Steering for 8"

My xj is as we speak in the shop getting RE's 7.5 coils and a rear to match. I had not given steering as much attention as i should have and now find myself searching like crazy about different options. I have the RE adjustable HD TB and bracket and am not sure if i should have it installed because i think i see a few OTK mfgr's using their own TB. Thats my first problem, next is it that critical that i get this done now or will it be fine for the time being. Any suggestions on setups I have read about bulletproof, rustys, phat jeeps and a few others but i would like to get others opinions for my setup. My xj is a 99. thankx.

Id say your going to need to do something!Im at 6.5" with stock steering.I had to lengthen the tie rod adjusting collar and I now have a hole in the steering damper where the draglink tre hits it!The tre angles are horrible when flexed!

I'm at 6.5" as well with a stock drag link and Dodge 3/4 ton tre's for the tie rod. If I was a 1/4" higher that setup would have to be fixed with a dropped steering arm or something. At 8" your going to need a pitman arm, the Currie Drag link is bent at the steering end to allow for flex. If it's not set up right your going to have some DW going on. So make sure the pinion angle is right and the alignment shop as done lifted Jeeps before to really make sure it's done right. Juice

When you say a pitman arm are you talking about a WJ pitman or something like the skyjacker 3" pitman. thankx for the input.

wannabe said:

My xj is as we speak in the shop getting RE's 7.5 coils and a rear to match. I had not given steering as much attention as i should have and now find myself searching like crazy about different options. I have the RE adjustable HD TB and bracket and am not sure if i should have it installed because i think i see a few OTK mfgr's using their own TB. Thats my first problem, next is it that critical that i get this done now or will it be fine for the time being. Any suggestions on setups I have read about bulletproof, rustys, phat jeeps and a few others but i would like to get others opinions for my setup. My xj is a 99. thankx.

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I would go over the axle, personally. You may, however, be able to get away with the RE trackbar setup plus Currie's replacement under the knuckle steering, which has bends to keep the TRE's better aligned and the tierod more horizontal. I think it works on 8" of lift.

If you want to go OTK, a crossover steering linkage with heims and heim based trackbar is simple (with ORGS bracket), but not bolt on. It's just DOM and heims and a few drilled out tapers, and once you have it done it's much simpler to spare and work on (such as for alignments) than any TRE based setup.

Nay

If you want to go OTK, a crossover steering linkage with heims and heim based trackbar is simple (with ORGS bracket), but not bolt on. It's just DOM and heims and a few drilled out tapers, and once you have it done it's much simpler to spare and work on (such as for alignments) than any TRE based setup.

Nay[/QUOTE]
Nay, thankx. to make this simpler on myself your thinkin i can use the RE bracket ditch the TB and fab one up. And then use a bunch of the ORGS brackets to run a OTK setup. I read hinckleys write up on the kit and he says to run a 16" wheel i have 15's but could change that. What is the most economical way to do this. I was about to call ORGS to get prices as none are posted with the install. Be easy on me im still learning, under pressure. thankx again.

bump.....

wannabe said:

Nay, thankx. to make this simpler on myself your thinkin i can use the RE bracket ditch the TB and fab one up. And then use a bunch of the ORGS brackets to run a OTK setup. I read hinckleys write up on the kit and he says to run a 16" wheel i have 15's but could change that. What is the most economical way to do this. I was about to call ORGS to get prices as none are posted with the install. Be easy on me im still learning, under pressure. thankx again.

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I ran mine with 15" rims, and even spaced the links up an inch over the tie rod. Most who do it run 15" rims, you just have to make sure it fits. The ORGS brackets that move up the track bar axle mount and the sway bar links definitly make it easier to do OTK. A ZJ pitman arm will give you an inch drop, which you should do. Personally, I don't like the 3" drop of the Skyjacker pitman arm, since it will add leverage to the steering box..........and we have enough problems stessing the frame around the steering box as it is.

Here's some pics of my D30 OTK setup. I made my own track bar and sway bar link mounts, the ORGS stuff wasn't out yet.

Very nice. Goat's setup is like mine but mine is not spaced above the axle like his. My setup only uses the misalignment bushings. Hey goat, got any pics of the pitman arm end?

-Mike

Big Jeep 101 said:

Very nice. Goat's setup is like mine but mine is not spaced above the axle like his. My setup only uses the misalignment bushings. Hey goat, got any pics of the pitman arm end?

-Mike

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Well, I sort of cheated on the pitman arm end of the drag link.

The threads on the end of the drag link/adjustment collar/pitman TRE are 20mm 1.5. This is close enough to 3/4" 16 that I threaded that end of the drag link to 3/4" 16 and used a short threaded piece into the drag link and the collar, with a lock nut at the drag link. Since the collar tightens down with the clamp, it will fit and hold on the 3/4" 16 threads. Not ideal, but it worked with no problems. Sorry, don't have a pic of it.

When I made my D44 steering, I sprung for a LH thread 20mm 1.5 tap and tapped the pitman end of the drag link to fit onto the pitman TRE, and I twist the whole drag link to center the wheel.....no collar is needed. This works since the D44 steering is an inverted T rather than the inverted Y I used on the D30 steering. The inverted T would also work well on an OTK D30 steering setup, but the angles of the drag link wouldn't be as good as they are with the D44 hy-steer knuckles. I was real happy with the inverted Y on the D30.

Goat, thankx that is what im looking for. Right now I have the RE HD TB and Bracket on the xj would it be a better/easier idea to run the stock TB bracket and just fab up a new TB with the OAB. I also have the RE sway bar relo. bracket Im thinking that wouldnt be needed either with the ORGS brackets as long as my 7.5" coils dont "bow" and hit the Sway bars, right? My xj isnt moving till i get this fixed and im moving in 10 days, hows that for added pressure. LOL! fun.

wannabe said:

Goat, thankx that is what im looking for. Right now I have the RE HD TB and Bracket on the xj would it be a better/easier idea to run the stock TB bracket and just fab up a new TB with the OAB. I also have the RE sway bar relo. bracket Im thinking that wouldnt be needed either with the ORGS brackets as long as my 7.5" coils dont "bow" and hit the Sway bars, right? My xj isnt moving till i get this fixed and im moving in 10 days, hows that for added pressure. LOL! fun.

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Goat has a nice setup...but it's a lot more complicated than a straight crossover. Dump the RE trackbar bracket and trackbar entirely. Use the ORGS bracket and a trackbar with heims on both ends. If you buy high misalignment spacers, you can just mount the pitman arm end horizontally without restriction. I run RE 7.5" coils and just have it bolted up to the stock mount with a heim and spacer. Just put the bend in the trackbar so it mounts horizontally at ride height.

For the steering, drill out the taper in the knuckles and run your tierod under the knuckle and draglink over. You don't need any special stuff for alignment, just loosen the jam nuts and twist. Goat's setup maximized tierod clearance by taking it over the knuckle. Probably easier to just carry a spare piece of DOM since you are in a crunch timewise. Otherwise, if you have the time and access to fabrication equipment, a copycat would certainly serve you well.

Nay

Goatman said:

I ran mine with 15" rims, and even spaced the links up an inch over the tie rod. Most who do it run 15" rims, you just have to make sure it fits. The ORGS brackets that move up the track bar axle mount and the sway bar links definitly make it easier to do OTK. A ZJ pitman arm will give you an inch drop, which you should do. Personally, I don't like the 3" drop of the Skyjacker pitman arm, since it will add leverage to the steering box..........and we have enough problems stessing the frame around the steering box as it is.

Here's some pics of my D30 OTK setup. I made my own track bar and sway bar link mounts, the ORGS stuff wasn't out yet.

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Richard, I'm doing this on Wed. any recomendations on where to mount the Tierod to the draglink. Should I just aim for flat as possible or just copy the OEM links?

TIA

ChuckD said:

Richard, I'm doing this on Wed. any recomendations on where to mount the Tierod to the draglink. Should I just aim for flat as possible or just copy the OEM links?

TIA

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The RE heavy duty tie rod I already had dictated where the tie rod connected to the drag link........stock length tie rod, mounted where it hits the drag link. Prett easy, bolt the tabs to the tie rod, line them up and hold them against the drag link, and weld (with toe at 0*, obviously).

Goatman said:

The RE heavy duty tie rod I already had dictated where the tie rod connected to the drag link........stock length tie rod, mounted where it hits the drag link. Prett easy, bolt the tabs to the tie rod, line them up and hold them against the drag link, and weld (with toe at 0*, obviously).

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Cool, thanks, I knew it had to be that simple!