I ordered swaged steel 4.5" tie rod sleeves from Coleman Racing because someone said they were better than normal steel. The picture on the Coleman website looked like the swaged sleeve had flat surfaces for a wrench to go on in order to adjust it. What I got are tubes that are completely round with no flat edge.

How do you adjust these? By hand? Brute force with some locking pliers? Should I just return these and get some with flat sides?



EDIT:
ORIGINAL QUESTION/PROBLEM HAS BEEN ANSWERED

Answer: Swaged sleeves dont have wrench flats. Use vicegrips or locking pliers to turn the sleeves. Or do like I did and return the swaged sleeves and get sleeves with wrench flats like the UMI/Spohn/Edelbrock sleeves.

 

Have you tried contacting Coleman FIRST? Before asking here?

I'd like to think they simply sent you the wrong part.

 

I did call them and they said that many customers have been having problems with the site and that this problem is being looked into. I told them the picture was clearly the wrong one and they offered a refund. Before I pay an extra $5 to ship them back, I would like to know if there's any hope of these being of any use. They ended up costing $28 (was charged $8.50 shipping even though I selected $3 shipping in the order form) so if I have to send them back this would have been an unnecessary purchase since I could have obtained the UMI sleeves for about $33.

 

You could just get a local CNC machine shop, to mill on some wrench flats for you. That would be SIMPLE to do.

I used to run a CNC mill for a living. I can't express how simple that would be, for a shop to do.

 

The ends of the sleeve are 0.75" O.D. and 5/8" I.D. The center has an outer diameter of about 7/8". The inner diameter at the center is a little bit more than 5/8", but im not sure if theres enough material to mill. What do you think?

 

have them put two flat spots...you don't need a hex milled in it. might be able to go 11/16" for the flats. Also, alot of sleeves made like that will be knurled in a section. Wouldn't be as easy to grip as putting a wrench on it but, you wouldn't be losing any material thickness.

edit: just drew it up in autocad... I'd go for 13/16" across if you have flats milled in it. that'll leave 3/32" wall thickness "under" the flats. and, you'll have just over 5/16" length on the surface of the flats.

 

He's got the right idea. 2 "wrench" flats (don't need a full hex, nor would want it on that) Would be really nice to see a solid center section which would be good for a full wrench hex flats.

Knurled would be better/stronger, I just have no idea how to/who could do that.

 

you should be able to adjust them by hand if the wheels are off the ground. Or, take a grinder to the center part and make flat spots to put a adjustable wrench on.

I would wait and see what Coleman says first though.

 

That was your first mistake.....tell me again what is wrong with stock?

 

Stock ones a thinner/weaker metal & C-shaped. 1 side is inherently weaker, because of the C shape.

 

also, after they are tightened and left be for a while, they become a rusty mess that you usually can loosen again and have to throw them away, if you can get them off.

 

for knurling them, any machine shop should be able to do that for you. Its a simple process, also.

 

The inside of the tube of the 5/8"ID section is not round so the structural integrity of the tube would be weakened if flats were cut into it on the ends. It looks like it is hex with rounded corners. Only the outer diameter is round.

Thanks for all your suggestions. I might have them knurled or flattened in the center section since there might be more material there.

 

I think we all were suggesting the center, not the ends. I know I was.

Why is the middle of it bulged out though?

 

I think the original tube was the diameter of the middle section and when the sleeve was made, the ends of it were compressed to the smaller diameter. I think this is what swaged means but im not sure.

 

If it were me, and I got something different that pictured, I'd return them, and the SELLER would pay the return shipping AND refund me my full purchase amount, or there'd be a chargeback through my credit card company AND the BBB would be contacted. I get what I pay for, and when I don't, heads roll!

 

I agree they should arrange a pick up and refund your money in full.
Why go through all that for a brand new product?

 

what was received, "looks" like the picture, just not as long. If the description said nothing about wrench flats, i would not assume that there were any.

 

Other than sending them back, I'd be far more tempted to drill out or otherwise remove the threads from a couple of 3/4" nuts and tackweld them on. Even that might be tricky, in that you don't want to be blowing holes in the tube from using too much heat.

I would absolutely NOT trust the midsection to be any thicker than the ends without hard proof that it was.


Edit - can you measure these tubes closely enough to determine whether they are 7/8" OD tube or 1/2" NPS (pipe)? 1/2" pipe is 0.840" OD and also comes in a few different thicknesses.


Norm

 

That is absolutely the BEST choice. Adding material to get wrench flats instead of taking material away, is BY FAR the best option! Wish I had thought of that! But I'll file that idea away in my mind for future use.

 

The middle is bulged because that's the original size of the tubing, the ends are swaged over a threaded die, this way the threads are rolled into the tubing and not cut. This makes for a stronger thread. The trick to adjusting those puppies is to use one of those leather strap wrench things or simply weld a big nut to them.

 

But those are not the same as what OP even asked about....

 

Thanks for all your responses. I decided to return the swaged sleeves. I had a $7 eBay coupon so I was able to get the UMI sleeves for $33, which is only $5 more what the Coleman sleeves would have cost me. Actually, since I had to pay $4.80 return shipping on the Coleman sleeves, they ended up costing me $37.80 but I think its worth paying $10 more for better looking powder-coated sleeves that have wrench flats built-in.

 

I can't believe this post is still going.

1st off, You got what you bought in the picture- just a shorter version. There are no flat sides in the one on Colemans picture. That IS a swedged tube tierod.

How do you adjust it?

Ever thought of a set of channel locks of vicegrips? They work wonders.

This post should be finished.

[any questions after this are considered DUMB QUESTIONS- I question the smartness of this thread to begin with.]

 

This post would not be as long as it is if it truly were a dumb thread. Twin_Turbo posted clear pictures on a solution to add wrench flats to swaged sleeves and explained what swaged means. I didnt know what swaged meant before it was explained to me in this thread. I'm sure I am not the only one in this forum who did not know this. Everyone else has also contributed valuable information. What have you done?

I'm sorry my thread did not let you elaborate in 1000 words or more about the suspension shortcomings of third-gens.

 

I guess you can't turn a wrench or read either. I answered your question

 

Thanks for answering. If you had read my post 33 minutes before yours, you would have seen that I had already returned them. If this thread caused you so much grief, why even post in it?

Didn't you read my first post where I asked "Brute force with some locking pliers?". A yes or no to MY suggestion of using locking pliers a.k.a. vicegrips would have been sufficient.

 

Dean's 1st post- "Yes"

jaime- "Yes what"

Dean- "Yes, use some Channel locks or vice grips"


I saved people having to read 2 more posts when I just answered- "Have you ever heard of Channel locks or vice grips"

So now here we are looking even more stupid and just entertaining the masses.

 

Except that YOU continued the thread, even after he had already posted that he had returned them & it was done & over with......

 

Ok idiot, and when someone "searches" this topic some day far into the future becasue Stephen crys at them," search search for gods sake, search"... and I came into here to conclude the way to actually adjust them is to simply clamp them and turn with channel locks or a pair of vice grips, then this topic would come right back.....then hey, you could bitch and cry again. But you just bitch and cry about everything.

Regardless whether he returned them or not, I answered the stupid question becasue nobody else did.

Further more, I would get into trouble and not pass tech if I welded a nut onto sweged tirods becase the heat could make the unit fail easier. Tierods bend easy enough as it is without heating them and possibly weakening their centers. DSid anyone strength testthat unit with the nut on it?

Stephen, got anymore bullsh*t to expell?

 

Sure do d!psh!t.....



The issue was already 100% resolved. The suggestion of vice grips already existed, yet you felt the need to say it AGAIN. You just really like to hear yourself, don't you? Besides...Vise-grips or channel locks are a good way to scratch/mangle/mess up the surface. Not to mention, a good way to introduce grooves that could develop in to stress cracks.

I think your problem is your "I am the almighty knowledge here & can post pages & pages of crap that only applies to a SMALL minority of people here. I am the ALMIGHTY knowledge here."

Who cares what YOU would get in trouble for? This is HIS car, not yours. Or whatever car your working on!

Get off your high-horse-of-knowledge. I could care less if you are a NASCAR crew cheif, the head of a NASCAR suspension...WHATEVER! You are NOT God & you act like you are, when it comes to suspension questions.

 

You didn't answer within 10 mins of my posting. Anything after this now is extra stupid

its a ****ing metal tube- put a pipe wrench or something on it.

I hate to be an ***, I usually will be the first to say there is no dumb question, but I guess I forgot dumb and stupid are two different words. And to think this goes on? Hell yes, I'll have fun. Lets keep going

 

I tell you what, I bet anybody big bucks I do not even have to heat that tube toi stick it so far up your *** the dentist will think you have a steel fang.

 

I don't care who you are, thats just fucckin funny




...in a ******* NASCAR way

 

Its been fun, but I really have better ways to spend my afternoon

 

this was a good laugh, thanks guys.

 

Sorry if *I* have a life, unlike you. Didn't know there was a time limit in life for responses.... Regardless...You simply felt the need to post what you already had posted & AFTER he had already come to his decision, in what to do.

Too late.....

Anything else you wanna tell him to do, despite having already said it AND he has already made his decision?

 

Come by & feel free to TRY anytime.....You want my address?

 

But they are the same, difference is one is a short swaged tube, the pics I posted is simply a longer swaged tube. The swaged ends are a certain length so you get a certain number of threads for proper thread engagement of the rod end or tie rod end ..whatever is used.

I don't get what the fuss is about either but whatever you decide to do, do not cut flats into the tubing, it will weaken the sleeves.

 

No. The ones you posted have lat ends and a knurled area. His had neither. Had the OPs had the flats, I doubt this thread would even exist.

It wasn't the length he was concerned about, it was the lack of turning surface, which yours did have.

 

OMG...I can't believe I have to explain this again. Look at the swaged end, how the swaged end flows out into the original tubing diameter.. big fricken deal, whether being a step or a smooth transition...same idea, different execution. His short swaged tube only has a very narrow bulged section that was the original tube OD. Where are they going to put the knurled part on it? There are NO!!! flat ends on the ones I posted if you mean flat ends to put a wrench on. Most of the swaged tubes don't have machined flats for wrenches, if you want that get some hex tubing or some straight steel rods machined for flats.

Either way, if you don't want to scratch up the Chrome VI passivated finish on the rods use a leather strap type wrench, otherwise a big pipe wrench makes short work of adjusting these things.

 

Chill out man.....

Maybe it is the reflection, but looking at this pic, especially on the left side, the narrow end looks like a flat wrench area. And with a knurled section, for most people, they would consider that enough to turn it with. Ieal? No. Your addition of the nut is much better, as I already indicated before.

 

You people are making a big stink over nothing, I have to agree with Vetruck. use a pipe wrench and be done with it. With the short sleeves he has, getting a nut on will be problematic especially since welding there will most likely distort the threads inside.

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Swedge...Heim,2092.html

that one has a knurled center.

 

The funny part is.....

The OP has already handled it. The parts have been sent back & he's getting new ones. And yet people are still trying to tell him what to do! Your too late. Its a DONE DEAL!

 

Hey, but you learned something about swaged tubes...ain't it grand?

 

Yes I did. Now I know EXACTLY what swaged is and know not to expect wrench flats. Life lesson #192292 learned. Thanks.

You do have to admit that to my previously ignorant mind, the original picture I posted from the Coleman website did seem to have wrench flats (2 flat opposing sides of the tube). It was probably the reflection as Stephen mentioned and the black and white picture that led me to believe it had flats.

And in case anyone else doesnt see my post about the problem being solved:
ORIGINAL QUESTION/PROBLEM HAS BEEN ANSWERED

Thanks everyone.

 

how come these beauties were never brought up? this is what I use..
cheap too..

 

I saw those while looking for replacements for the swaged ones, but the UMI sleeves that I bought were cheaper.

 

ahhh