Ford 860 - Drag link adjustment?

Jeff Hamilton · Apr 23, 2022

I acquired a Ford 860 that steers hard. After some head scratching, I checked the toe in. I have 1.5 inches of TOE OUT, and the specs suggest 1/4-1/2 toe in. Eyeballing the front wheels, I found that all the toe out seems to be on the right. I also found the radius rod clamps were loose AND the ends are cranked out a lot farther on that same side. I conclude that someone worked on it before and never finished. The front drag link end will adjust (rotate), but the rear is froze solid. If I try and twist the drag link with a bigger bar, I'm just going to break the ends. I decided the best idea was to remove the whole drag link and get it in a vise. However, after removing the nuts, the drag link ends have a tapered fit and will not easily pop out. Can anybody share some wisdom regarding how to get these things apart without breaking them? Thanks in advance.

Matt in Oz · Apr 23, 2022

Jeff I think it is called a pickle fork. It is a two prong fork. The prongs have a taper you put the points between the ball joint and arm then hammer the end of the fork which pops the tapered end out of the arm. Doing my best to describe this. I bought a set of pickle forks at an auto store, don't use them often but when you need them they are invaluable. What ever you do do not hammer the threaded end of the ball joint, even with the nut on it, tempting but will cause damage.

Dean · Apr 23, 2022

The two hammer method has always worked for me.

I use a 2 1/2 Lb. striking hammer and a 4 Lb. back-up hammer.

Dean

Jeff Hamilton · Apr 24, 2022

Thanks guys - I will get back on it and see how it goes.

Ford 860 - Drag link adjustment?

Jeff Hamilton

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Matt in Oz

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Dean

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Jeff Hamilton

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