Replacing steering tie rods with rod ends (rose joints)

[Fylnn]

I am running a GTV6 as a gravel rally car.  It is in Qld so needs to take rough with the smooth, and so runs about 150mm ground clearance.  So suspension cranked up a way.  This is the opposite to most people who lower the suspension.  I am pretty pleased with the result now, but the remaining obvious issue is the angle of the steering link between the steering arm and the rack.  It is tending down a long way and will be inducing some serious bump steer.  The obvious way to return the steering link closer to horizontal is to insert the tie rod from above the steering arm, not from below.  Which of course means remachining the steering arm and putting on a rose joint.  It looks to be an M14 thread so not a common size.  Has anyone done this modification before and where did they get the rose joints from?  Did it work?

[Duk]

I've not done what you're talking about, but I have done a bump steer correction set up under the steering arm to fix bump steer problems when I changed the geometry.
1 thing I quickly noticed is that your typical spherical rod end/rose joint/hiem joints have considerably less misalignment capacity that the usual automotive tie rod end. You can get high misalignment rod ends, but from all of my searching, they are in imperial sizes.
Given that a rally car is much more likely to use a lot more suspension travel, it'd be something you'd really want to make sure you get right. As running out of articulation with a rod end can cause them to break.
You're probably better to bend the steering arms to correct your bump steer issues and keep using conventional tie rod ends.

[105gta]

Hi Flynn, i have been looking at these on eBay. They are 14 x 1.5 thread as per our alfas and come with dust boots.
Personally I'm not sure of the grade of alloy used so would probably make the adapter from steel to be safe, especially for harsh rally use.

[Fylnn]

The Silvia kits do look interesting, but also a bit flimsy.  I also note the comment about articulation.  Standard automotive tie rods are pretty good and pretty tough for the money and cover a wide range.  I will look and think again, might be better with some heating and bending than going to rose joints.

[Jekyll and Hyde]

From memory, it is actually possible (although not easy) to press the steering arm and stub axle section out of the rest of the upright.  Flip over, put on other side, tie rod end now goes in from top.

Alternatively, if you've access to machining, could always bore the hole in the steering arm out to be parallel sided bore, then turn up a sleeve with tie rod taper on the inside, and outside a press fit into the parallel bore you just created.  Put a lip at the top to stop it dropping through the bottom, the nut and washer will stop it coming out the top....  Same result, tie rod end now goes through from the top.

[105gta]

Just a note, if it's purely the angle of the arm you're worried about, it might pay to check the actual bump steer. Because although the steering arm may be on a larger angle so will the lower control arm.  The work together approx parallel to each other. Correcting one but not the other will induce even more bump steer.
Ben