Tie Rod Ball Ends

The LH tie rod ball end on my GT 18 has worn so badly that the ball has started to drop out. I looked up the part number--8514R. but Sears no longer carries it. It's different from the standard ball ends because the female is a 1/2"x20 thread while the stud end is 3/8" thread. There is an Oregon Number that works-- 45-109 at $17+ each.

Problem is, the RH thread ball end is pretty worn also, and I couldn't find an updated number for it.

Has anyone else found a part for the RH end, or what solutions have you come up with?

Thanks,

Utah Smitty

Here's a few part numbers I saw. Don't know the stud size, but that can be altered if all else fails.

Oregon 45-114

Rotary 2212

Stens 245-043

Spence

Old post but I'll answer anyway just for reference. Having your steering come apart in the middle of mowing the lawn is a PIA, especially if you don't have the replacement parts!

Spence posted some parts numbers but before I picked up some good OE off ebay I had applied a "bandaid" procedure that held up really well for quite a while.

I had taken the ends off, clamped them in a vise, packed a dab of grease in the socket, reinserted the ball and then carefully! peened in the edges around the socket using a center punch and a smaller pin punch (1/8, 3/16). The big secret to making it work is to ASK the metal to tighten around the ball, not FORCING it.

Roger

JUST MY TWO CENTS WORTH. HAVE HAD A SET OF THESE RUNNING, MOWING PROBABLY TEN YEARS, ON TRACTOR WHEN I GOT IT, JUST RECENTLY BUILT THREE SETS FOR SEARS THAT I AM RESTORING. YOU WILL NEED 16" 3/8 SAE THREADED ROD FOR TWO SIDES & 4 JAM NUTS, 4-3/8 FEMALE WITH STUD HEIM JOINTS FROM EBAY SELLER 6gre $8.49 PER EACH W/ FREE SHIPPING. YOU WOULD THINK THESE MAY WEAR OUT BEING OPEN WITHOUT LUBE, BUT THEY WILL OUT LAST US. I HAVE ALSO USED ABOUT 6" OF 1/4" GALVANIZED PIPE,
CUT THE HEAD OFF A 3/8" SAE THREAD BOLT, PUSH THE BOLTS PART WAY UP IN TUBING WELD AROUND THE BOLT AND SCREW THE HEIM JOINT ON AND YOU ARE FIXED FOR LIFE. FOR FINE TOEIN ADJUSTMENT YOU WILL HAVE TO DROP THE STUD BACK OUT OF THE SPINDLE STEERING ARM, REMOVE AND ADJUST TILL RIGHT. DON'T LOOK ORIGINAL BUT WHO KNOWS.
HAVE A GOOD DAY
JIMMY