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Today as I was performing maintenence on 'Big Red' I found that the threaded end of the steering ram had, over time, become unthreaded from the rod end that connects to the LH knuckle. Apparently, in the process of slowly becoming unscrewed a portion of the threads on the ram became somewhat damaged. While I was able to repair the starting threads enough to get the ram reattached enough to once again steer, I find that I really need to thoroughly clean up all the treads so I can get the ram threaded all the way back into the tie rod end. Can someone please tell me what diameter and thread size this thing is so I can try to get a thread chaser to clean things up and get back some of my right hand turning radius. I am sure this is a metric arrangement which should create all sorts of difficulty in finding what I need.
Thanks
John in Port Angeles, WA USA
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While not as easy to use as the right size threading die, I have standard and metric thread files. They are about 1/2″ square and 10″ long with 4 different pitch sizes on each end, giving you 8 thread pitches per file, and they're pretty cheap, way cheaper than one die that large that you will probably never use again.
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I have a universal threading file – a simple triangular file of the 60° equilateral triangle persuasion. One size fits all 60° threads.
Okay, I actually have a few of them indifferent sizes as the bigger ones won't work well on smaller bolts. And they all take plenty of patience, compared to a threading file or a die! Us poor folks gots poor ways, right? 
One issue you may run into on things like that rod end is that they often use a very fine-pitch thread, not one commonly available in dies. I can't recall what my steering cylinder has, but I had the same issue you do and just chased the threads with the triangular file and it worked fine. I do have a metric die set so I think I would have used that if it would have worked, unless I was doing it in the field. It's been a few years and I can't recall exactly.
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I was working on my hydraulic ram last week to stop a chronic leak. I was referred to a local job shop in Millersburg, OR- Industrial Rebuilders, and they sold me a seal ($12 with the wiper) that, while it doesn't fit exactly the same, it doesn't leak. Anyway, I looked at their shop and saw that they rebuild all kinds of hydraulics, and can machine lots of other things, too.
I'd recommend bringing the threaded end to a machine/hydraulic rebuilder and see if they're friendly enough to chase your threads for a little money. They should figure that you'll be back soon enough.
After I fixed that leak, my LH front wheel fell off at the plate to the front differential. I'll start another thread about that, but I wish all I had to work on was the ram.
Best,
Scott Bruslind
Lacomb, OR
"It's easy for little monkeys to forget." HA and Margaret Rey, Curious George
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