Opinion Wanted - Synergy Drag Link or JCR UTK

Just pretzeled my Moog drag link (35's on 6.5, 4.56, locked) and am looking at 3 options (at this point, I'm not interested in going OTK or hydro. I know the advantages, but it will be overkill for where this rig is headed!)

Option 1 - replace with another Moog stock replacement (cheap, apparently quite bendy!)

Option 2 - replace with Synergy Drag Link - looks beefy, but I can't find any opinions - please contribute!

Option 3 - replace the whole front end with JCR's UTK. Heard some good things, but would like to hear some more opinions.

You're not going to hurt my feelings either way.

thebyus said:

Just pretzeled my Moog drag link (35's on 6.5, 4.56, locked) and am looking at 3 options (at this point, I'm not interested in going OTK or hydro. I know the advantages, but it will be overkill for where this rig is headed!)

Option 1 - replace with another Moog stock replacement (cheap, apparently quite bendy!)

Option 2 - replace with Synergy Drag Link - looks beefy, but I can't find any opinions - please contribute!

Option 3 - replace the whole front end with JCR's UTK. Heard some good things, but would like to hear some more opinions.

You're not going to hurt my feelings either way.

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Can't go wrong with JCR, although I will be going with something higher profile in the future for a mild UTK rig it's probably the best option IMO.

option 4

currie steering.

rockclimber said:

option 4

Currie steering.

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Another vote for Currie, if you are staying with UTK.

rockclimber said:

option 4

currie steering.

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This.

There is a reason why more D30 and D44 TJ's and XJ's that are both trail and Jeepspeed, use this setup, than any other "kit". I know at $425 plus some shipping, its not the cheapest, or all fancy bling, but you get what you pay for.

What is the reason that makes it better than a one ton y-link setup? Is it just that you don't have to ream the knuckles out?

There's also the option of our Premium 1-Ton steering setup, which addresses a few of the issues people have with some other companies kits. First one being our use of Aluminum instead of steel, so that you can bash it into rocks and not bend it. Especially important if you're UTK. Second is that we spent the time to choose the right TRE's for the application, both to offer the best quality in a place where most try to save money and add profit, but also to help address the tie rod roll issue.

http://www.stinkyfab.com/steering-components/sfr-premium-1-ton-steering-for-jeep-xj-tj-zj.html

Here's what I mean by "you can bash it into rocks"



BTW, we are also offering special introductory pricing right now, so there's that too

dan1977p said:

What is the reason that makes it better than a one ton y-link setup? Is it just that you don't have to ream the knuckles out?

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First and foremost is that the TRE at the pitman arm is manufactured in a downward angle so that you can safely run the higher lift and not limit your droop with that TRE being the limiting factor(but most dont even know its maxed out, so the TRE is pulled apart under droop). Then you have the fact that you retain still a factory correct steering/track bar geometry. Then you have the tierod and drag link being significantly stronger. Mixed with a 100% bolt on, with no drilling, reaming, relocating of the swaybar brackets, track bar bracket, etc. And no inherent "dead spot" which most others have.

I don't know that I would agree that more trail XJ's run it than any other kit, but i have sure seen a lot of currie setups bend the same way stock ones do.


Would not run.

Sorry, didn't mean to start something. Was hoping for a quantifiable reason to go with currie over an UTK 1 ton y-link setup and so far there is no reason other than not having to drill. I'd rather drill and be able to drive to my local auto store to pick up a GM tie rod end than not and have to wait on an order from Currie to arrive. Everything else is a wash so I'll save myself a couple hundred bucks.

Currie makes good stuff, and it's a definite upgrade over stock, but like you said the parts are proprietary and there is some question over what is the strongest setup. This discussion can go on many tangents because there are so many options, but I think everyone so far has given you good enough info for you to make an educated choice.

So I'll propose a 3.1 option since it's the same concept as the JCR stuff. Ruff stuff has a 1 ton UTK kit for cheaper, but you have to weld it together after measuring. More work, but better fit for any differences your rig may have. Or get all the parts individually and find someone with a left hand tap and lathe so you don't need to weld bungs on the DOM. Only saves a few bucks over ruffstuff kit, though.

dan1977p said:

Sorry, didn't mean to start something. Was hoping for a quantifiable reason to go with currie over an UTK 1 ton y-link setup and so far there is no reason other than not having to drill. I'd rather drill and be able to drive to my local auto store to pick up a GM tie rod end than not and have to wait on an order from Currie to arrive. Everything else is a wash so I'll save myself a couple hundred bucks.

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No quantifiable reason?
Did you read my first and foremost reason? That alone is the biggest, and its a safety reason that is even a longevity reason.
You should be able to see from the JCR image they supply, that even at normal ride height that the Pitman side TRE is already at about 1/3-1/2 the usable rotating that the TRE can take. Then compare that to the Currie TRE, which is at 0 deg at normal ride height.



"quantifiable reason"?
1.25 DOM with .25wall or Solid Forged chromoly? yeah not quantifiable?

What about the added clearance? yeah not that huge of a difference, but 2-3" down to similar, but a good advantage over the inverted T systems.

Then the "dead spot" or TR roll. Yes they can compensate for it with spacers and such, but it doesnt fully eliminate it 100%

What about having to not run any aftermarket HD covers that are a full cover? You have to run the T&J (yes good cover though but many dont want to run it for some reason) or just a lower guard.

Now does all that make it better than the other choices you mention, IDK. To me it does. But each Jeep is built differently and with reasons differently. And thats one cool aspect of the Jeep and aftermarket world. SO many choices and builds..

dan1977p said:

So I'll propose a 3.1 option since it's the same concept as the JCR stuff. Ruff stuff has a 1 ton UTK kit for cheaper, but you have to weld it together after measuring. More work, but better fit for any differences your rig may have.

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If you're still running the stock front axle and you haven't moved your steering box then the only difference you're going to have is lift height and there's plenty of adjustment in any of the kits including mine to account for that. The ruffstuff kit is really for custom setups or if you're really trying to pinch pennies. Also you should be warned that it's not uncommon to warp the threads in any weld in bung a little while welding. I ALWAYS chase the threads with a tap after welding because I've destroyed too many joints not doing so in the past. This means you need the taps to do that, which totally kills any savings unless you just happen to own them already.

RWKHausSupply said:

No quantifiable reason?
Did you read my first and foremost reason? That alone is the biggest, and its a safety reason that is even a longevity reason.
You should be able to see from the JCR image they supply, that even at normal ride height that the Pitman side TRE is already at about 1/3-1/2 the usable rotating that the TRE can take. Then compare that to the Currie TRE, which is at 0 deg at normal ride height.

"quantifiable reason"?
1.25 DOM with .25wall or Solid Forged chromoly? yeah not quantifiable?

What about the added clearance? yeah not that huge of a difference, but 2-3" down to similar, but a good advantage over the inverted T systems.

Then the "dead spot" or TR roll. Yes they can compensate for it with spacers and such, but it doesnt fully eliminate it 100%

What about having to not run any aftermarket HD covers that are a full cover? You have to run the T&J (yes good cover though but many dont want to run it for some reason) or just a lower guard.

Now does all that make it better than the other choices you mention, IDK. To me it does. But each Jeep is built differently and with reasons differently. And thats one cool aspect of the Jeep and aftermarket world. SO many choices and builds..

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Thanks for the info. There is a lot more here than in the first response. For a mildly built rig, I don't think it changes anything since even in my current stock steering setup (except for a drop pitman arm), I have the same issues. I really want something where I can change the ends out to firm up my steering. I've done the hardest stuff I can find out here and make contact sometimes, but honestly good line choices have kept me from breaking my stuff.

cal said:

I don't know that I would agree that more trail XJ's run it than any other kit, but i have sure seen a lot of currie setups bend the same way stock ones do.


Would not run.

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Currie designed their tie-rod to bend under severe impact to prevent damage to more critical/expensive steering components.

Also, a mild DOM tie-rod, as seen in JCR/Ruffstuff, etc, will bend much easier than curries solid tie-rod and drag links.

And, if that isn't good enough for you, Savvy Offroad makes a 4340 heat treated tie-rod that will not bend.

dan1977p said:

Thanks for the info. There is a lot more here than in the first response. For a mildly built rig, I don't think it changes anything since even in my current stock steering setup (except for a drop pitman arm), I have the same issues. I really want something where I can change the ends out to firm up my steering. I've done the hardest stuff I can find out here and make contact sometimes, but honestly good line choices have kept me from breaking my stuff.

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Currie steering retains the direct connection between the pitman arm and the knuckle.
It also uses a slotted pin at the passenger knuckle, which is a HUGE detail most people miss. That allows them to eliminate any kind of roll as seen in inverted T steering systems and synergy's setup.

Currie steering also allows you to drill out the drivers knuckle and put a tapered insert in from the top to run the Tie-rod over the knuckle with some trimming to the sway bar mounts.
Here it is in practice on my rig


Currie steering is not for every rig. However I believe it is great for most.

If you want to do some fabrication, I consider WJ steering to be a good upgrade for almost any XJ. And it gets you better brakes.

I will never recommend an under the knuckle inverted T setup. I consider it to be a downgrade for an number of reasons. Dead spot, loss of clearance, etc.

That said, if you have your heart set on inverted T give the SFR system a serious consideration. He is using extremely high quality components in comparison to other similar kits.


What you should definitely Not do is make price your deciding factor.
Steering is arguably one of the most important parts of your rig. This is not the place to go cheap.

rockclimber said:

What you should definitely Not do is make price your deciding factor.
Steering is arguably one of the most important parts of your rig. This is not the place to go cheap.

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This is one thing where we can completely agree. That said, I try to keep my prices as competitive as I can with others, if not lower when possible.

I think there is plenty of room to debate the merits of the various setups, and I'm not sure there is a definite right answer for everyone. I offer a WJ swap kit for those who don't mind spending the money to get the best performance, but I also realize that not everyone needs/wants/or can afford everything that goes into that swap which is why I also do the 1-Ton Inverted T setup using the best quality components I can. I will say up front that it's not a perfect solution for everyone, but it is a whole lot more budget friendly while still being a good upgrade from stock.