Tie rod ends won't thread into sleeves

[DAVEN1256]

I have new Moog tie rod ends and Hotchkiss tie rod sleeves. I was putting them together today and am having problems threading the tie rod ends into the sleeves. When turning them in by hand, they will go in freely part of the way....then I start feeling resistance......and then they stop turning altogether. Far short of going in all the way. I don't want to apply any more pressure for fear of stripping the threads.

The threading on the tie rod ends seems to be OK. I can take the locks nuts provided with the Hotchkiss tie rod sleeves and spin them freely on to the tie rod ends, all the way to the end. There must be a problem with the threading in the tie rod sleeves.

The Hotchkiss tie rod sleeves are 5 1/4 in long and it looks like the threads on each end go in about the same distance. There's maybe an 1/8 inch not threaded in the middle where the RH and LH threads meet. That being the case, you should be able to screw about 2 1/2 inches of the tie rod end into the sleeve...........In my worst case scenario, by hand cranking it, I can't get the tie rod end more than 3/4 inch into the sleeve. Some will go in further but not all the way.

Just wondering if any one else has had this problem and what they did about it? Maybe they will go in all the way by using a wrench but every time I crank hard on something that doesn't want to go, I end up with a lot of trouble.

Thanks.......Dave

[tmodel66]

Dave I had a similar problem. I quickly found out if I put the right hand thread in the right hand sleeve and left hand in left sleeve it worked a lot better. I'm not saying you are doing this but I did and almost ruined one sleeve because I was about to put it in a vise.  Other than that they should spin in freely.

[DAVEN1256]

I understand how the RH, LH thread mix up can happen. I do have them in the right end though. Some will go in just a little, some half way,  and some close to all the way.

[tmodel66]

Can you swap the one that goes in good to the other end of the sleeve and see which it is the sleeve or the end?   Also are the sleeves aluminum or steel?

[DAVEN1256]

I have tried every possible combination of putting these together with the same results. I am going to give Hotchkiss a call and see what they have to say.