Finally pulled my truss rods..photos!!!

cerrem · Post by **cerrem** » Mon May 22, 2006 9:19 pm

Thanks to all who provided advice and tips about pulling 4001 truss rods......
So tonight I clamped the fret-board at the first fret...I removed the strings and the truss rod nuts...I found the rods to feel very loose..I basically slid them out by hand without any effort...I pulled the rods out from the headstock...Of course I protected the headstock... The way the rods came out with such ease and the amount of metal and wood particles in the nut slot indicates this bass has been around the block a few times, she ain't no virgin...
Well, now I see what the rod looks like, I now understand how the system works... Each rod, is folded over...Well, I posted the pictures...I am not sure what they should look like... What is the next set of steps???? Someone mentioned that I should clean then "re-tape" the rods... There was very little or no tape at all on these rods..
Does the tape go around the entire rod or half off the folded rod...
Thanks for any help...
Chris

cerrem · Post by **cerrem** » Mon May 22, 2006 9:31 pm

Additional photo:

cerrem · Post by **cerrem** » Mon May 22, 2006 9:39 pm

Another photo:
I will need to re-tap these threads....
The nut is 3/8" tall and is 1/4" hex...So it is the same size as a 4003 nut..The key question here is the trhead size??? Is the 4001 thread size 8-32 just like the 4003??? Or not??
Thanks
Chris

jnbass · Post by **jnbass** » Mon May 22, 2006 9:40 pm

al dente!

cerrem · Post by **cerrem** » Mon May 22, 2006 9:51 pm

Here is the nut and the aluminum rod seperator, it looks very dug in....

headbanger · Post by **headbanger** » Tue May 23, 2006 2:54 am

The thread is 10/32. I would make a new block but slightly thicker, this helps a bit. The tape goes between the rods to stop any rattling noise. You'll have to straighten them so there is no twisting or buckling. Scrub them with steel wool and then wipe on some johnsons paste wax for easy insertion.

rickfan60 · Post by **rickfan60** » Tue May 23, 2006 4:38 am

What Gerry said. I would add, for the rougher spots use a stiff wire brush or a file. The bearing plate is a little munged as is often the case. The nuts are actually female/female standoffs. Or in some catalogs, they are called spacers. You won't find them listed as nuts. The tape should only be between the folds. What is there is probably OK.

chefothefuture · Post by **chefothefuture** » Tue May 23, 2006 5:53 am

I've had good luck changing the nuts to a 5/16 coupling nut. The inside threads come either 8/24 or 10/32.
They are larger and bear against the block better...
I've also used bullet(!?!) adjusters- you need to get the
rod length right so you have enough room to adjust.
The advantage here is that you tighten with an allen wrench, and you don't have to fuss with fitting a nut driver when the nuts start to angle down....

rickfan60 · Post by **rickfan60** » Tue May 23, 2006 7:28 am

Per JH, the nuts should not push back into the wood if the neck is set correctly before tightening.

Larger nuts could make for a tight if not impossible tool fit on some instruments.

cerrem · Post by **cerrem** » Tue May 23, 2006 8:17 am

OK...
I figured it out...
Here is the spec for the 4001 truss rod nuts...
3/8" tall, 1/4" hex with 10-32 threads....
The original part is made from steel...
Part# 91920A184 from McMaster-Carr.....
If you want it in Stainless Steel use part# 91115A149......

Chris

rickfan60 · Post by **rickfan60** » Tue May 23, 2006 8:24 am

The soft (non-stainless) parts are best. The rods/nuts should fail before the wood does.

cerrem · Post by **cerrem** » Tue May 23, 2006 8:40 am

One thing I noticed...
My truss rods do not have any spring in them at all... I was under the impression that someone once told me it was spring metal for the truss rods....
From a quick look at the rods it seems like 1065 steel for these rods... If you use a steel with a bit more carbon, then you can strengthen the rod a tad bit, thus improving the neck strength and stability..

Chris

chefothefuture · Post by **chefothefuture** » Tue May 23, 2006 8:41 am

I think we all know that with early ricks, what SHOULD happen does not always happen... LOL!
There are a number of ricks out there where the rod channels are too deep- the rods don't act against each other and are ineffective unless properly shimmed.

chefothefuture · Post by **chefothefuture** » Tue May 23, 2006 8:43 am

When I make new rods, I use 3/16 stock from my local hardware store.
I don't like stainless as it will gall at the threads when tightened.

rhampshire · Post by **rhampshire** » Tue May 23, 2006 9:01 am

When I make new blocks, I make them two to three times thicker than stock. It helps keep the rod ends from curling down into the headstock.