Bent tie rod?

[Bronco]

I bent the tie rod slightly last weekend. It goes up about 2in inn a nice arc, no hard bend. My questions are is it safe to keep running it after I straiten it and is there a way to pull it out with out taking it off. Ether way, anyone know a good way to straiten these things ether on or off the truck.

[Eagle]

Once bent it will always be weak. Replace it.

[WHEEL'er-DLR]

bent tie-rods will be a common problem if you do alot of wheeling...i carry a spare...and mine is bent up pretty good. sugestions: #1 you can buy a new one #2 you could weld a piece of angle iron to it. #3 some guys fill the tubing with a piece of solid steel rod.

[Bronco]

If you beef up the rod don’t you kinda run the risk of damaging the TRE’s and or knuckles on the trail? Lots of folk carry spare rods not so many knuckles. Clearly the real solution is to not let it get hocked up with the rocks (high steer and the like). I’m thinking that if I had been running the OEM Skid plate thing it may have taken that hit rather than my TR.

[KarmirXJ]

nows your chance to move up to High steer.:D

[Stoney]

i have an rubicon x HEAVY DUTY tie rod (bent it the first weekend i had it) but u can have it if u want? it is COME ALLOY!!!!! HARDCORE!!!:confused:

stoney

[WHEEL'er-DLR]

hi-steer should always be the goal....but sometimes not cost prohibitive at the time...:( that's why we drive these things..to continue to justify our next mod.:) do what's best for you now...jeep mods are alot like technology...once you upgrade there'll be something new to come out.........CONCLUSION: just wheel and have fun...take extra parts in the meantime :D

[seanR]

I have bent steering parts in the past also. I just replace them with stock parts, the cheaper the better, that way it acts like a "fuse". It will bend or break so something more expensive or dificult to fix wont break. Just my two cents.

[ChuckD]

Bronco, just go to one of the yards and pickup yourself a couple oem links. Get the drag link to, both the tie rod and the drag ink bent on mine. Just be sure to bring a $10 TRE puller, it pops them out really nice. I want to do a fancy steering up grade to, but I think I'll just have to live with the OEM setup to.

Here's a link to TAPCo,

http://www.tapcointernational.com/store/

So far they have been the cheapest on steering linkages.

[Lucas]

I keep bending tie rods too! I now have a factory skid so helpfully it won't be such a common problem. There is a new product called the alumaflex tie rod (or something like that) that will deflect something like six or seven inches without damage. It just flexes out, then return to its original shape. I don't know the price, but its gotta be cheaper than converting to hi-steer.

[Bronco]

Now that sounds like a solution. Now that you mention it I’ve read about that. Anyone have a link? Thank for all the info everyone.

[Bronco]

I found it http://www.macromotive.com/shopping/goShopping.cfm?sid=B4EEDE5C7C4E473788CBC0A16F860D3 9&tag=4.2.11.0.3572.22780#Notes I just ordered one of these!! I’ll let you know how it works.

[WayneXJ]

alumiflex tierods suck. www.goferitoffroad.com has a nice beefy one.

[Bronco]

That’s not very helpful. Can you give me some real information about you experiences? Or tell me what others have said.

[rockwerks]

I bent the tie rod slightly last weekend. It goes up about 2in inn a nice arc, no hard bend. My questions are is it safe to keep running it after I straiten it and is there a way to pull it out with out taking it off. Ether way, anyone know a good way to straiten these things ether on or off the truck.

I bent mine on the 88 wihle running a clas 4.5 trail and we took it off teh truck bent it straight and sleeved it with a highlift handle...piece of 120 wall 1 1/4" tube...never had a problem again..matter of fact I greased the inside of the tube soit would rotate upon impact with rocks....kinda like a real wide wheel!

You can also replace the entire setup with v8 grand cherokee steering it is about 10% heavier than xj...I ran this setup for BOW two years ago without any problems

[Bronco]

I got the alumiwhatever on and it seams like it will work well. Bling Bling shiny.:rolleyes: I’ll let you know.
So xjnation what you doin’ for a jack handle?

[Lucas]

We need pics!!! (of it bending of course!!)

[Bronco]

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=9038
for trip pics

[Loose_Nuts_Enterprises]

Seems to me, if that aluminum tie rod flexes so much, it could start a mean shimmy on road. I'm trying my best not to mention D**th W**ble, LOL.

Dan

[Bronco]

I don’t think it will be a problem. Its not that it is all that flexible (It is a one inch thick solid aluminum rod) but that it had a high yield strength; that is to say that it CAN bend a long way without permanent deformation.
I had it up to 75 just now on some not so smooth freeway after having it realigned and I had no problem.
I may have to paint it though the glare from under there is blinding me. :D