does anybody make a steering setup like this?

Ok so I have been researching some options for steering setups. I want something strong and affordable with little serious modfication. I do not want another y-type steering so Currie and others like it are out. I like setups that use the TREs like the Rusty's setup but I have heard that due to the TREs there is something about the tie-rod rolling, anyway I saw a video of a Rusty's unit doing it and I wasn't a fan. So I came across Ballistic Fabrication's setup with the heim joints and its very close to what I want but apparently there is an issue with bumpsteer if you leave the trac bar in the stock location and don't relocate it higher to make it closer to parallel with the drag link. So here is my question:

Does anyone make a setup like this? It is a very rough picture of what I am looking for but I think yall can get the idea.



and for fun here is a picture of what it would be going on.

Price is the name of the game.

See http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=834872

For something fairly "affordable" as you said, i can only see Rugged Ridge being viable for this type of setup. Otherwise build it yourself and buy the TREs

Had you seen the Iron Rock Off Road setup? They also use heim joints. Haven't had much feed back on it, but it's what I'm thinking about running.

http://www.ironrockoffroad.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=IROR&Product_Code=IR-TOTKS&Category_Code=XST

mat

like the iron rock kit

The Ballistic fabrication kits are affordable in my opinion.

http://www.ballisticfabrication.com/Full-Steering-Kits_c_113.html

They offer a kit that uses TREs and honestly if I go that route then thats probably the kit im gonna go with. But I want some tighter steering I am tired of the slop in my steering. I have had my TREs checked and they are supposed to be in good condition so I know my stock setup isn't really worn out. I like the use of the heim joints because they have no movement in them other than flex obviously. I pretty much am looking for their kit but with a drag link bent like in the picture that I posted.

The Iron Rock kit is an interesting kit but I don't know about that drag link goin under like that. And at $350 I'd like something a little cheaper than that.

Get the ballistic Fab kit with hiems. Beef! You will never regret it. Thats what im running with 4.5" and a 3 link. I dont have a problem with it binding but all you need is to cut the drag link a little long and take it to a shop to put two very small bends like you want. If your running around 5" you should be fine without it.

I've tried to do a budget steering setup, but unless you have material, and fab skills, you really do get what you pay for.

98xjjeeper said:

Get the ballistic Fab kit with hiems. Beef! You will never regret it. Thats what im running with 4.5" and a 3 link. I dont have a problem with it binding but all you need is to cut the drag link a little long and take it to a shop to put two very small bends like you want. If your running around 5" you should be fine without it.

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Did you relocate the trac bar bracket? How are road manners?

The stock style inverted Y has no slop, since the drag link goes directly to the knuckle. If you have slop, it's not from the design of the steering. It could be from the track bar or feel loose if the caster degree is too low.

Any inverted T style steering with the drag link angle you would have with steering in the stock location on the knuckle is going to have slop from the tie rod rotating, so you will go backwards, like the Rusty's setup. If you do a crossover design, it will be very positive, but the drag link will need to go over the knuckle, and you will need to either raise the track bar at the axle or drop the pitman arm to keep the drag link and track bar at close to the same angle to avoid bumpsteer. Also, if the drag link is moved to the top of the knuckle it will then interfere with the sway bar link, so the link mount will need to be moved......meaning it's bolt on.

The only well designed, strong and totally bolt on steering setup is the Currie. It won't have any slop.

back to the origional question, yes someone does make something like that: ORO u-turn steering. http://www.offroadonly.com/products/new/u-turn/

Searchersoffroad.com

They make that setup with heims for like 300 beans IIRC

I used there setup for like 4 years till I pretty much drove it into the ground.

Justpunchit said:

Searchersoffroad.com

They make that setup with heims for like 300 beans IIRC

I used there setup for like 4 years till I pretty much drove it into the ground.

Click to expand...

I tried goin to serchersoffroad.com and didnt come up with anything so I googled it adn found searchers4wd.com. I hope that was the right one. The steering setup that that site offers seems almost identical to the one that Ballistic fabrication offers. Does the searchers4wd.com have bends in the drag link like the way it is in the drawing that I posted in my original post? How were the road manners with the searchers kit? Did you have any bumpsteer? Did you relocate the trac bar bracket?

Ben824 said:

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why are you puting 2 bends in the drag link? bends are only needed if there is interference with another part, i.e, trackbar or for better operating angles of the joint used. i can see putting a bend at the top iof the draglink where it meets the pitman for better operating angles of the joint, but not at the axle end.

You can always install the Iron Rock Kit with the draglink on top and the tie rod under the knuckle.

A WJ or Tera-Flex knuckle will do what your wanting to accomplish.

Ben824 said:

Did you relocate the trac bar bracket? How are road manners?

Click to expand...

Yes. As with any crossover steering. Roadwise...a million time better. I dont even run a steering stabilizer. Its my DD and I drive on the road a bunch.

I put 2 bends because I want to keep the joint in good operating angles, clear the sway bar brackets, and technically the bar would be closer to parallel with the trac bar. Now the closer to parallel with the trac bar part I don't know if it would really work or not since I guess it is kinda cheating but I don't know I'm not a fabricator so I do not have experience with this I just read that to cut back on bump steer you keep those two parallel and that seems like a easier way of doing it.

Now to say again I am looking for a strong kit that will give me good street manners, get away from y-link style of steering, stay affordable and keep me from having to do too much serious modification i.e. welding!

Replacing the knuckle with a WJ still requires me to relocate the sway bar brackets and can become pricey after all is said and done.

The Iron Rock kit is nice and I would definitely buy it if it wasn't so expensive.

I like the Ballistic fabrication kit for it's price and ease of installation but I would have to relocate the trac bar bracket to keep the trac bar and the drag link parallel so I don't have a problem with bump steer.

So I guess at this point since nobody seems to make what I am looking for and I don't have the tools to fab one up myself, can I run something like the Ballistic fabrication kit and keep my steering stabilizer on to combat bump steer?

Steering angles are measured from "joint to joint",the shape of any linkage doesnt matter!

RCP Phx said:

Steering angles are measured from "joint to joint",the shape of any linkage doesnt matter!

Click to expand...

Ditto. Bends in the link have nothing to do with the drag link being close to the same angle as the track bar. The bends will help get more travel out of the joints, but that's all.

If you go over the knuckle you're going to have to move some things and do some minor fab work.......that's just the way it is. Going over the knuckle is the right way to do it, but if you're dead set on not doing fab work, keeping it bolt on, then your options are very limited.

If you're dead set against a perfectly good inverted Y design, then get out the welder.

why are you so dead set against the stock inverted Y?

if you want slightly stronger, you could do a zj tie rod swap and for real beef, the currie setup. for the amount of lift that it looks like you have, the inverted Y is all you need.

BTW, a steering stabilizer does not have anything to do with combating bumpsteer.

What is the height of your lift? what trackbar are you running?

are you 100% positive you have bumpsteer?

are you running adjustable or correct length control arms. if your caster is too low or negative, it could be giving you steering issues.