Silly question but are these things supposed to be self-tapping or do I have to try to cut threads? I just received a CB Performance adjustable front beam and the holes for the fittings are there but not threaded.
Thanks, Frank
Original Post
Replies sorted oldest to newest
Buy some fittings, they should be American pipe thread, and the appropriate tap to go with it. Tap the holes and then thread them in and you should be good to go.
Thanks Danny. I did buy the fittings from CB Performance but didn't know the correct tap.
Originally Posted by DannyP:
Buy some fittings, they should be American pipe thread, and the appropriate tap to go with it. Tap the holes and then thread them in and you should be good to go.
I went down to Ace hardware and picked up a few. They threaded right in without much effort.
Ted
They may be metric. I didn't know you had the fittings already. Verify threads first. On my front beam, the steering stop tabs needed to be threaded first and then I put bolts and stop nuts in and could adjust the steering stops.
- Most zerks are 1/8" pipe thread, 1/4-28, and believe it or not 1/16" pipe thread. There are some larger but not in automotive use that I know of. You can drive them in sometimes without tapping the hole but if the metal they are going into is harder you will just wipe out the zerk threads.
My beam grease fitting holes are not threaded. My steering stop mounts are threaded though. I can't figure out why the grease fittings aren't just in the new beam anyway. Seems like a small, cheap and necessary thing to have. I bet Danny is right though. Bet they are metric.
Just measured a couple I had left over from the last project and yes, these are metric.
They are also not threaded, but the inserted end is simply pressed into the hole in the beam tube.
The fitting has fins on the insert part like an end for vinyl tubing, only much smaller. Line it up, put a small piece of metal tubing over the fitting end and smack it a couple of times with a hammer and it's in.
If it's threaded, then you probably have some English/American fittings and, as Ted mentioned above, you'll probably have good luck just threading them in without going to the bother of trying to thread the hole. There won't be any appreciable pressure on them to blow them out, anyway. I can't remember ever seeing a threaded hole on a front beam....
Turns out last night, after going through metric and SAE taps, I used a 5/16 by I think 24 tap and threaded the hole. The fittings went in slightly off but seated and seemed to seal well. I'll send along a picture of the threads on these little suckers.