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UTK Tie Rod for WJ Swap

X

Xhavier_5478

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Colorado Springs, CO
So I understand there are a ton of postings for the WJ Knuckle swap and a half a dozen covering how to setup the steering OTK and Hysteer, but my situation is I need to get my Jeep on the road, and I don't want to deal with all the additional headaches of reaming or welding in inserts, I want to buy parts and install them for just the standard WJ tie rod, and draglink setup. Can I just set it up with the JKS Fab tie rod, and get stock rod ends? will they clear the pumpkin and spring perches?
 
You can use the stock WJ tierod ends however the beefier links like JKS makes(for the WJ) are too long for the XJ. The WJ D30 axle is wider than an XJ D30 axle. You may have to fan up your own tie rod sleeves.
 
A stock, straight tie rod without the offset TREs will hit both the spring perches and the diff cover, especially if it's a beefy aftermarket one.

I feel like the offset TREs are pretty much mandatory. I should also warn though that, despite what people say, using the offset TRE requires a 17" wheel. I used the offset TREs OTK and tried two different 16" wheels- Cragar Soft 8's and the Ford Ranger "splash" wheels, and both of them hit the offset TRE when turning. I ground the TREs down to clear, and am not happy with how little material remains.





I'll also mention that I used the inserts and hate them. I ended up getting a reamer when I had to get a new pitman arm, and am much happier with the reaming results. In my opinion, drilling out for the inserts leaves too little material remaining.
 
I just plan on running the stock Moog ends for the time being. The next question is I'm looking at the JKS Fab Draglink, will that work setup with moog factory ends, and 4.5 inches of Lift?
 
You can also just run stock steering linkage + a ZJ pitman arm. Costs $25 from Summit Racing.
 
You will have to do the following:

Track bar bracket (recommend clayton) JKS is too short.
Track bar
Drag Link
Tie Rod
Late model unit bearings
Spacers for the knuckles (welded on).
Redrilled rotors.
WJ ball joints (lower is different taper)

Flipping the tie rod/reaming is the least of your worries and is actually pretty easy.

If you want a "bolt on" kit clayton sells everything, but you will still need to weld a new track bar axle bracket and build a trackbar.

Terraflex or JKS makes an offset TRE with the stock taper, they're a bit pricey. The WJ TRE's are 24mm thread (no one makes tube adapters), and the offset TRE's from parts mike or ruffstuff are 7/8-18 thread and different taper.
 
You will have to do the following:

Track bar bracket (recommend clayton) JKS is too short. Done, went with the TNT OTK track bar mount
Track bar Done, TNT Track bar and HD Mount
Drag Link The second question in my post, Will the JKS Fab bar be long enough to be UTK with 4.5" of lift
Tie Rod Ordered the JKS Fab Tie-rod and going to run factory Moog rod ends.
Late model unit bearings Done
Spacers for the knuckles (welded on). Done
Redrilled rotors. Done, went with the Explorer Sport-trac rotors
WJ ball joints (lower is different taper) Done

Flipping the tie rod/reaming is the least of your worries and is actually pretty easy.

The other concern with running the flip right now is the OTK Track bar mount from TNT doesn't look tall enough for OTK on WJ knuckles, so in trying to keep my steering geometry good I'm just looking to run under the knuckle.
 
Have you installed the TNT mount on the axle? What have you done so far? Measure your TNT mount from the centerline of the axle to the top hole. I'll check the clayton tonight, but if AFAIK it's about 6.5" from the centerline to the top hole. I used the second hole down (5.5" lift), and have perfect angles for OTK.
 
The axle side bracket is welded on already, and have the track bar installed, but just eyeballing the geometry, draglink over the knuckle is going to be no good, and the track bar is in the top hole of the bracket already.

TNT sells two brackets, and OTK and a Hysteer/Crossover setup, when I first setup the axle it was just going to be OTK, but then I got enticed by the big brake WJ swap, and went that direction after it was installed.
 
Last edited:
Say, what ever happened to that Scary Steering website?

paddlernate said:
C5EC9D3F-9C6B-434D-B194-AEA44F6C8E7F_zps2jurhf4d.jpg
[/URL]
Click to expand...
 
I ground the TREs down to clear, and am not happy with how little material remains.
Click to expand...

For the record, I'm not running these ground-down TREs. I posted the photos to illustrate that 16" wheels aren't even close to working without spacers, and even then, I have my doubts.
 
I used 17" wheels with 285/70-17 MTR-K's. Works great.
 
I have WJ knuckles and Ballistic fab stock XJ mounts with a bluetorch cover. I have gone OTK and run chevy 1ton ends with 1 1/4 dom. It hits the cover just a little bit as well as the coil mounts. But its very little and at the point of making contact with the 2 items im just starting to hit the steering stops on the knuckles.
 
I think I would rather play russian roulette than run those clearanced offset TREs, so I'm glad you cleared up the fact that you aren't running them.

Shit's gonna fail... it's not a matter of if but when.
 
Yeah... I'm just-about sickened by the amount of grinding on those TREs. What is there, 7/16" worth of meat left on those? Less than the factory junk...
 
So Update, the parts came in, and I picked up the Moog rod ends that are stock for the WJ, and with crager Soft 8's in 15" the tie rod ends clear fine, and the draglink is long enough for the 4.5" lift, and I was correct, the UTK setup is perfectly in line with the trackbar, on the OTK TNT axle bracket. Now I just need a pro alignment for it, and I'll be all set..
 
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