keep the bar in place.

Jack.

I was thinking about using an SS tube and bolting on a pair of beaing flangettes just to hold it in place

Rick,

Should work if you can find SS tubing to match the bearing flanges or bearing retainers.

Jack.

I cheated when I made mine and took the easy way out. I first cut a piece of ss tubing to the right length to slip in there, with a little extra room for some large rubber washers slightly bigger than the tube itself (so the tube wouldn't scratch the horns. Then I needed some way to position the tube squarely in the opening, so I took a holesaw that was about the same size as the inside of the ss tube and cut two wooden spacers out of a piece of 2 x 4 lumber.

When I had those cut out I opened up the 1/4 inch hole that the holesaw left in the center to 5/16, shoved the wooden spacers inside the ends of the ss tube (I had to do a little sanding on the perimeter to get a tight fit), and then placed the whole assembly into the opening between the horns. I had drilled a hole in each end, so I passed a piece of all thread rod through the center and put a chrome washer and chrome acorn nut on each end. When I torqued the two nuts down it pulled the horns in slightly, clamping the spreader bar tightly in place.

Now, you may wonder about the pieces of wood not holding up, but I did that job 20 years ago, and when I just redid my T I used the same pieces, they were in mint condition, so no need to do anything different. I guess they stayed dry from being clamped so tight and the rubber washers up against them.

If you drill a hole in each end one of your horns you can do something similar and save a lot of welding and fabrication. Put some masking tape on the painted surfaces of the horns before you drill, keep using larger drill bits until you get the size you need, and the washer will hide any marks left from the drilling. Just a thought on how to easily fix your problem. If you need better pictures of mine I will shoot some if you ask.


This picture below may show what I am describing a little better.
Don

yes, please post some photos if you can

I'll shoot some tomorrow. If you look at the last picture I just posted, you can envision how a piece of all thread would pass through the center of the tube and a nut would go on each end. Ace Hardware now carries chrome acorn nuts in their bolt section, so you could pick up a couple and it would look finished. The sole purpose of the wood spacers was to center the all thread exactly in the middle of the ss tubing, and it doesn't show once in place.

BTW, I forget where I got the ss tube, but I think it was someplace like Home Depot or Lowes, made for some home use if I remember correctly. Like I mentioned, it is 20 years old and still looks good.

Don

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

BTW, I forget where I got the ss tube, but I think it was someplace like Home Depot or Lowes, made for some home use if I remember correctly. Like I mentioned, it is 20 years old and still looks good.
Don

Handicap bathroom hand rail makes a great source of stainless tubing. You can buy it in the big box building supply stores. The ends are bent and flanges welded on but just cut off what you don't need.

Bob