I have a 75 f250, 2x4. When I bought the truck, both the drag link and the tie rod end had been inserted into the spindles from the top, nut on the bottom, grease fitting on the top.
When I went to change all the tie rods, I see in this LMC diagram that the tie rods enter the left and right spindle from the bottom, nut and cotter pin on top. Which is correct?

 

since the holes are tapered, they will only work one way.

 

Yeah, I doubt one could even get the nut started the wrong way in. If by chance one did, should be family easy to tell, as the studs would be held up out of the holes?
I too "think" that they would insert from the lower side with nuts on top side, so then the actual tie rods would sit further away from oil pan, etc .... so the drawing is how I would expect it, but I'd be looking at my tapers.

 

Hey guys. Thanks for the feedback. I will pull one tie rod out and check the taper, and ck if the old one will fit either way. I guess this is not the first time that lmc diagrams have been wrong. However, even this image posted by number dummy shows the tie rods having been inserted from the bottom, https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-question.html

 

From the bottom up is OEM. Whne it is on the top going down, that is called a TRO (Tie Rod Over) mod. Like when you use the truck as an avid off roader or rock crawler. By doing the flip you get the drag link up out of harms way. Bad thing is when that is done, you usually use a 7* reamer and reverse angle ream the hole (from the top down) in the steering knuckle.

Or you straight drill it to 3/4 or 7/8 and get a flip sleeve adapter/tapered bushing and drop it in from the top. Also a common trick to be able to use GM 1 ton tie rod ends. Once it is done, it is done, unless you get a flip sleeve adapter and put it in from the bottom. And then move you tie rods back to OEM set up. I guess that would work. Or get new steering knuckles.

https://www.wfoconcepts.com/i-305050...m-tie-rod.html

https://trailforged.com/product/1-to...dapter-sleeve/

https://cavfab.com/products/flip-sle...1-ton-rod-ends

 

And the knuckles themselves could’ve been changed as well.
When you’re working on this, get some pictures so that, not only do you have a record, but also so that we can see what was done.
Thanks.

 

Once again, thanks for the feedback. I don't doubt that there is that kind of mod one of the members mentioned. But, I also wonder whether this is oem for some model, say, with dual piston calipers? I would not doubt that Ford made diff. sizes with diff. orientations for diff. models and LMC simply used a diagram that showed the most commom of the lot.
So, all is fine with the tie rods and working well, and that makes me happy. The only issue is that the two threaded ends inside the adjustment sleeve hit each other. But they hit right where the steering/alignment is supposed to be. If I need more adjustment, I'll remove one of the ends and cut a quarter inch off the threads. For now that is not needed.

 

Sounds good so far. And the part where it reaches maximum adjustment, could also be from two sources.
One is that the parts were swapped from another vehicle and matched pretty closely.
The other is that if they’ve ever been replaced, modern parts are a crapshoot and don’t always fall accurately within the proper specifications.
So you might have the correct parts and adjusting sleeve, but they just don’t fit quite right.
Luckily they happened to fall right where you need them!

Regarding your comment about OEM application, it’s always possible. I certainly don’t remember any, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen. And I remember always being jealous of a few of the GM trucks that had the tie rod positioned on top, whereas I only ever saw Fords that had it on the bottom.
I thought there could be some advantages to being on top. But the steering set ups were different enough where it wasn’t just a simple swap in most cases.

 

I have never seen any 73-79 OEM set up with a factory tie rod over set up. Single and dual piston brake caliper, F100,F150 F150 4wd (78/79 Bronco) always tie rod going up under steering knuckle arm. But hay ya never know what happened on a friday at 4:30 at the Ford truck plant way back in 1975.

LMC catalog pics are not parts manuals. If you want your own OEM parts manual go here.

Blue Oval Truck parts. Diagrams.

• Ford_Truck_1973-79_Illustrations.pdf(60mb)
• Ford_Truck_1973-79_Text.pdf (115mb)

 

I don't know what year they changed from nut on top to nut on bottom. When I swapped my 66 F250 2x4 (nut on top) from drums to 79 F250 disc (nut on bottom). Drag links are not interchangeable.