Manual Steering Linkage problem - tie rod to close to lower A-arm
 

What's going on here?? Something's not right.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...793aa6ee81.jpg

Best guess is that you installed the center link backwards, meaning you need to swap ends so the tie rods go in from the back side. Happens a lot on older Chevy trucks when guys take everything off and turn it the wrong way.

Hmm. You can only put the drag link in one way - the other end is the ball-joint connection to the pitman arm.

Can you take a pic of the entire linkage?

That does look correctly installed. Turn it lock to lock. The distance from the tie rod to the control arm should increase.

There is no other way to install it. One end bolts to the idler, the other to the pitman (I don't have the pitman side tight). when turned lock to lock, it moves away from the arms, but at center, the tie rods are dangerously close to the arms. It seems like the drag link should not have that bend outward, but I don't have a power steering drag link to compare to.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...dcc5c5fde4.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...d4879fe092.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...980ad7ea35.jpg
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.cor...f2369479a8.jpg

Someone check me if I am wrong but I think the tie rod end goes in the outermost hole on the spindle arm.

I think this is manual steering only>

Borgeson PS box - so yes, the linkage is all manual pieces.

Possible - I don't have the knuckles tightened yet. But doesn't matter which knuckle hole, the clearance is still an issue. Makes no sense to me.

There are 2 style centerlinks, 2 pitman arms, and 2 ball stud styles on the centerlink.
Somewhere I saw a pic of the 2 centerlinks super-imposed on each other, the end with the ball stud has a different bend, to clear the PS equipment. The pitman arm changes too.
Which setup did you start with? Manual or PS?
Is it even remotely possible you could have a mis-matched part somewhere?

OK I just saw borgeson box. But isn't that centerlink with two holes the PS link?
Which pitman arm do you have? The PS one or the manual one?

This is my understanding:
Idler arm is the same, manual or power.
Pitman arms are "slightly different", but not so different that there would be this big of issue. (this is supposed to be a manual pitman)
This is definitely a manual drag link - the PS one is 7/8" and has a completely different end (for the PS control valve)
Tie rods and tubes are the same, manual or PS.
So I should have ALL manual steering stuff going on here.
And considering the idler is the same and is def installed right, the drag link is definitely pushing the tie rod very close to the arms.
Could the tie rods be wrong? (too big).
All the YT videos I have watched show about 1" clearance between the tire rods and arms.
Don't get it.

No, it's the manual drag link - there are two holes there in the middle that are there for no apparent reason. The PS drag link only has one middle hole for the PS damper.
The pitman is supposed to be the manual one - but it's an issue on the idler side as well, which is not different between PS and manual.

OK but I have a factory manual car, and the centerlink has no extra holes.
But I get you, even if the PS side/pitman arm is different, why is the idler arm side so close?

I do have one of each style centerlink, I can drag them out tommorrow and take pictures for you.

Look like the reproduction manual drag links have the 5 holes.
But it looks like they are only 63-68? I wonder if I have a 63-68 draglink and it's somehow more aggressively bent?

Yes....the factory manual drag link on 69 and above does NOT have that extra hole. I think in 68, the manual system had a damper connected to that third hole, but apparently after than, they decided the damper was not necessary. Not sure if this is a problem for you though, because otherwise the 68 is the same car in regards to all this geometry.

I will be installing these parts on my 69 in a few days....can get you pictures then.

Mine was the same when I put it together , manual steering with the Borgeson addition. Was even closer than yours is there . I decided to not worry about it until I put it back on its wheels......then the "problem" just went away ! lol.

lower the car off of the jackstands. clearance between the tie rod ends, and the lower control arms magically happens.

^ This here is correct

I know that this is a very minor point, but the inner tie rod ends usually have a 90* grease fitting , with it facing downward, so you can access it with your grease gun.