MTFCA Forum

I bought some Model T parts and this was included. Measures about 16” tall. Anyone know what it is? Thanks!

Tie rod anti-rattler.

RajoRacer wrote: ↑

Fri Jun 26, 2020 12:38 pm

Tie rod anti-rattler.

Thank you!

It’s a cheap fix when you have worn tie rods. Sort of tightens things up. Sort of !

You're most welcome !

There were several types of such devices made, and that is one of the worst, and most common. The problem is that it clamps onto the front axle and allows the tie rod to slide through it. The tie rod is made out of steel tubing, and not all that thick. As the rod slides, the side of the rod pressed against the cradles in the springs wears ever so slowly. It was of course worse on dry dusty roads, a bit of engine oil capturing road dust made a fine abrasive compound, cutting deeper and faster into the side of the tie rod. I have seen several tie rods worn so badly that they would have been unsafe at any speed, and actually a couple that had broken because they were allowed to wear a bit too much.
A slightly better type is the one that clamps onto the tie rod. The spring ends run in the forged axle's channel. No worry there of cutting in way too deep.
Another type mounted around the end pins between the tie rod and spindle arms. If you needed one, you probably needed both ends, but people sometimes only use one on one end. They weren't too bad, but did cut into both the spindle arms and the tie rod some. I have seen one spindle arm that had the cut deep enough that I junked the arm. And I rarely ever junk model T parts. (They cut in from the inner side, and that one was cut about a quarter of the way through!)

In actuality? The whole idea is a "band-aide patch". If any of the bushings or pins are worn enough that one of any type of these can help in any way? The pins and/or bushings need to be replaced! This is especially true now because our better roads and higher driving speeds make such loose pins much more dangerous than the low speeds being driven eighty to a hundred years ago. At low speeds they are not as likely to break into oscillation or begin a "death wobble" like they can at the breathtaking speeds of 35 mph!

I would hang one of those on a wall, maybe even assembled onto most of an axle. And I enjoy seeing them on cars once in awhile. Just another reminder of the times that were. Not sure I would use one of this type however, due to the wear issue (although it would not be quite so bad on our clean roads?).

Just glancing back at the picture. You have one of the little ones that goes over/around the end pin. It is wired into the center part of the larger one, but not a part of the larger one. A little tricky to figure out how that little thing goes on. Makes sense once you do figure it out.

Here are some fitted to the front axle out of a Cole 8-50.