OK, my roomate is doing this to his SOA Samurai as we speak. I dont have pics of what he is doing, so I drew it up on a pic of another axle
To make a long story short here is what he is doing. He has taken a old tie rod end and adjusting sleave and has welded it to the drag link. Than in turn is attached to a 6x6 piece of 3/16" flat steel welded to the tie bar....

He claims that he has seen this on a jeep before (thats what they must mean by "it's a jeep thing blah blah blah") and I guess that this makes it ok??
OMFG!! :eek:

I'll get pics once he's done and not around!

[edit] he just came in from the garage and told me that he didn't appreciate me always knockin his samurai. I told him that he is doing the shit wrong and I hope he isn't going to drive the thing on the street, and if I does, Iam not going to let him. He fires back that he doesn't have the money to do it right, and its only temporary (Ya right)

AND he is doing the welding with a 110V HF cheapie MIG

call the cops :flipoff2:

well cant you tell him thats wrong and show him the proper way of doing it

Go kick his ass so he can't finish it.

I tried!!

So when he is done, and there is a bunch of people saying your'e(him) an idiot, maybe he will do it right

Here is a pictured of a Jeep I bought.... they did the same thing - basically welded some tabs on the tie rod and used part of a farm store link welded to a stock drag link up at the pitman arm.

This is what happened to the tie rod - and he only made it out of the garage and tried to make the first turn.


Show this to your buddy....

http://www.tennessee4x4.com/toyota/images/cj-project-01.JPG

That will work if done right, and he aint doing it right. 3/16 is too thin, so is the stock drag link and tie rod. TRE will not work on a plate like that. I did a similar setup in 96 before flat top knuckles were talked about and put about 80K miles on it. 1.25 solid rod drilled and tapped for 3/4x3/4 aurora rod ends, plates (two, so rod end is in double shear) are both 1/4 and only about 1.5" above tie rod. It can work, if done right.

Ken

Let the booty fab flames fly, gots me nomex undies on.

I seen a jeep done that way and it worked good. It wasn't so drastic,but it was the same basic idea. A peice of 1/4 plate on both sides of the tie rod with one side boxed in. The drag link was only 2" off the tie rod though,not 6" that is just to much. His is gonna look like DRM's pics VERY soon. I sketched on my truck what I seen on that jeep at Tellico last year.

Ken, you're talking more like this (my buggy)

http://www.rightcoastcrawler.com/billaVista/Buggy/Dcp_5037.jpg

though right?

Which will stand up well, even when you do this:


http://www.rightcoastcrawler.com/billaVista/SlipperyCreek/Dcp_5269.jpg
And is quite a different thing from this:

http://www.rightcoastcrawler.com/billaVista/Bootie/20021111215235_Mvc-345s.jpg

or this:

http://www.rightcoastcrawler.com/billaVista/Bootie/scary2.jpg

ohh my... That last one is great, Nice Shackels, lmao.

Your right Bill, mine is set up just like your buggies, ya even got the shape of my drag link to tie rod tabs right:flipoff2: . I didnt box between the two tabs tho, maybe I should, but its held up this long, oh well. Definatly not like the other two, those just scare me. Wow, I was really expecting a rash of bootie fab calls for even making suggestions for a system like this. It was the best I could come up with at the time and I never got around to changing it because it worked pretty well. I plan on finding some flat top knuckles when I get the chance tho to avoid your second shot.

Ken

the biggest problem he will have is inseadt of turning it will push the front end upwards. another will be the stock draglink is so weak it will just bend. What My freinds have done before their toyota axle swaps is cut the ends off the stock draglink and went to team tube and bought peices of 1 1/4 dom with a .250 wall and the ends slid right in welded her up and you have bitchen steering you have to make some slight bends with a bender or the way they do it in rio linda( heat it up with a torch) it works perfect and they never had a problem on or off the trail. but now they have toyota axles with highsteer arms and saginaw p/s boxes.

Who do this fabrikaton. I neeed som 1 to do some good wurk on mi muddin buggi.

I plan on finding some flat top knuckles when I get the chance tho to avoid your second shot.

No kidding! Full Hydro is in the works, and if I'm very lucky or creative - behind the axle, or at least up much higher.

The comp YJ is done that way, but is getting changed out to flat top knuckles for next year. It has held up to 3 comps and 5 trail rides. It works, but since the tie-rod rotates for and aft, we don't have all the steering we should, the flat tops should fix that. We started with 3/4" plate, ground it down to a 1/4" point then welded it in different passes. Letting it cool good after each. The tie-rod hole was drilled using a tie-rode reamer. Here are a few pics.

http://webpages.charter.net/mnjcole/steering1.JPG

http://webpages.charter.net/mnjcole/steering2.JPG


edit: NOT THAT I WOULD TRUST IT RIDING DOWN THE HIGHWAY...

You dick, this is my junk, and it was built for one day of wheeling. It is 1/2" plate and worked great. I do not drive it on the street, ever. I machined my flat tops Friday night and will install them monday. I would not worry about running this set up forever. It worked and is plenty strong. I am only changing it to get more steering.

http://www.rightcoastcrawler.com/billaVista/Bootie/20021111215235_Mvc-345s.jpg

Originally posted by Bigburlynakedguy
You dick, this is my junk, and it was built for one day of wheeling. It is 1/2" plate and worked great. I do not drive it on the street, ever. I machined my flat tops Friday night and will install them monday. I would not worry about running this set up forever. It worked and is plenty strong. I am only changing it to get more steering.



Hey at least you put a cotter pin in the castle nut for safety!:D

OK, I know you guys pretty much hate stupid ignorance, but I can take the heat (I think). Perhaps I've just been told the right thing all along and perhaps I just haven't listened to the wrong ideas for SOA. I can understand the bootey fab stuff for the one day of wheeling (kinda), but in getting prices for machining my own flat tops and various pieces, it isn't all that expensive to do. Especially if you have the amazing skills and equipment that many of you have in the shop. So is the many adaptations I've seen above just something to get by for the time being and due to shortage of funds allowable IF YOU USE SOME BRAIN POWER when doing it or is it truly smarter and SAFER to do it right to first time. Based on my limited knowledge, I would think that going with the flat knuckles would give you the best steering available.

No?

Oui!

Kimber, my dad used to put it this way..... "Ya aint got time to do it right, but you got time to do it twice?" since time ='s money you're right ;)

Grid, Mine was niether a money nor a skill consideration, but a problem with getting the steering arms to my house in time. I wanted to go wheeling real bad. I got the itch and had to go, I did not get the arms in time, so I made it work. I will post pics of the arms and flat tops here monday or tuesday of the way it turns out.

Originally posted by mike
Kimber, my dad used to put it this way..... "Ya aint got time to do it right, but you got time to do it twice?" since time ='s money you're right ;)

OH Good Googley!! My Uncle has said that to me many times as I have built my Jeep up. He will not be happy with the project I am undertaking now, so I'm not gonna tell him till its done and I drive it up to Sly Park all finished! I'm a little nervous about the Spring Over as I've heard so much about CJ5's not being stable but I think that by making her stand a little wider at the axles, I can fix some of that. I wouldn't even consider doing this without the Steering over and thus the flat tops. While I'm still shocked that it seems to be coming together rather quickly, I am really looking forward to breaking my nails, getting some knuckle rashes and most of all understanding MORE about my front end and how it works.

The best part will be putting those green shock boots on when I get it back together!;) :confused: http://members.aol.com/ncls484/gridwnch.jpg :D

Got to watch that (for the time being or for now approach)
When a cobble job breaks or fails out on the road and causes an accident, the greenies and anti-offroad people literally wear themself out trying to get more laws passed. :rolleyes:

Originally posted by GRIDWNC
OK, I know you guys pretty much hate stupid ignorance, but I can take the heat (I think). Perhaps I've just been told the right thing all along and perhaps I just haven't listened to the wrong ideas for SOA. I can understand the bootey fab stuff for the one day of wheeling (kinda), but in getting prices for machining my own flat tops and various pieces, it isn't all that expensive to do. Especially if you have the amazing skills and equipment that many of you have in the shop. So is the many adaptations I've seen above just something to get by for the time being and due to shortage of funds allowable IF YOU USE SOME BRAIN POWER when doing it or is it truly smarter and SAFER to do it right to first time. Based on my limited knowledge, I would think that going with the flat knuckles would give you the best steering available.

No?

There was a time (and not too long ago i might add) when todays solutions just werent available. When spring overs were just for the older vehicles that lift kits werent available for, when axle swaps were the exception rather than the rule. Before atlas cases and coil overs, we had to make things work. Sure the ideas may seem crude compared to todays tech, but in alot of cases they get the job done. Is it time to update some of the previous solutions now that a better solution exists? Yes, but again, since they do work, they are not as high up on the priority list as some other things. I'm still a newbie to the pbb world, hell, alot of us are, so I cant say what kind of mods were done in the earlier days around here, but learning in local clubs, the hardcore tech just wasnt at my disposal. I'm at the point now where I'm wondering about updating all I've done to my heep at this point or just sellin it and starting from scratch. It kills me to think about spendin the cash to swap stuff out that I have already swapped before.

Originally posted by masterbeavis


He claims that he has seen this on a jeep before (thats what they must mean by "it's a jeep thing blah blah blah") and I guess that this makes it ok??
OMFG!! :eek:

I'll get pics once he's done and not around!

[edit] he just came in from the garage and told me that he didn't appreciate me always knockin his samurai. I told him that he is doing the shit wrong and I hope he isn't going to drive the thing on the street, and if I does, Iam not going to let him. He fires back that he doesn't have the money to do it right, and its only temporary (Ya right)

AND he is doing the welding with a 110V HF cheapie MIG

Why don't you get off your ass and help him do it right, instead of posting this shit. I mean he is your roommate right?


You sir, are a dickhead............

Originally posted by Hayraker


Why don't you get off your ass and help him do it right, instead of posting this shit. I mean he is your roommate right?


You sir, are a dickhead............

I walked out on this shit while he was putting the finishing touches on this mess. I discussed the bootie fab and [un]safety factor with him, he in more or less words told me to fuck off. He claims that money prevents him from doing it right, HOWEVER I don't think that he has taken the time to source out the proper materials or methods to do this right at an inexpensive price. If I had known what he was planning, I would have BOUGHT the shit for him for crying out loud. I dont agree with alot of shit that he does, or plans to do, but when it comes to something that might get someone hurt, or leave us stranded in the middle of nowhere, I would rather pay $$$ now, then pay in a different way later.

In the immortal words of Red Green:
"This is only temporary. Unless it works."

darwin therory at work. :D

why doesn't he just make a z link for it and be done, it doesn't cost shit and you get used to the bump steer. i know i have made many of them. they work for a cheap fix, but they are not near as good as a high steer set up. what he is wanting to do is going to twist the shit out of the tie rod. i have seen this set up used on many rigs, and they worked on the trail. if he braces it up good it will be fine.