Anyone ever break an Air-O-Matic bracket like this before?

[peashooter]

Well I've been trying to fix this air assist since i got the truck a year ago. Its started leaking pretty bad from one vent on the bottom of the draglink. Anyway I started off with replacing the piston cup inside the ram, removed the frame rail mounted regulator as most folks suggest and replaced all the hoses. put it back together and turned the wheel a tad and heard a noise.... looked under there and found the link slipped back then realized the link casting broke. Looking at the casting break its got a different color metal where the break occured and a fair amount of porosity so i'm guessing the cast part wasnt great to begin with.
I still have the leak too... it appears the drag link only works in the one direction. Any ideas on where to find a used drag link and Bracket? I can probably machine a new bracket out of a big block of aluminum if I need to but i've got no ideas on the Drag link. (I cant afford a new one)

 

[Thunder in NWOR]

YIKES...!
Couple months ago, I bought an NOS draglink off of steelandcanvas here on the classifieds at a pretty good price.
Mark

 

[peashooter]

thanks for the info.... its good to hear that there are some draglinks out there somewhere.

 

[monkster]

May had been tighten to tight. May need bushings. Just thinking out loud. I want one but rather get a steering damper.
This can be welded but needs to a experienced welder

 

[DUECE-COUPE]

Pm sent.

 

[ixpacman]

I installed a brand new old stock airomatic kit on my duece and after sitting for a month it started to leak for the first twenty minutes or so out the lower hole on the air ram.It was like a valve wasn't sealing. A few times it would fight me to steer straight. Quite alarming and very dangerous. I spraye some WD 40 in the line downstream of the safety valve and it never happened again. Idon't know if that is a recommended procedure for this system but it worked.
ixpacman

 

[ODdave]

Someone didnt follow instuctions about torque specs......Tisk tisk....

 

[greg2560]

Someone didnt follow instuctions about torque specs......Tisk tisk....

yup can be fixed

 

[Rustygears]

Search for the bazillion posts on air o matic woes. The drag link is very sensitive to a polluted air system. Fix your dryer as it's probably needing some PM on the filter and desiccant. Then thoroughly drain the tanks of any snot. Then fix any air leaks that cause the compressor to cycle faster than once every 10 minutes while sitting idling with CTIS off. Only then can you clean the drag link by flushing with a little Marvel Mystery Oil poured into the air inlet line to the drag link. Reassemble the line, air up and work the link in both directions from the steering wheel. Repeat process until everything works right. This will remove the rust and snot as well as lube it and the ram for both directions. If there is any moisture in the system, the CTIS and air o matic will misoperate due to corrosion and clogging. Keep that dryer happy. If you have air leaks, the dryer cycles too often for it to purge fully and the it starts to gum up, passing snot and moisture into the rest of the air system.

 

[greg2560]

Not to get off what the post was about ...but has any one set up a char lynn steering system? lots cheaper than some other setups

 

[doghead]

Not to get off what the post was about ...but has any one set up a char lynn steering system? lots cheaper than some other setups

Do you mean the rotational amplifiers?

I don't think the stock steering gear box would handle the constant added stress. (especially when not moving, if you turned the wheel).

 

[greg2560]

that is it

 

[peashooter]

yep, I admit I didnt get the torque wrench out..... I also didnt go that tight with it either though. I really doubt I got it to 32 ft/lbs and I was just testing it and not locking it all down yet.
Also your right about the drier. My truck doesnt even have a desicant can on it... didnt have one when I got it a year ago anyway. I'll have to add that so the drag link (assuming it gets fixed or replaced) doesnt have the problem again.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Search for the bazillion posts on air o matic woes. The drag link is very sensitive to a polluted air system. Fix your dryer as it's probably needing some PM on the filter and desiccant. Then thoroughly drain the tanks of any snot. Then fix any air leaks that cause the compressor to cycle faster than once every 10 minutes while sitting idling with CTIS off. Only then can you clean the drag link by flushing with a little Marvel Mystery Oil poured into the air inlet line to the drag link. Reassemble the line, air up and work the link in both directions from the steering wheel. Repeat process until everything works right. This will remove the rust and snot as well as lube it and the ram for both directions. If there is any moisture in the system, the CTIS and air o matic will misoperate due to corrosion and clogging. Keep that dryer happy. If you have air leaks, the dryer cycles too often for it to purge fully and the it starts to gum up, passing snot and moisture into the rest of the air system.

yep, I admit I didnt get the torque wrench out..... I also didnt go that tight with it either though. I really doubt I got it to 32 ft/lbs and I was just testing it and not locking it all down yet.
Also your right about the drier. My truck doesnt even have a desicant can on it... didnt have one when I got it a year ago anyway. I'll have to add that so the drag link (assuming it gets fixed or replaced) doesnt have the problem again.

Obviously he only thinks in terms of A3 deuces and didn't look at your avatar.

 

[Rustygears]

If it doesn't have a drier, add one! The drag link gums up easily and if there's moisture in the system or oily snot, it's doomed. The wet tank doesnt do a sufficient job dewatering and de oiling. The compressor oily snot is an emulsion that is full of oil and water.

I wasn't studying the photos. Sorry, I actually read the issues instead. My bad. So few non-A3s deuces have air o matic and so many A3s have bad PM on the air system I just added 2 +2 and like the government, saw the result was 47!.

Marvel mystery oil will still loosen the drag link up and lube the system.

Or you could buy an A3 for even more fun .

 

[peashooter]

Someone didnt follow instuctions about torque specs......Tisk tisk....

I dont think it was a problem with not following the torque spec... check out this poor casting in the first pic. The second 2 pics are of the machined replacement piece I made.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Nice fab work! Looks like it was broke and welded, now you don't have to worry about it.