• Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

steering mods for 6.5" lift?

F

fuzzydog

NAXJA Forum User
Location
BC Canada
soon, very soon, now it will all come together......

my victim is a 1990 XJ ltd
scheduled surgery is a disc 8.8 with 4.10 and LSD, 4.10s in the D30 up front, RE SYE on the NP242, cv rear shaft, rusty's 6.5" long arm lift.
I have brake lines, etc factored in but I'm wondering about steering....

Anyone who has gone with about 6.5" lift, did you need to do anything to keep it well behaved on the road?

This isn't going to be a DD (the Audi is better for that), but I will be taking holidays with it and that could see lots of highway driving.

Any input is greatly appreciated
 
Stock steering doesnt work great at 6.5" of lift, *especially* for a trail rig. Your draglink tre's will be mixed out almost at ride height, and passenger side droop will tear through them.

Look at doing a WJ setup or one ton style steering (parts mike or JCR) using chevy high misalignment ends at the pitman arm.
 
Over the knuckle conversion puts it up 3.5" and then I would use a ZJ pitman arm for another inch and be done
 
Is a 'wj setup' as simple as taking the knuckles off a WJ and transplanting them onto my XJ or is there total custom machining involved?

ZacSquatch - can you give me more info on the 'over the knuckle conversion' or can you point me to a website with details?

Thanks
 
It's more complicated than that, but not super hard.

You need to put the WJ knuckles on - they bolt on. They need to have a quarter inch spacer welded on where the unit bearing bolts on to space the bearings out right. You typically want to flip the steering over the knuckle at the same time, which will require some weld-in inserts for the tie rod ends. The 'fab' parts are for sale at jksmfg.com, and only take 2 hours or so of a professional welders time to do.

You need to change your trackbar to keep the angles right not to get bumpsteer.

The end result will look like this:

steering.jpg
 
right! - now I remember reading about the weld in inserts - if I understand this correctly it switches the taper in the ball joint holes so that the ball joints can now go in from above...correct? I can see where this will raise the tie rod consdierably.

So i should get some WJ knuckles (not ZJ?), and may as well have the inserts welded in while they are off the vehicle. 1/4 inch spacers for the bearings and I'm good to go.

i already have an adjustable track bar to go with the 6.5 LA lift.

Thanks for the info guys - really appreciate your help.
 
Look at the picture above, your trackbar isn't going to work. You need to move the axle end mount to be the same height as the steering arm.

You will also need to buy a tie rod and draglink, and ends. You'll need to get WJ rotors and have them re-drilled 5x4x5, WJ calipers and brackets too.. And will have to run 2000+ XJ/TJ unit bearings. Basically figure on having to replace everything on your steering/trackbar/knuckle/wheel assembly.
 
Why is it necessary to switch to WJ knuckles? Why cant you just use the stock knuckles and weld in the piece for the over the knucke steering with upgraded steering parts?
 
Stock knuckles use one steering arm on each side, and "inverted Y" steering. WJ knuckles use two steering arms on the passenger side and "crossover" steering. Look at the steering in that picture above and then at your steering.
 
There are a lot of options instead of using the WJ knucles, they are just the new rave. Lots of companies make an over the knuckle kit. I have 8 inches of lift, used goferitoffraod tie rod flip inserts and the rustys off road tie rod conversion. It works great, only downfall was I had to cut off the steering stablizer, but its my DD and its not THAT bad. But my over the knuckle conversion only cost $220 for the tie rod conversion, i think $40 for the inserts, $20 for a drill bit (you have to drill the knuckles out to 3/4 inch) and a few cents worth of welding wire to make sure the inserts dont go anywhere. Not saying the way I went is the best way to go, but it is another option to the WJ knuckles. I can snap some pics for you tomorrow if ya want, let me know.
 
I have a over the knuckle set up for sale
it is a heim set up
drill out your knuckles and install the drag link and tie rod
also will need to move your axle end trac bar mount
I have the the trac bar as well
All this set up needs is a couple new heims and you are done
 
MrMom-if we were in the same country, I'd consider buying your stuff but I think shipping would kill the deal...

this is all really good info - esp the 'true life' tales of what some of you have done. I've got a good set of tools and some mechanical aptitude so I'm thinking of making my own system from junkyard and some new parts - my template will be the JCRoffroad 1 ton setup, but I'll do an OTK flip while I'm at it.

might just get some cheap junkyard parts for mock up and testing, then build the final product out of new parts for reliability.
 
I'd suggest not doing junkyard parts. You won't find good strong tube in the junkyard, and why mock up with used steering parts just to buy new, when mocking up with new causes no damage?

http://www.partsmike.com/old/tre_kit.htm

That has a list of the parts you use, finding some DOM tube and a tap should be easy.
 
you may be right and it might be a waste of time to mock up, but I'm thinking that I want to play with this a bit and get a few different sets of tres, etc and play around with them. by going with the junkyard parts I can get them cheap enough to make it worthwhile.
I guess, in a sense, I'm planning to reinvent someone else's wheel - not cuz there's anything wrong with their wheel, I just like doing it.

thanks for that partsmike link - definitely worth considering going with those
 
I wasn't trying to imply its a waste of time to mock up, more that it would be a waste of money to buy a few junkyard TRE's. You arent necesarily going to know what part #'s you get from the junkyard, and there is a particular reason those exact part numbers get used.

The 2027L for example, is used at the top of your draglink (at the pitman arm) because it has 30 degree's of movement to allow for your high lift, while other compatible TRE's may only move 18 or so degrees. That may not seem important to you now, but believe me it is .. more or less, i'm saying there is a reason "everyone" uses the same ends, and your going to save yourself a lot of headache in the end to use those for your mockup.
 
Does anyone know if the Currie steering for $399 is made up of the same TRE's as Mikes Parts?

On that same token, could you use the Mikes Parts TRE's and locate the remainder of the steering from say a wj or moog? Or find something as heavy as the currie without buying DOM and theading it yourself.
 
Currie makes their own TRE's. They are strong and do not require reeming, but you can't get them at any old parts store - which is the beauty of the jcr/parts mike steering.. if you need a tie rod end on a saturday, any local napa/autozone/checker has the part. Stopping by your local neighborhood currie on sunday morning doesn't really work - not even for me, and i live 4 blocks from currie.

You won't get steering as strong as that like parts mike without getting dome and threading it, or having it threaded before being shipped to you.

Really, if there was a cheaper and easier way to get good, strong, easy to find parts .. we'd tell you.
 
Interesting...I did not know that..

The Currie stuff has me interested but i'm kind of liking the idea of the Mikes Parts idea. So, does the Currie TRE have the higher anlge like it was described above, 30 vs 18 or whatever it really is so it wil allow for better flex?

What do you think about the idea of buying the DOM tubing in like 1.5 .250 from say poison spyder in any length or so on and either having it threaded or go down to the local Home Depot and having them thread it for you. I can see a pretty nice steering set up for less than $230.00
 
The currie stuff does not have that high movement.

You won't save that much money buying DOM and having it threaded. I paid $91 shipped for my draglink, cut and threaded (1.25x.291") and $103 shipped for my tie rod (1.25x.250"). I'm not saying dont build it yourself, by all means, look at the picture - its pretty easy, you have the part numbers .. but don't expect to save a big wad either. It's cheaper to get the parts "mass produced" than it is to do it yourself.
 
I'm not trying to save money.. If I was i'd buy Rusty's stuff LOL...Anyway, I can buy DOM from Poison Spyder in lengths of 2,3,4,5,6 ft lenghts 5-6 foot lenghts are only $44-$52. I'll cut itmyself and have it threaded at home depot in the pipe dept.

Thanks for the eye opener though! Without the TRE information you provided, I would have just bought Currie's stuff and now we all have another option if so inclined.

I do have a question though...So I understand correctly, with the Chevy TRE's we are only reaming the taper out to fit the new tre's right? And what about the the pitman arm hole does that need to be done as well?
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

R
Going from 6.5" lift down to 4-4.5
Replies
3
Views
3K
Evan03
E
PhillyPhanInDC
2000 XJ For Sale
Replies
2
Views
2K
PhillyPhanInDC
PhillyPhanInDC
X
2001 Jeep Cherokee w 6.5" long arm lift
Replies
0
Views
290
xj_bill
X
X
2001 Jeep Cherokee w 6.5" long arm lift
Replies
0
Views
631
xj_bill
X
racer32
98 XJ - 5.3 LS Lots of other mods
Replies
2
Views
2K
racer32
racer32
Back
Top