Tie rod assembly designed for automated toe set

A steering linkage system for a vehicle comprising:

• a relay rod having a first and second end portion, each of the first and second end portions having a stem aperture;
• a first pivoting member pivotably coupled to a first end of the relay rod;
• a second pivoting member pivotably coupled to a second end of the relay rod;
• and
• a pair of adjustable tie rod assemblies, wherein each one of the pair of adjustable tie rod assemblies includes a rod member, a first knuckle assembly, a second knuckle assembly and a threaded member, the rod member having first and second ends, the second end having a threaded portion, the first knuckle assembly having a first housing and a first annular connector, the first housing having a first stem member and a bore with a longitudinal axis that is skewed to a longitudinal axis of the first stem member, the first annular connector disposed in the bore in the first housing and pivotably coupling the first end of the rod member to the first housing, the first stem member having an engagement portion, the second knuckle assembly having a second housing with a trunk portion, a second stem member and a second annular connector, the second housing having a bore with a longitudinal axis that is skewed to a longitudinal axis of the trunk portion, the trunk portion having a threaded aperture with an axis parallel the longitudinal axis of the trunk portion, the second annular connector disposed in the bore, a first end of the second stem member rotatably coupled to the second annular connector, the threaded member threadably engaged to the second end of the rod member and abutting the trunk portion to maintain the second housing in a fixed position relative to the rod member;
• wherein the engagement portion of each one of the pair of adjustable tie rod assemblies is coupled to one of the first and second ends of the relay rod.

A method for adjusting a wheel toe of a vehicle having a parallelogram-type steering system, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing a parallelogram-type steering system having a tie rod assembly with a rod member, a threaded member and first and second knuckle assemblies, the first knuckle assembly having a stem member that is fixedly coupled to a relay rod at a first end along a first axis, the stem member defining a bore having an axis that is skewed to the first axis, the stem member being disposed in the bore and pivotably coupled to the rod member at a second end, the rod member having an adjustment segment and a distal threaded end threadably engaged with the threaded member and a trunk of the second knuckle assembly, the second knuckle assembly having a stem that is fixedly coupled to a steering knuckle;
• coupling a tool to the adjustment segment;
• measuring the wheel toe;
• determining whether the wheel toe is adjusted within a predetermined angular limit;
• if the wheel toe is not adjusted within the predetermined angular limit, using the tool to adjust the rod member so that the wheel toe is adjusted within the predetermined angular limit;
• and
• tightening the threaded member against the trunk portion of the second knuckle to fix a position of the rod member relative to the second knuckle.

An adjustable tie rod assembly comprising:

• a first knuckle assembly having a first stem member formed along a first axis, the first stem member having an engagement portion adapted to be secured to a relay rod, the first stem member defining a bore having an axis that is skewed to the first axis;
• a rod member having a longitudinal axis, the rod member being disposed in the bore and pivotably coupled to the first stem such that the longitudinal axis is skewed to the first axis;
• and
• a second knuckle assembly having a housing and a second stem, the housing having a threaded aperture for threadably receiving a threaded portion of the rod member, the second stem being disposed about a second axis that is skewed to the longitudinal axis of the rod member.