Tie rod

Tie rods and steering levers shown schematically
4 - one-piece tie rod
4a - split tie rod

Rack and pinion steering with split tie rod (incl. Rack = 3 parts)
1. Steering wheel
2. Rack
3 Steering gear
4 Tie rod
5 Wheel suspension

One or more tie rods are part of the steering knuckle - steering . They connect the steering levers on the steering knuckles (wheel carriers) to the steering gear . In the older rigid axles (still used today in tractors and many trucks ) , both steering levers are directly connected to an undivided tie rod, and the steering gear engages one of the steering levers. Otherwise the tie rod is divided into two parts, both of which are connected to the steering gear. In rack and pinion steering, for example, the two are usually hinged to the ends of the laterally displaceable rack. Only their connections with the steering levers take part in the compression of the wheel. In other designs, both tie rods are articulated on a pitman arm that is pivoted by the steering gear. You are i. d. Usually not the same length as the pitman arm is not in the middle between the wheels.

A tie rod essentially consists of three components:

• two joints, mostly designed as spherical heads , at each end of the tie rod
• Connection part as a metal tube (adjustable in length)

The name tie rod is derived from its function for setting the track of both wheels on an axle. The track is set by changing the length of the tie rod. Andreas Flocken is named as the inventor of the tie rod .

This tie rod provisionally ensures the track holding ability of the stock rails in a switch

Tie rods in track construction

Tie rods or tie-rods in track construction hold the connection between the rails and specify the required gauge between the rails if no conventional sleeper is used.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ About the Lankensperger u. Ackermann's movable patent axes. In: Polytechnisches Journal . 1, 1820, pp. 296-311.