1950s 1956 steering center link or drag link assembly

[Cadman-iac]

  I was going through the center link for my car and as I was taking it apart, I had a piece on each side that does not show up in the diagram in the service manual, and there doesn't seem to be any mention of it in the text.
What I'd like to know is, first off, what is it's purpose, and secondly, is it absolutely necessary that it be in there.
The reason I ask is because to me, it seems like it's just a restriction for the grease so when you are servicing the link with a grease gun, it slows the grease going to the center of the link, which is nothing but a void with no parts inside.
Here's the picture that is in the service manual, and the text referring to it. (Second picture)
  There are two spacers, one 8" and one 6", that go between each inner tie rod and on one side, the idler arm, and the other side, the pitman arm. Between the inner tie rods is nothing but hollow space. These thin cups, (for lack of a better description), go between the inside end of each spacer and the half moon piece that fits against the tie rod ball stud to keep it in place.
These cups are made of very thin metal and have a small hole in the center, for the grease to pass through.
The third picture is what is left of these cups.
The only thing I can see that would happen if I didn't put new ones back in, is that the grease will flow a little more towards the center of the drag link.
The fourth picture is of all the pieces that go inside the drag link assembly. The pencils are pointing out the cups in question. As you can see, they are not in the best of shape. (Third picture) The one on the right was damaged coming out, but the one on the left came out just like you see. It appears that the pressure against it caused it to split where the side connects to the center. The hole in the center is actually the same size as the holes in each of the half moon pieces that hold the arms and rods in place, so it doesn't appear that these really do anything, at least not from what I see here.
Can someone with more experience with this tell me what purpose these things cups were for,  and what if anything would happen if I didn't use them? And I'm not sure if these were in the correct locations when I took this apart either. Is this where they actually go?
My thanks for any and all information you can give.

  Rick

[Lexi]

Hi Rick. Can't answer all your questions as I have never taken one apart, but perhaps the attached diagram can help a bit. Clay/Lexi

[Cadman-iac]

Thanks Clay, I'll have to check my new parts manual for this. I totally forgot about looking in there for a description.

[Lexi]

That is where the image grab came from. Same for 1956, so you are covered. Clay/Lexi

[fishnjim]

They're in my '58 too, so they're "needed".   I cleaned out all the old hard grease but don't recall where or why they go, without I think it's too loose to hold the ball joints/sloppy steering.   Maybe yours was molested already, certainly worn out.
I've seen rebuild kits for them with all the internals, but been a while since.   Try the usual suspects.   

I don't think it "restricts" the grease, but lets it flow between joints.

[Cadman-iac]

  Well I'm having some trouble getting the book to open up on my phone. I think I messed up a setting accidentally and it doesn't recognize the drive now.
Anyway,  those cups are razor thin, so they're not in there to take up any slack. The outer diameter might block the grease from going around the half-moon pieces, but it's got to get there anyway to keep the ball stud on the inner tie rod lubricated, so it doesn't appear that these really do anything. The long spacer sits against the half-moon piece anyhow even with these in place. They're so thin that they might as well not be there.
   Clay, if you have a chance, can you tell me what GM called  those cups? I don't know how long it's gonna take me to figure out what I did to my phone and fix it. Can't seem to find the settings for the external drive, nothing is showing up like the instructions online mention.

[Lexi]

Cadman-iac, done. Sent. Clay/Lexi

[Roger Zimmermann]

The name: cover, steering connecting link spacer. Were used from 1941 to 1958, part number 265516. Yours are "modified".

[Cadman-iac]

Hi Roger,
Thank you for that information.  By modified,  do you mean because these are damaged, or is there something different about what I have here versus what it's supposed to be? I don't see anything different from what the service manual or the parts manual shows, unless I'm just not seeing it.
Rick

[Roger Zimmermann]

Yes, its because they are damaged!

[Cadman-iac]

  Got it, Lol!! I thought you were serious about that, and I couldn't find anything wrong except for the "non-standard" shape of those pieces. Ya got me there!

I still don't understand what real purpose they serve though. Do you know what they're supposed to do? All I can think of is a restriction to keep grease from going around the outer part of the half-moon piece that keeps the ball stud in place. But those half-moon pieces have the same size hole in them, so grease will still flow through them to the ball stud just like the little cups do.
The only thing that I see that they actually do to cause problems getting the other parts out of the drag link. As you can see by their current condition, lol !!

[Daryl Chesterman]

Richard, when I rebuilt the draglink for the 59 I have been working on, it also had those tin cups, and like yours, one was a bit mangled and the other one came out OK.  I, also, could not figure out their purpose, and I could not find any replacements anywhere.  The only logical explanation for them, to me, was that they were a retainer/centering device for the triangular spacers.  Even that explanation made little sense to me as they are really thin and the triangular spacers were still loose inside them, plus, there was not one on each end of the triangular spacer.  I think some engineer(s) had a bad theory for using this particular part and it continued for several years.  The other thought I had was that the thin cups provided a wear point to keep the triangular spacer from wearing into the cup that goes against the ball, but that didn't make any logical sense either since there was not one on the other end of the triangular spacer to keep it from wearing against the "plug" for the spring.  It will remain a mystery unless the Cadillac engineer(s) come forward with an explanation, and that is unlikely after all these years!!!

Daryl Chesterman

[Cadman-iac]

  Thank you Daryl  for your input. I'm glad I'm not the only person confused about those. Clay/Lexi has contacted Rare Parts Inc about their kit since he's gotten one from them in the past, and they sent a breakdown diagram of everything in their kit, and it does not include or even show those pieces, so obviously they are not necessary.
Here's what he got from them in response.

  You may be right about it being a piece that helps during assembly, although I've found that the spacer goes in easier without that in the way. It's more of a hindrance than a help.

[David King (kz78hy)]

I think it is expected that you will use your orignal parts with the new parts.

[Cadman-iac]

I think it is expected that you will use your orignal parts with the new parts.

  That's true. I'm sure that the kit doesn't have everything that goes inside one of these drag links.
Does anyone know exactly which pieces are included in the kit? I would like to think that they would include the pieces that contact the tie rod ball studs and the ones for the idler arm and pitman arm. Those would probably be considered a wear item, although none of mine shows any sign of wear at all. Either they've been replaced at some point, or it's a lower mileage car than I thought it was.
  There were signs that someone had been into this assembly at some time, there are 3 of the half-moon pieces that have indications that they were next to the spacers, they have a shiny triangular spot on the back, and if it hadn't been touched, there would only be two pieces with indications of being in contact with the spacers.

[Daryl Chesterman]

Caddy Daddy has this kit, which includes parts that don't normally need replacing—I wouldn't consider them to be wear parts.

     https://www.caddydaddy.com/shop-parts/1949-1950-1951-1952-1953-1954-1955-1956-1957-1958-1959-1960-cadillac-center-drag-link-kit-18-pieces-reproduction-free-shipping-in-the-usa.html

This from Fusick:

     http://www.fusickautomotiveproducts.com/prodinfo.asp?number=TRE1906K

Daryl Chesterman

[fishnjim]

Before I'd throw them out/not replace and risk steering problems, I'd be a bit cautious. 
It's a "weird" design but so are a lot of others in the day.   But they've worked for a long time.
If the ball isn't held tightly enough side to side it can fall out.   They just slip in under the spring cover.   Hate if you found out there purpose the hard way...

[39LaSalleDriver]

This seems to be a topic that comes up from time to time with no resolution. I went through it a couple of years ago myself with my 39. Here is the thread about this very topic in which Daryl and myself were both contributors. http://forums.cadillaclasalleclub.org/index.php?topic=154197.msg422678#msg422678

Seems the best solution any of us could come up with was Daryl's suggestion to slip a fender washer in there and hope for the best. That is what I ended up doing, and I'm happy to report that two years later have had absolutely no negative results that I am aware of.

[Cadman-iac]

    Daryl, 
Thank you for the links to these parts sources. I have been looking at Rare Parts Inc for them, and have just been glad that I don't need anything. These others are more reasonable in price. I  appreciate the info. Many thanks.


  Hey Jim, 
  You make a good point, and if this part were more substantial, I'd have to agree,  put it back in. But given that these have absolutely no strength, and no thickness to them, they can't have any structural impact on the linkage. The only thing I can see that they might do is guide the grease through the middle and to keep it from going around the outer edge of the cupped piece. Which, when you look at it, the grease is going to get there anyway.
And if it was absolutely necessary that it be there for that reason,  why didn't they do it for the other ends of the spacers and cupped pieces?
I think it's like someone said, it was something to do with the assembling of it at the factory.
Because if you're depending on something like that to keep your steering linkage together, your putting your faith in the wrong place.
I really appreciate your input, thanks for your thoughts. It does make a lot of sense.

   Jon,
I read your entire thread, and it sounds like we have all come to the same conclusion. These things are not necessary. It was like reading my own thread.
I'm going to assemble mine without either of these things, because I honestly don't believe they do anything. The space that they take is minute, and that razor thin amount can be adjusted for if necessary by the spring load.
As for why the drivers side "spacer cover" wears out more than the passenger side, could it be that because the load on the steering linkage is applied with the pitman arm, it's pushing on everything to move it to the right whenever you turn left, and it might not put as much pressure on the passenger side "spacer cover" when turning the opposite direction.
  The idler arm doesn't apply any force on any of the linkage, it merely supports and guides it as it moves left and right.

The comment about the shape of those spacers and the grease traveling around them is partly right. But if you have noticed, the spacers are drilled on all three sides in the middle to allow the grease to pass through them to where it needs to go. Both of the center links I've taken apart have had grease from one end to the other from decades of being greased.
   And if they're assembled with just enough grease to lube the pivot points, then the guy who does the next service on the car will have to pump grease into it for a long time before he sees it come out of any of the sockets for the linkages. It's got to fill up all of those voids before it comes squeezing out somewhere.
The shape of those spacers was also mentioned, that they were not consistent on each side. I've noticed that as well, and my assumption was that it was done to give them more strength, as a ridge or channel or lip, whatever, gives a piece of metal more rigidity. But again, I'm no engineer, just my thoughts on it.
I appreciate your input Jon, and the link to your thread. I believe I have come to the same conclusion as many of you have about this, and that is, don't worry about it!!

[Daryl Chesterman]

And if they're assembled with just enough grease to lube the pivot points, then the guy who does the next service on the car will have to pump grease into it for a long time before he sees it come out of any of the sockets for the linkages. It's got to fill up all of those voids before it comes squeezing out somewhere.

Richard, I hope that you will apply grease through the zerks to thoroughly lubricate the center link, once everything is assembled, and before putting the car on the road.  It takes a bit of grease to fill the voids, like you said, but once done, it only takes a couple of "pumps" of grease the next time the car is serviced.  I like to use a moly grease to grease all of the chassis zerks because moly bonds to iron and gives the best lubrication for tie rod ends, ball joints, king pins, or anything else where there is metal sliding on metal.  The only exception to using moly grease is for u-joints—I have a separate grease gun with NLGI #2 lithium grease for the u-joints.

Daryl Chesterman