making a tapered hole for a tierod end - help!!! please

[Rosey]

Hi Guys,

this is killing me. I've made up a hi-steer arm so I can do this spring over on the patrol. I need to put a tapered hole in it so I can attach the tie rod end. People have told me you can get a tappered reamer or drill which will do this. I have looked EVERYWHERE in gladstone and can't get anywhere. The hole needs to go from about 15.6mm to 17.4mm over a 22.3mm length, the gradient I have measured accuratly to be 0.056. I can get it done in a massive lath at a cost of approx $200+. There must be an easier way to do this. I am thinking of making a tapered bush, (low cost) and pressing it into the arm.

Anyone have any ideas? any companies which supply a reamer of this tapper???

On another note, the spring over is going great. Should all be done and waiting on this hi-steer arm by the end of the week, if work gives me some more days off.

cheers

[bogged]

machine shop with a lathe?

[DR Frankenstine]

a machine\engineering shop should be able to or have a tapered drill bit. had mine drilled for $25. You could allways drill a 12 mm hole and get the file out. it doesnt have to be perfect.

[Rosey]

Machine shop with a lathe say it will take at lease 3hrs labour due to the setup time.

I heard from someone else that if you don't get the tapper exact the join is very weak. Not overly keen on this join failing while I'm hammering down the highway doing 100clicks.

I'm starting to come to the realisation that paying for the machine shop might be my only option. I would have preferred to put that money towards new ranchos.

thanks for the input guys,

cheers

[Cheezy4x4]

Where are you I do them every day ATM in my mill, I had the tooling made a while ago cost was (Alot) PM me or ring 03 97629032

[big red]

there is [i heard] two different tapers [gq and gu?] .
wizard performance has a tapered insert i think for the GQ taper.
Not sure on this but it may be worth a phone call.

[grimbo]

Pay the $$$ to get it done properly, as you said you don't want it failing at the wrong time

[Gwagensteve]

Just wiggle the drill around a bit. If the taper gets too big, just stack washers until the nut does up tight.

(The scary thing is, I saw this on a car with an engineer's cert, and was sold with a RWC like that.)

I recently saw a hand taper reamer in a tool shop here in Melb for $36. The shop was ALLTOOLS, Bell St Preston. not sure if it has the right taper for your application, but it looked pretty similar to the stuff the yanks sell with their tie rod flip kits for jeeps and the like. Might be worth giving a major engineering tool merchant a ring, such as Blackwoods. Personally, I like spending money on tools rather than someone elses time. ( No offence Cheezy, I'd like a mill too)

[Cheezy4x4]

No probs, but the taper isnt an off the shelf type of taper, thats why I had to get it custom made.

[Rosey]

got a mate going to have a go at it on the lathe at his work. Hopefully he can nail it, should only cost me a bottle of rum.

I have already tried Blackwoods, CQ tools, Repco. There are reamers available but not with the right gradient. I did find the right gradient from a repco supplyer, however it went from 3-13mm over 100mm range. Not big enough.

Thanks for the help guys, Cheezy I would be there in a flash if I lived a little closer.

cheers

[choppa1978]

try les duffel at brisbane axle and trailers he made all my arms front and rear has all the gear if you are near brisbane .

[bru21]

rosey i thought you would have had the dremel out by now . can't beleive ya nearly finished. the arse end of mine's done. pitty these gen 3's can't fit themselves.

cheers mate, will be up for a play before chrissie

bru