Moog Sway Bar Links

Just purchased a pair of Moog sway bar links and have some questions. I couldn't find a metric or sae wrench that would fit on the hex nut. Also, the nut will only screw on about two turns on the bolt before it starts binding. Upon closer examination, the threaded hole in the nut appears to be ovalized. I measure about 0.680" across one set of flats and 0.700" across another. What gives?

Secondly, there are holes for the grease fittings on both ends of the link but they are not threaded. Are the grease fittings self tapping?

Reply to
kkociolek
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Done so that the nut will not rattle loose. Just wrench it on.

Ted

Reply to
Ted Mittelstaedt

Thanks Ted, I knew there had to be some reason for this. Can I assume the grease fittings are self tapping also?

Reply to
kkociolek

snipped-for-privacy@pghmail.com wrote: > ...Can I assume

Yes you can, and you'd be correct. :)

That's the Moog "Problem Solver" part (some people like having grease fittings). TRW and Moog are the same company, yet they make two entirely different (but interchangeable) versions of the same part. The TRW part does not have grease fittings, the Moog does. If you order them thru your typical auto parts chain, you could get either part in the identical box under the same part number - the only difference in the two boxes are the words "Hecho in Mexico" (Moog) and "Made in USA" (TRW).

If interested, take a look at this thread of mine (complete with photos) showing the LH car sway bar end link before and after the zerks are put in) on the 300M Club forums:

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I put some loctite on the zerks before putting them in just to make sure they didn't back out. But they did tap themselves in pretty well - turned in until the bottomed at the hex (they must have the diameter of the hole with just the right amount of interference to grip the threads).

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

Reply to
Bill Putney

TRW and Federal-Mogul are the same company?

Reply to
aarcuda69062

According to one poster on the thread on the 300M Club forums that I linked, "Federal-Mogul, Moog's parent company (along with Champion, Fel-Pro, Wagner lighting, and a few others), bought up TRW's aftermarket parts division in the mid- to late-90's".

Now that I think about it, I was in fact on a windshield wiper design project as a supplier to TRW, and our customer, TRW became Federal Mogul in the middle of the whole thing.

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

Reply to
Bill Putney

Not busting your chops here Bill, but I can't find anything that links TRW and Federal-Mogul to each other.

AFAIK, they are two distinct separate mega-conglomerates.

Reply to
aarcuda69062

Nope.

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letter 'S')

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down to 2004 - third item - though they bought TRW long before that)(BTW - that explains why I and others have gotten the two different parts - Moog and TRW - in the same box under the same part number when ordering, say, two of that same part.) It is strange, though, how the TRW logo doesn't show up on their web pages (including their home page) that display their whole host of divisions - makes one think that the TRW brand may eventually get absorbed under the Moog name and disappear althogether.

No mention of TRW here:

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I'm not sure what this page means:
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Take a look at that thread on the 300M Club forums - like I said - I literally ordered two of the part at the same time from my local Advance store under the same part number. One was the Moog part, the other the TRW (both in a TRW box). Since posting that, others have confirmed the same experience (or getting two Moogs under the TRW part number in the TRW box).

Looks like the whole kit and kaboodle is in (or emerging from?) chapter

  1. Their server is slow - must have laid off all their IT guys. Hmmm

- makes you want to go out and buy their stock - not. :)

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

Reply to
Bill Putney

Page is titled; Product Line Flags Used For Federal-Mogul Orders

I think this could mean that Federal-Mogul buys components from TRW. Doesn't specifically mention TRW as a brand of F-M or vise versa.

Couldn't get this page to open.

TRW is more than steering and suspension components, Moog is AFAIK 100% steering and suspension.

An interesting read non the less...

They have a facility in Alabama?

Large parts stores buy out and/or absorb small parts stores, the inventory more often than not is re-boxed to match the new store even though it wasn't sourced by who evers name is on the box. I've seen this a number of times when CarQuest did their Borg imitation on local mom and pop auto parts stores in this area.

Yup, F-M has been on the ropes for a few years now, though it reads as though this is a move to allow them to side step some responsibilities for asbestos abatement, etc.

K-mart goes bankrupt, K-mart buys Sears. Gotta love those MBAs!

Reply to
aarcuda69062

Maybe TRW sold a division to Moog. TRW Automotice is a NYSE listed company:

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so is Moog:
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Reply to
Whoever

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> > ml

Looking a bit more, it looks like Moog Chassis is NOT part of Moog Inc. So perhaps Federal-Mogul bought the chassis divisions from Moog?

Looking at TRW, it appears that there is some kind of supply arrangement between the TRW and Federal-Mogul

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Reply to
Whoever

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There's the link. That totally explains why I got two different parts (one Moog, one TRW) in the same identical (with the single exception of the "Made in..." line) TRW box

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

Reply to
Bill Putney

I think you're right - the link in the post by "Whoever"

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nails it I think.

...no doubt the result of the marketing agreement linked by Whoever.

That's not the explanation here - where would they get the TRW boxes (which both TRW and Moog parts come in)? It's the marketing agreement.

Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x')

Reply to
Bill Putney

Yup, the link from "whoever" nails it.

Reply to
aarcuda69062

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