Even with a loose clamp that shouldn't happen. For the steering bar to rotate the clamp the other side would need to be loose as well and then the other side would wind out as well (left and right hand threads) putting tracking out a mile
Difficult to imagine the thread stripping over the whole length unless it had previously been cross threaded but that would take some doing
For a start I would fit two clamps at each tack rod end, that bolt looks non standard and limited thred length may have prevented the clamp being fully done up. Once there is movement in the joint through corrosion or other it's not long before the wear is enough for it to part, You were lucky it went when it did,cheers.
it`s the rear bar, just checked out the price of a whole new bar system and it`s only 65 quid with the track rod ends, so i think i`ll just replace the whole lot as the rubber boot is gone on the one in the photo and if it`s happened once i might happen again.
Presume you were putting right hand down, so drag link was in pull mode. Steering bar would be trying to pull near side wheel to turn right. Question is, why was the near side wheel resist turning. Before refitting steering bar, jack up near side wheel and see how easily it pivots. Steering bar and two joints should be a lot less that £65
Was the clamping bolt touching on anything causing ball joint to be pulled out of threads had this on a series truck once caught on a spring and pulled the threads on the ball joint so replaced the lot with new ball joints and HD steering bars
no i don`t think anything was touching or impeding the clamping bolt. i`ve replaced the ball joint (just happened to have a spare ball joint in the back of the jeep) anyway the tread on the new one was much longer.
but i don`t think this was the problem. i did jack it up and checked to see if the near side wheel was pivoting freely.( as suggest earlier) and it was. i then found that the power steering box was leaking fluid. so i then rang a place in dublin and they told me that they would recon it if i bring it into them ,so myself and a friend took it out. rang them the next day and they told that they did not recon them but would sell me a new one. anyway i paid them and they posted it to me the next day. when over to my mates garage to put it in only to find it was not the same part.
so then had to order the part from paddocks, it arrived today and we`ll put it in tonight. i`ll order the bar system this week and put it in and get it tracked after that. thanks everyone for their help.
Your original joint does not look standard. The end of the steering bar has a slot in it, almost as long as the thread on that joint. The slot allows a U clamp to lock the bar after adjusting tracking. There should be another 30mm approx thread down inside the bar to hold it on :-o
Your original doesn't have that crucial length of thread.