I think you used enuf heat, but not enuf force. As said by another poster, heat above a certain amount will change the metallurgy of the rod and leave it less durable. 600F is safe -- above that youre losing some of the good properties. As I recall you heated it and tried to screw it into the straight female thread to get it straight. Not effective [this does not cause very much straightening force] and a great danger of getting it galled and stuck. You need heat and sideforce, whether with a split nut, block of wood and hammer, or a lever of some sort. You will need to observe well and probably make adjustments to assure it is always bending in the place you want it to. I have straightened about 8 similarly and slightly worse bent rods. They seem as good as new. Just take care, and good luck.
Kenny,
No, it is the side link. JD parts seems to indicate that I need an LVA 14231 for $230. Do you have any idea what this piece looks like, I can't seem to find an illustration in the catalog. Heck, at that price a hydrulic link would seem like the way to go :licking: . . . of course then I'd have to buy the hydrulics to go with it.
Ive cut and pasted when the thread was too bent. Of the ones Ive pasted, or just straightened, none had failed in the 1st place - but had been damaged by side forces. The ones straightened have not been re damaged or failed in use or been damaged in any way by their use as a link. They do what they were designed for. These things can be fixed in the time it takes to find and acquire a replacement.
