Recently after bburris installed a kustom made long arm suspension on the front of his TJ, he complained of (edited for LilRocky) A LITTLE BIT OF DEATH WOBBLE. Although there was a little bit of death wobble, this WAS NOT the sole reason why this modification was done. The purpose was to beef up the tie rod, that way it doesn't bend on a trail. This is an off road vehicle after all, it hardly sees the street. It sure would have been cool if 5 times as much money was spent trying to make it drive like a Cadillac, but no one seems to give a fuck about the driveabilty issues but LilRocky. After all, if we did, we would have fixed that. :rolleyes: (end edit)

So, the Stuper Duty Dana 30 steering was invented.

First you need tie rod ends. The TREs commonly referred to as "one ton" were used. However, wouldn't you know that these tie rods are found on 1/2 ton Chevies. Why they are called "one ton" is beyond me.

These are the Moog part numbers for the tie rod TREs.
Passenger side: ES2233L
Driver side: ES2234R
http://www.lonestar4x4.net/tech/stuperduty/MVC-492S.JPG

Made in O' Canada, eh? Is this a bad omen? We shall see.
http://www.lonestar4x4.net/tech/stuperduty/MVC-503S.JPG

The next thing on the list is tube. 1.5" OD .25" ID DOM tubing was used. Over half the diameter of the axle, this shall be sufficient for a worthless axle such as the Dana 30.
With the acquisition of the tube and TREs, we had to somehow place the TREs inside the DOM. Some people recommend taking the tube to a machinist and have them tap the tube.

Once the correct length was measured on the tube and it was cut, it was time to place the tube adapters inside and weld them on. The tube adapters didn't fit inside the tube, they were a little big. No big deal, a brake cylinder hone was used to open up the inside of the tube until it was big enough to accept the tube adapters. They were then placed inside the tube and welded on.

Next it was time to thread in the TREs. Easier said than done. It was literally impossible to get more than 3 threads inside. Now some of y'all may be saying "Well no shit, TexasBlake is about a skinny little bitch, he isn't strong enough to screw in a light bulb." This is partially true, but I was not the one doing the screwing (no pun intended). Madzooki and bburris, both tubby asses, were breaking sweat trying to thread the TREs in. Bburris even broke the table that the vice sits on trying to screw in that bitch.

After too much time and effort was spent into trying to thread the TREs into the tubing adapters, bburris finally decided to buy some taps to use on the tubing adapters.

The 7/8" RH tap was easily found at the local CarQuest for $10, but the 7/8" LH tap was another story. A local tool store in town told us they could get one for $40. The price was a little steep, but it had to be bought. There was no other choice at the time, and bburris wanted his jeep off jack the jack stands he had recently become so familiar with.

A few days later the tool company informed us that the tap would not cost $40, but would cost $120 as it had to be custom made. Next was the search for a cheaper tap. After some internet searching, a LH tap was found at www.mcmaster.com at the grand total of $88.

This tap is the ultimate of bling. Not every mofo has a 7/8" LH tap to put inside their tool box. If I were bburris I'd cut a hole at the top of it and wear it as a necklace.

After the tube adapters were tapped, the TREs threaded in smother than shit through a tin horn.

Now that the tie rod was complete. It was time to mount it onto the knuckles. Since the new TREs have a completely different taper than the stock ones, the knuckles had to be machined.
They were dropped off at a local machinist, and after a week they were complete.

http://www.lonestar4x4.net/tech/stuperduty/MVC-497S.JPG

Now it is time to mount the tie rod.............

Next it was time to paint the tie rod and drag link. The paint I chose was Plasti-kote's Cadillac Gold (No. 223) and Rustoleum American Accents' Blossom Pink. I chose these colors not because they are bling, not because they are gay, but because bburris left for the weekend and had Madzooki and myself finish his steering.

http://www.lonestar4x4.net/tech/stuperduty/MVC-494S.JPG
The side of the Cadillac Gold said to test the color on a surface other then you intend on painting. This was a good idea considering we weren't quite sure how it would look on the tie rod.

So, we decided to test it out on bburris's skid plate. This was actually done a week prior to painting the tie rod. Bburris never even noticed after many nights of working on the steering.
http://www.lonestar4x4.net/tech/stuperduty/MVC-471S.JPG

Here is a picture of the tie rod assembled and mounted on the TJ.

After they were mounted, it was time to turn the steering lock to lock to see if there was any binding. Oh and how it did bind. Almost full turn driver the tie rod slammed against the differential cover, and at full turn passenger it rubbed against the track bar mount.
http://www.lonestar4x4.net/tech/stuperduty/MVC-502S.JPG

To keep the tie rod from rubbing against the differential cover, we modified the differential cover by scientifically and precisely "shaving" the cover to give more clearence.

Here is Madzooki using "Betty-Betty Bam Bam" to accomplish this task.
http://www.lonestar4x4.net/tech/stuperduty/MVC-499S.JPG

To keep the tie rod from rubbing against the track bar mount, a new track bar mount was made out of some rusty channel sitting in the back of the shop.

This worked flawlessly.
http://www.lonestar4x4.net/tech/stuperduty/MVC-498S.JPG

Now that the needed modifications were completed, it was time to re-mount the tie rod and drag link to see if there would be any more binding.

Once again, the TREs threaded into the tube adapters beautifully. We sure hope so after $100 worth of taps were used.
http://www.lonestar4x4.net/tech/stuperduty/MVC-495S.JPG

How beautiful the completed steering looks. Not only is it aesthetically pleasing, but with that massive tie rod, a differential rock ring is probably not needed.
http://www.lonestar4x4.net/tech/stuperduty/MVC-504S.JPG

that looks pretty beefy that is exactly what I am going to do but I am not going to use the same tre on the pass side I just need the regular kind.....

How is this gonna fix the bump steer? It still has some heavy drag link angle.

Originally posted by JeepinDoug
How is this gonna fix the bump steer? It still has some heavy drag link angle.

It probably won't. I never said it would fix bump steer, rather that it was made as an ATTEMPT to fix bump steer and to beef up the steering.

However, just the fact that it has brand new drag link and tie rod ends will probabily help.

But then again, dont ask me, it's not my baby. :flipoff2:

Yep... Nothin to fix the bump steer there.
It's a much heavier TR, but that's about it.
If I was going to go to the trouble of reaming the steering arms for bigger TREs, I'd go ahead 'n' move the TR to the top of the steering arms; that'd get it up out of the way some, and WOULD help w/ the bump steer. (W/ some luck, it might even help w/ the cover clearance.)

That wasn't really one of the main points in doing this. I mostly wanted to beef up the steering so it could take some abuse. The stock TJ steering also wasn't even close to having correct angles.

I couldn't have used the drag link design I did if the tie rod was on top of the knuckles. The taper of the pass. side TRE was the same as the Wrangler taper, so I could bolt the stock style TREs into that and my pitman arm. Also, with the tie rod on top of the knuckles, it would have still hit the track bar bracket, but it would have also hit both sway bar brackets and the coil buckets.

couldnt you guys have pu that o the top of the knuckles to help a little

Originally posted by 84cj7305
couldnt you guys have pu that o the top of the knuckles to help a little
no

sorry the 3 replys before mine wernt there when I posted
:flipoff2:

Better talk to your bud, who wrote it up, then, 'cause it sure looks like that's what he thinks you guys were fixin'...

Originally posted by TexasBlake
Recently after bburris installed a kustom made long arm suspension on the front of his TJ, he complained of bump steer. ALll this, combined with a burning desire to "beef up" the front of his XJ HP Dana 30, the Stuper Duty Dana 30 steering was invented.



'Sides... Why go to the trouble of moddin' the steering arms, and not flip the tie rod?? Makes NO sense!

An', hey...BTW.... I think you oughta take a look under yer rig... I kinda think yer buds were messin w/ stuff while you weren't around...... (Sure is purdy!!)

Originally posted by LilRocky
Better talk to your bud, who wrote it up, then, 'cause it sure looks like that's what he thinks you guys were fixin'...



'Sides... Why go to the trouble of moddin' the steering arms, and not flip the tie rod?? Makes NO sense!

An', hey...BTW.... I think you oughta take a look under yer rig... I kinda think yer buds were messin w/ stuff while you weren't around...... (Sure is purdy!!)

I think you need to read the whole thread, or at least look up a few posts.

We already discussed both of your thoughts. :rolleyes:

I think you should type an entire word instead of replacing half the letters with apostrophes. It takes just many keystrokes to type the entire word, and more people can read it. Makes NO sense!

I think Blake was thinking about the death wobble that I've been having. I think it was mostly a result of 8 year old TREs and a bent tie rod. It's all new now, and yes, it is very pretty.

Yeah.. Well, you edited your post while I was replying to it... Can't read your mind, and don't want to!
How come it can't be flipped? Would a smaller diameter TR clear?

Originally posted by LilRocky
Yeah.. Well, you edited your post while I was replying to it... Can't read your mind, and don't want to!
How come it can't be flipped? Would a smaller diameter TR clear?

Look up seven posts!

Originally posted by BBurris
I couldn't have used the drag link design I did if the tie rod was on top of the knuckles. The taper of the pass. side TRE was the same as the Wrangler taper, so I could bolt the stock style TREs into that and my pitman arm. Also, with the tie rod on top of the knuckles, it would have still hit the track bar bracket, but it would have also hit both sway bar brackets and the coil buckets.


The tie rod also rubs and hits all kind of random bullshit HP Dana 30 crap and it's not even worth messing with. It's a freaking Dana 30 and it only has to last another year or so till he swaps axles. It's also not a daily driver so the death wobble isn't a really big deal. If it was a big deal, more time and effort would be spent trying to get it at a better angle.

Originally posted by LilRocky
Would a smaller diameter TR clear?
maybe...why don't you try it

That's some real beafy tube stock for links, keep your eyes on those knuckles cause they're a new weak link. Those tubes are so big they make the TREs look small.... and they're not.
I'm assuming you already have a dropped pitman

Originally posted by TexasBlake


I think you should type an entire word instead of replacing half the letters with apostrophes. It takes just many keystrokes to type the entire word, and more people can read it. Makes NO sense!

Literary license, bumpkin! ...'Course, ya gotta have a command of the language 'fore ya can start manipulatin' it....

'Sides... I don't really care what you think.
I'm here for the tech.

..You a little sensitive, or sumthin'??

'Taint no personal assault 'r nuthin'... jest dat it looks like y'all missed a big opportunity for a major upgrade....

Originally posted by JeepinDoug
I'm assuming you already have a dropped pitman

Nevermind, seen the pic.

Originally posted by LilRocky
I don't really care what you think.
The feeling is mutual...

I did what I did and that's all I felt like doing. I have full width axles to swap in when school lets out for the summer so I really didn't feel like redesigning ANY part of my front suspension since I'd be doing it all over again in a month. This is the same reason that I haven't changed my driver's side axle seal after it got screwed up when I broke that axleshaft a couple months ago.

Originally posted by LilRocky


Literary license, bumpkin! ...'Course, ya gotta have a command of the language 'fore ya can start manipulatin' it....

'Sides... I don't really care what you think.
I'm here for the tech.

..You a little sensitive, or sumthin'??

'Taint no personal assault 'r nuthin'... jest dat it looks like y'all missed a big opportunity for a major upgrade....

I'm not sensitive. I just think that you are thinking way to hard and expecting too much for a tie rod on a Dana 30. This whole project was pretty much a clusterfuck which is why I made the tech article somewhat "humorous." Basically I tried to show that trying to do bling steering on a Dana 30 is a pain in the ass, and not worth time time.

I don't really think of steering as a major upgrade, especially on a Dana 30. If he really felt the need to make the steering all perfect and badass then I'm sure he'd throw down tons of money on custom knuckles and other things that would require me to paint the entire axle chrome (rather than pink and gold) to enhance "polished turd" effect.

Like I said in the very first post. He was just looking at beefing it up a little, and possibly fixing the steering. You know, so the tie rod wouldn't bend on the trail. I've said this at least 3 times. If you havn't absorbed that by now, then you need to check the expiration date on your "Literary Licence."

Originally posted by TexasBlake


Look up seven posts!


You guys are all messed up... That 's the part that was edited.... Duh... Like I said, can't read his mind, and DON'T want to.


The tie rod also rubs and hits all kind of random bullshit HP Dana 30 crap and it's not even worth messing with. It's a freaking Dana 30 and it only has to last another year or so till he swaps axles. It's also not a daily driver so the death wobble isn't a really big deal. If it was a big deal, more time and effort would be spent trying to get it at a better angle.
OK...
It's tech time.... The new TREs were to fix the death wobble... and probably did.
You said you were out to fix the bump steer... NOTHING that you did would affect bump steer. ..So... it seems like the confusion is due to you mixing up bump steer and death wobble.. Fine. If you wrote it up correctly to begin with, there wouldn't be this discussion going on. HOWEVER... just a look at the front of that thing, and it says bigtimebumpsteer... So, while you guys were at it, you could have gone after that problem... EXCEPT.. you say that the POS 30 isn't worth the trouble. I won't argue w/ you on that! ....So why spend a lot of trouble (and $100 on taps, and however much on machining) to do a mod on an axle that's going to be replaced soon anyway???... Especially when a set of stock TREs would have fixed the death wobble that apparantly you guys were trying to fix in the first place.

Hey, don't get me wrong... I enjoyed the write-up... Would have been better, though, if the technical facts weren't confused.

Originally posted by LilRocky

OK...
It's tech time.... The new TREs were to fix the death wobble... and probably did.
You said you were out to fix the bump steer... NOTHING that you did would affect bump steer. ..So... it seems like the confusion is due to you mixing up bump steer and death wobble.. Fine. If you wrote it up correctly to begin with, there wouldn't be this discussion going on. HOWEVER... just a look at the front of that thing, and it says bigtimebumpsteer... So, while you guys were at it, you could have gone after that problem... EXCEPT.. you say that the POS 30 isn't worth the trouble. I won't argue w/ you on that! ....So why spend a lot of trouble (and $100 on taps, and however much on machining) to do a mod on an axle that's going to be replaced soon anyway???... Especially when a set of stock TREs would have fixed the death wobble that apparantly you guys were trying to fix in the first place.

Hey, don't get me wrong... I enjoyed the write-up... Would have been better, though, if the technical facts weren't confused.

I'll fix the one phrase in the entire article, and then your precious little head won't hurt anymore. (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/member2.php?action=addlist&userlist=ignore&userid=28566)

Gonna write a tech article, just might want to check 'n' be sure the tech is right 'fore postin' it... That's all.

One minor technical fact was confused, and you seem to be the only one making a big deal out of it. The taps will be needed again as soon as I fab another steering setup for my new front axle, and Blake needs them this week to finish up his steering. Anything of use on this axle will get parted out since I doubt that anyone would ever want my bastard of a Dana 30. If I can't sell it for parts it'll just get tossed in the scrap bin. I really don't care.

I also couldn't give two shits about bump steer since my Jeep rarely gets driven on the street any more, and when it does I don't go over 30. The death wobble was just flat-out annoying, though.

The original post was intended to be humorous, not a professionally written tech article...:rolleyes:

Hey, it was humorous. I said I enjoyed it... Don't get so bent!


The problem w/ the one minor technical mis-statement was that, due to the way it was written, it defined the entire premise of the modification.

Nothing wrong w/ you not caring about bump steer.... Just that the article, as originally written, appeared to be ABOUT correcting bump steer.

Originally posted by LilRocky
Yep... Nothin to fix the bump steer there.
It's a much heavier TR, but that's about it.
If I was going to go to the trouble of reaming the steering arms for bigger TREs, I'd go ahead 'n' move the TR to the top of the steering arms; that'd get it up out of the way some, and WOULD help w/ the bump steer. (W/ some luck, it might even help w/ the cover clearance.)
Originally posted by LilRocky
'Sides... Why go to the trouble of moddin' the steering arms, and not flip the tie rod?? Makes NO sense!
Originally posted by LilRocky
How come it can't be flipped? Would a smaller diameter TR clear?
Originally posted by LilRocky
NOTHING that you did would affect bump steer. HOWEVER... just a look at the front of that thing, and it says bigtimebumpsteer... So, while you guys were at it, you could have gone after that problem...
Are you enrolled at the Redundant School of Redundancy?

Originally posted by LilRookie

How come it can't be flipped? Would a smaller diameter TR clear?



Yes for those that want to you can use 1.25 retaper the knuckles, and put it on top. You are going to 86 the stabilizer, & sway bar mounts. You will then grind the living crap/weld/grind out of the coils buckets, track bar brackets etc. , plus some shit that no one else but you will have to. (this will be differen't from rig, to rig).

Originally posted by BBurris




Are you enrolled at the Redundant School of Redundancy?

I went there, twice :flipoff2:

(could not resist that.....sorry. Back to the thread now)

I used the same parts on my old XJ with the HP30. I had my steering mounted over the knuckle. The major diameter of the stock TREs comes out perfect for the minor deminsion of the "one ton" TREs so reaming them from the top works out great. I did have to grind the coil buckets back to the coils but that's it. Once that was done everything cleared. With the steering mounted over the knuckle clearing the diff cover wasn't an issue. Also, the trackbar and dragling angles came out fine. No bumpsteer or wobble. Just a little FYI. Sorry, these are the only pictures I have of the old setup.

http://www.fototime.com/717E4D6E18DC560/standard.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/1128F47BF04C6E5/standard.jpg

Found one more that shows how the angles turned out.

http://www.fototime.com/51453F3C6969B74/standard.jpg

There is too much asshatery in this thread :rolleyes:. Sucks that you had to spend $90 on a fawkin tap, but it looks like your tie-rod will now probably keep the 30 from bending.:flipoff2: One of the best writeups ever I might also add :laughing:

Originally posted by braxton357
There is too much asshatery in this thread :rolleyes:. Sucks that you had to spend $90 on a fawkin tap, but it looks like your tie-rod will now probably keep the 30 from bending.:flipoff2: One of the best writeups ever I might also add :laughing:
I didn't think I would have to buy the taps after buying the inserts, but after we welded them in they got warped.

Originally posted by Wes in TN
I used the same parts on my old XJ with the HP30. I had my steering mounted over the knuckle. The major diameter of the stock TREs comes out perfect for the minor deminsion of the "one ton" TREs so reaming them from the top works out great. I did have to grind the coil buckets back to the coils but that's it. Once that was done everything cleared. With the steering mounted over the knuckle clearing the diff cover wasn't an issue. Also, the trackbar and dragling angles came out fine. No bumpsteer or wobble. Just a little FYI. Sorry, these are the only pictures I have of the old setup.

http://www.fototime.com/717E4D6E18DC560/standard.jpg

http://www.fototime.com/1128F47BF04C6E5/standard.jpg

What size tube and what TREs are they?

It doesn't look like the 1.5" on BBurris's tie rod, but it may just be an optical illusion.

Originally posted by TexasBlake


What size tube and what TREs are they?

It doesn't look like the 1.5" on BBurris's tie rod, but it may just be an optical illusion.

To be honest I don't remember. I thought it was 1.5" but it could have been 1.25". I didn't use weld in bungs. I bought DOM tubing and had it tapped.