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Upgrading the Steering on my TJ
Posted: Tue Jun 22, 2010 4:29 pm
by Lud
Pics to follow when I get to work on the Jeep this friday. Anyone who has the day off and is bored is welcome to help.
I'll be replacing tie rod and drag link and ends as well as change out the diff fluid up front.
Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 1:32 pm
by Lud
Pretty much done now...Just need help getting it aligned when I get the steering stabilizer installed.
Here it is compared to stock.
Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 3:45 pm
by Jafo
Who"s kit is that?
Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 3:50 pm
by Lud
Rusty's. Yeah it uses the stock tie rod ends, but I have the ones from my old one as spares. It converts the Y steering to a wheel to wheel tie rod. I actually have a better turning radius now, just needs an alignment.
It's 1 1/8 x .250 DOM tubing which to me is beefy.
Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 6:05 pm
by SPR
Man, I thought this post was about getting someone else to drive your rig for you
Posted: Fri Jun 25, 2010 6:34 pm
by iaccocca
Screaming Toylet wrote:Man, I thought this post was about getting someone else to drive your rig for you
Posted: Sat Jun 26, 2010 2:26 pm
by Lud
All done! Next up is fixing the rear locker (again) and tearing into the Tcase for a fixed yoke conversion.
Posted: Sun Jun 27, 2010 7:08 am
by TJDave
Looks great. Thank-you for testing all this stuff and working out the bugs before I put them on my 04 X!
My SYE is on order, and will go in when I swap my axle and get rid of the rear spring spacers. I'll probably have to upgrade my steering too when I get some 35" tires.
Did you do anything to your front brakes yet? If not, how are the stockers working with the 35's?
Posted: Sun Jun 27, 2010 10:00 am
by Lud
I put some heavier duty pads in front when I did my brakes and thats it.
As long as you keep the rear drum brakes adjusted I think the Jeep stops just fine. I can still lock the brakes up. Honestly I'll go to disc brakes someday in the rear but I'm in no hurry.
Posted: Sun Jun 27, 2010 5:26 pm
by OldGreen
Just don't buy ceramic pads. . .they get chewed up off-road.
As a general anti-intuitive rule, the cheapest semi-metallic brake pads you can find usually stop the best, but they wear out the fastest too.
Posted: Mon Jun 28, 2010 8:41 am
by scumby
$?
Posted: Mon Jun 28, 2010 8:46 am
by iaccocca
Posted: Sat Jul 03, 2010 6:14 pm
by TJDave
Seen you driving your Jeep through town today Lud. How's the steering working? Can you tell a difference?
Posted: Sun Jul 04, 2010 7:40 am
by Lud
Liking it so far. When I took the stock tie rod off it was bent and I didn't even know it. My slight wobble from 40-45mph went away too but I think that was more due to the trackbar nuts that I tightened up. Wishing I'd replaced the steering stabilizer while I was under there. It's pretty smashed up lol.
Next up...yeah another ARB repair for the rear locker.
TJ Dave,
I would look into the Rugged Ridge steering upgrade. It's about 100 bucks cheaper and looks just like the rusty's setup.
Posted: Mon Jul 05, 2010 4:21 pm
by iaccocca
Lud wrote:TJ Dave,
I would look into the Rugged Ridge steering upgrade. It's about 100 bucks cheaper and looks just like the rusty's setup.
With respect to Lud who has stepped up and been our tester... Rugged Ridge for steering = scary!
Just me two cents and you can keep the change. Cheaper is one thing, cheap is another. I think Rob took the right route with Rusty's.