center link / drag link / steering stablizer help

[elorenzof]

Good Morning.

(This was first posted in the regular 67-72 thread and it was suggested i repost it to this thread)

I purchased a steering stabilizer to put on my build, its a 1972 K10. I hope i can explain this correct. On the drag link ( or center link, the bar that goes across the front from the driver side spindle to the passenger side spindle) the hole (red circle) for the stabilizer to mount to is 26" toward the center of the drag link looking directly at the truck going from the passenger side to the driver side. (29" if you measure from the driver side towards the hole going to the passenger side). The bracket on the front axle (Blue circle) is slightly to the right of the hole in the drag link. The drag link adjustment is far to the right on the driver side (green circle) How am i supposed to mount this? Is this the wrong drag link? even if i was to flip the drag link around so the adjustment was on the passenger side ( i dont know if that would even be correct) the stabilizer shock would still not be able to be mounted due to where the placement of the hole (red circle) is. What would you guys do? I purchased this truck half apart so i don't know if this was even the correct drag link. I was told in the other posting i did that this is the wrong one for this truck. (i purchased this truck like this) If someone could be kind to give me advise and or alternative setup suggestions. I tried to find a drag / center link on the normal sites ie: LMC, Classic Perfromance, Brothers Trucks, etc and cant find one.

Is this even needed? ( steering stabilizer)
Will this current set up work? there is only tie rod/toe adjustment on the driver side.

[B. W.]

Wrong tie rod. (drag link) The steering stabilizer was mounted in two different positions over the years. The more common (I believe?) is with the bracket welded to to the axle tube near the center like yours is. The tie rod in your pic mates with the axle bracket that is mounted to the driver's side.

Your front diff looks like a corporate 10 bolt, not a dana. That diff didn't come under our trucks until the mid '70's. (nothing wrong with it, it's a good axle)

You don't need a stabilizer, our trucks did not come with them (someone correct me on '72 models) but I think it's a good idea, especially with larger tires.

Pic of mine, shows driver's side bracket. I stole my bracket off of a '74 axle.

[kwmech]

Originally Posted by B. W.

Your front diff looks like a corporate 10 bolt, not a dana. That diff didn't come under our trucks until the mid '70's. (nothing wrong with it, it's a good axle)

Yep, 10 bolt with early 44 knuckles. The 10 bolts had different knuckles that had the tie rod taper coming from the bottom up, and used a long tube between the 2 shorter tie rod ends

[elorenzof]

GENTLEMEN! Thank you for your responses. My next question is: being that i will skip the stabilizer for now, with the adjustment sleeve being on only one side, is that ok? How would that adjust both the tire angles? (im assuming its for adjusting toe in / tow out. Should i get a different drag link / center link that has adjustments on both ends for the tie rods? Maybe im over thinking this. Also, what is the correct terminology for this thing? Drag link or center link? Sorry for all the dumb questions.

[kwmech]

One side will do both---one side of the sleeve is right hand thread and the other is left hand thread. One direction makes it longer and the other shorter