Center drag link for PS
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 19,610
Likes: 778
From: Forked River NJ
Center drag link for PS
There appears to be a difference from 68 and earlier cars and 69 and later cars on the center drag link. Is it just the diameter of the rod or are the holes and mounting holes different. I want ot use a later drag link on a 68 car. Can anyone confirm this?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 7,353
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From: Graceland in a Not Correctly Restored Stingray
Can't confirm it for you just now, but suspect the change was most likely just the diameter increase in order to reduce flex (IIRC by ~50%), and for which the early manual damper was a bandaid. If no one else chimes in with anything definitive before I can get back to it I'll see if I can find something more concrete than my hunch for you. I'd bet Jim Shea knows...
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 1,995
Likes: 110
From: Garland Texas
It's just the diameter. Midyears had a small block link and a big block link. 67 and 68 shared many parts. 69 went with just the BB link and no stabilizer mounting holes. Length and hole sizes are all the same.
Mike
Mike
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,001
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From: Saginaw Michigan
I got this from Joe Lucia over at the NCRS board.
"...first, the 3/4" power steering relay rod (1963-68) and the 7/8" relay rod (1969-82) were Corvette-only pieces. While the 7/8" rod is not correct for the 1963-68 applications, it does SERVICE those applications and is stronger and better than the original rod."
Now there is one other confusing issue. There was a shock damper that required an attaching boss to be formed and machined on the relay rod. The shock damper was used through late 1968. I assume all 7/8" rods never had the damper attaching boss since they went into production as the damper was eliminated. I also have some information that all Big Blocks did not have a damper.
So the question is - "were there two 3/4" rods, some with bosses for the damper (Small Blocks) and some without a boss for the BBs? Or did all 3/4" (1963-68) relay rods have the boss but the BBs just didn't have a damper to attach to it?
I will see if I can get the above question answered over at the NCRS board.
Jim
"...first, the 3/4" power steering relay rod (1963-68) and the 7/8" relay rod (1969-82) were Corvette-only pieces. While the 7/8" rod is not correct for the 1963-68 applications, it does SERVICE those applications and is stronger and better than the original rod."
Now there is one other confusing issue. There was a shock damper that required an attaching boss to be formed and machined on the relay rod. The shock damper was used through late 1968. I assume all 7/8" rods never had the damper attaching boss since they went into production as the damper was eliminated. I also have some information that all Big Blocks did not have a damper.
So the question is - "were there two 3/4" rods, some with bosses for the damper (Small Blocks) and some without a boss for the BBs? Or did all 3/4" (1963-68) relay rods have the boss but the BBs just didn't have a damper to attach to it?
I will see if I can get the above question answered over at the NCRS board.
Jim
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 19,610
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From: Forked River NJ
Thanksc Jim. This car is not going to be a NCRS car so the owner was just looking for a rod that would work and the later ones seem to be a little cheaper and more plentiful.
