Stock steering is gone; rodends won't even hold grease.:eek:

BaerTrax makes a replacement tierod that's 1-1/4" OD and runs heavy-duty Moog rodends from an early '90s Dodge 1-ton 4x4. The whole thing sells for $200 w/ rodends, so there aint no way in hell I'm paying that for something I can make. Supposedly, the Dodge rodends run the same thread taper as the stock XJs and should drop right in.

I'm planning to use a SpiderTrax "Control Link" 1-1/4" OD x 7/8" ID with two 3/4" x 16 threaded ends welded on and run the Dodge rodends in both the new tierod and the stock draglink (not sure if they will fit in the stock drag though).

NAPA Moog Dodge Rodends:
ES-2847-RT
ES-2848-LT

SpiderTrax Hardwear (http://www.spidertrax.com/hardware.htm)

Anybody running something similar? TIA. :beer:

Pretty good plan, but spidertrax doesn't sell left handed inserts. You'll need to get them from avalanche. A lot of the stock car places sell inserts as well, but none that big.

Vender: Poly performance
Left Handed Part number: PP-TA12LH
Right Handed Part number: PP-TA12RH
Bolt size/threads: 3/4"-12
Tube for this insert: 1.75 OD" .120" wall tubing1.64 inner

Dont have a price, and have not bought from poly yet but looks like good stuff.


www.polyperformance.com

Hope that helps

Thanks for pointing that out to me oldjeep.;)

I did some more diggin' and came across some M.O.R.E hardwear. They have the R/L hand threaded ends for $10 a piece and are selling the DOM tubing for $7 per foot. Still a little more than the SpiderTrax though. I figure I can get the tubing and ends for around $50 + whatever the rodends cost.

I'm looking at the 1-1/4" x .188 wall DOM tubing and the 3/4" x 16 R/L hand threaded ends.

M.O.R.E Hardwear (http://www.mountainoffroad.com/catalog/Rod-Tube%20Ends/Rod-Tube%20Ends.htm)

Thanks fellas.

Hey dude, I have everything you need and can help you out. The MORE inserts are sh!t because they don't even have a wrench flat for adjusting the tie rod once you get it in there. I designed my own inserts (right and left handed thread), I am in NC(charlotte to be exact) and they are the same price. I also have the 1.5"x.250 DOM in stock. The tie rod ends are easily available and are $50.03(based on the tax rate here in charlotte). Let me know, I can help you with all the stuff you are looking for.......

Andy

Andy, sounds like a sweet deal. 1-1/2" OD might be overkill for what I want, but what the hell, build it right the first time around, right.:smokin:

Ok, so your threaded ends are $10 a pop and those mate to the 1-1/2" DOM tubing (?). I called around down here and NOBODY seems to carry Moog rodends, not even NAPA (might be able to oder them throuh them though). Top of the line Dana rodends for the Dodge 1-ton are a wopping $80-something per rodend!:eek: Everybody else carries a TB-something brand rodend, never heard of them. Any thoughts?

How much would you charge me for the tierod w/ threaded inserts, unpainted and w/o rodends?

I'm guessing that you own or work at Carolina Rock Shop (if so...). I saw Will Wood's XJ on the webpage with his new bumper. Looks sick.:roxy:

BTW, I moved from Lake Norman over the winter, so I'm very familliar with Charlotte and the surrounding area.

Thanks bro.

Originally posted by JS-Economos
Andy, sounds like a sweet deal. 1-1/2" OD might be overkill for what I want, but what the hell, build it right the first time around, right.:smokin:

You're going to attach a 1.5"x.250 tie rod to the 9/16" XJ stock drag link?

If you want to build it "right", maybe think about upgrading the drag link while you're at it.

Originally posted by CRSU
Hey dude, I have everything you need and can help you out. The MORE inserts are sh!t because they don't even have a wrench flat for adjusting the tie rod once you get it in there. Andy

Why the hell would you need a wrench to adjust a tierod? Small hands? :D Since stock tierods don't generally have wrench flats, how do you adjust them?

Here's the inserts I use - because they are cheap, also setup to use with 1.5 x .250 wall DOM.
http://www.colemanracing.com/section/index.htp?id=642

I just got done building my steering for my XJ. I ran my tie rod over my knuckles, which gained about 2-3" and helps the steering angles. Knuckels were removed and drilled to 5/8s, along with the pitman arm. I built a new draglink that ties into the tie rod about 6" inward from the pass knuckle. DL is attached to the TR via weld on tabs pre drilled 5/8s inch. I used heims all the way around with 5/8s to 3/4 adaptors. I also used the weld-in threaded rod adaptors that fit either 1.25 .250 wall or 1.50 .250 wall.

Flipping the steering over the knuckle will necessitate cutting of the pass side sway bar link and track bar mount. I made a new track bar mount and am finishing the sway bar link tonight. I also clearanced the drivers side sway bar link mount so the TR has full travel.

You will need to put two bends in the DL so that the bar comes straight out of the pitman heim and the tie-rod end heim. Otherwise you max out the travel on the pitman heim when the pass side droops.

my DOM was 4.50 a foot.
all the mounting hard ware spacers and heims were $210 with enought to build two separate DLs and TRs (trail spares). So for a little less than $300 I have two very beefy steering setups.

Sorry, I dont have pictures yet.

Good luck,

SeanP

All ya really need to know !

well...kinda :flipoff2:

http://billavista.tripod.com/Steering/Index/SteeringIndex.html

Originally posted by BillaVista
All ya really need to know !

well...kinda :flipoff2:

http://billavista.tripod.com/Steering/Index/SteeringIndex.html

Show off!:flipoff2:

Sean, that sounds bombpoof; I wish I had the funds laying around for a swap like that.

I was initally planning to do a 5.2L ZJ steering conversion and I would if the drag was beefier, but it's the same as the XJs. So, I'd rather build a stout tierod and run HD TREs in both it and the drag. I think that the 1.5" tierod would be way too much for the stock drag though. So I'm looking to go with what I was initially thinking, 1-1/4" OD rod with the insterts and Dodge TREs.

Those damn Dodge rodends aren't cheap either, so I might not be able to do the swap till early this summer. I'm running out of mod-money...:D

Originally posted by JS-Economos
Sean, that sounds bombpoof; I wish I had the funds laying around for a swap like that.

I was initally planning to do a 5.2L ZJ steering conversion and I would if the drag was beefier, but it's the same as the XJs. So, I'd rather build a stout tierod and run HD TREs in both it and the drag. I think that the 1.5" tierod would be way too much for the stock drag though. So I'm looking to go with what I was initially thinking, 1-1/4" OD rod with the insterts and Dodge TREs.

Those damn Dodge rodends aren't cheap either, so I might not be able to do the swap till early this summer. I'm running out of mod-money...:D

Yeah, the mods never end but the $$ does. My heims are teflon and only $21 a piece which is cheaper than the TRE's that I keep tweaking on my old Rusty's steering (don't get me started on what a POS death trap that was).

1.25 .250 is plenty beefy. I would recommend going from knuckle to knucle with the TR. The inverted Y allows the wheels to be turned at different angles when the pass side tire is stuffed and the drivers is drooped. I know this is a problem because I saw the 2nd only CTM failure at Johnson Valley this spring on a TJ with the inverted Y steering.

Good luck

SeanP

I am designing a steering system as we speak, although it's not for a D30. I needed one small taper (.530-.630) TRE that has a 3/4x16tpi thread - it was $51 freakin bucks at Napa. I don't remember the name, but they didn't have the cheapo brand, just the Dana Spicer genuine anklegrabbers. And if you have any problems finding the end, just look in the back of the TRE book - they have the part number there. I tried using the ES150's, but the taper was too big. At any rate, 3/4x16 is a tough TRE - there was exactly *one* TRE for my application, and no high misalignments pieces. Sucks.

I got my adapters through Baker Precision (www.bakerprecision.com)- the 3/4 end is like $10, but it's like 4 inches long. Sooooper beefy.

Bob

Originally posted by SeanP


Yeah, the mods never end but the $$ does. My heims are teflon and only $21 a piece which is cheaper than the TRE's that I keep tweaking on my old Rusty's steering (don't get me started on what a POS death trap that was).

1.25 .250 is plenty beefy. I would recommend going from knuckle to knucle with the TR. The inverted Y allows the wheels to be turned at different angles when the pass side tire is stuffed and the drivers is drooped. I know this is a problem because I saw the 2nd only CTM failure at Johnson Valley this spring on a TJ with the inverted Y steering.

Good luck

SeanP

That's the general consensus I've gathered about Rusty's steering: not a good thing.

As far as the stock inveted-Y configuration goes, I think I'd be ok to keep this setup. I know it's never gonna be as strong as it could be if I were to go crossover. I'm only running 33s on it (for now) and wheel light to moderate trails.

Holy shit, a CTM joint grenaded?:eek: I didn't think it was possible.:D When I beef the 30 up, I'm looking to run some Moser inner and outter alloy shafts with the CTMs. Should be a stout combo.

Later.

Hey, I just bought an ES 2848LT couple of days ago, and can get you about any Moog PN you want. IIRC, my TRE was about $40, ES 2847LT should be about the same. Be more than happy to pick you up a couple and ship them to you. You'd probably be better off buying them local though, cause mine came with lifetime free replacement warranty. I know I'll be taking advantage of that!

PM me if interested.

Willis

Originally posted by JS-Economos
Sean, that sounds bombpoof; I wish I had the funds laying around for a swap like that.

I was initally planning to do a 5.2L ZJ steering conversion and I would if the drag was beefier, but it's the same as the XJs. So, I'd rather build a stout tierod and run HD TREs in both it and the drag. I think that the 1.5" tierod would be way too much for the stock drag though. So I'm looking to go with what I was initially thinking, 1-1/4" OD rod with the insterts and Dodge TREs.

Those damn Dodge rodends aren't cheap either, so I might not be able to do the swap till early this summer. I'm running out of mod-money...:D


Just go to Autozone and have then search under the moog#
tell them ES2848L and R it will crossreference in thier puter cost is anywhere from 20 to 25 bucks depending on store.
As far as the rods themselves it's all a personal thing I have sold a bunch of thin walled 1 1/4" .120wall DOM units that do fine but will bend. But of course they will hold up a lot better to get you off the trail. On the flip side I had some folks wanting super duper stout units cheap so had some 1 1/4 solid TR's made up, it takes a lot to bend those muthas most likely shear a TRE first. Whatever you go with just carry a spare :) and I'm with whomever said having flats was cool, I know a pipe wrench will work fine to adjust but it does kind of dick it all up.

Originally posted by GDGMOJO

Just go to Autozone and have then search under the moog#
tell them ES2848L and R it will crossreference in thier puter cost is anywhere from 20 to 25 bucks depending on store.

When I called around looking for the best price on my ES2848LT, one store (CSK I believe) had an ES2848L in stock for like $28, but no ES2848LT, which sold there for like $48. He said the LT is a heavy duty unit, so I stuck with the LT, which he did not have. He could have lied and said they are the same, to make the sale, but because he did not, I believed him. That's why I went with the LT. And if they were the same, why would there be 2 different suffexes for the same part. BTW, Napa didn't even show as being able to get the LT. I got mine at Car Quest, don't know if you have them available, but maybe on line???

Willis

Originally posted by WillisXJ


When I called around looking for the best price on my ES2848LT, one store (CSK I believe) had an ES2848L in stock for like $28, but no ES2848LT, which sold there for like $48. He said the LT is a heavy duty unit, so I stuck with the LT, which he did not have. He could have lied and said they are the same, to make the sale, but because he did not, I believed him. That's why I went with the LT. And if they were the same, why would there be 2 different suffexes for the same part. BTW, Napa didn't even show as being able to get the LT. I got mine at Car Quest, don't know if you have them available, but maybe on line???

Willis

LT, RT or just plain L or R even those are a step up as far as size. The standard units will work dandy many folks have been running them happily for a long while with no problems.
I can only get a small discount on TRE so I just sell them at cost but sounds like you have found yours good luck.