Stock TRE taper

Anyone know what the taper is on a stock TRE?

Reason I'm asking: Could you flip the drivers side TRE to the top of the knuckle if you ream it to match the taper on the stock TRE? If so, what taper is that? Would a 1/2"-1" reamer work? Not looking to use a Goferit here. Want to be able to run a stock TRE now and then later still be able to drill it out, ream it again and run a 1 ton set up.

No, you can't. In order to flip a TRE, you would have to run either a larger than stock TRE or a insertable bushing like the goferit.

Reason being of course is the underside will be flared out wide and if you reamed out from the top as well you'll have an hourglass sort of effect, which then you probably won't have a whole lot of material for the rod end to press into and hold it securely.

I saw inserts on a TJ site a while ago that got welded in for high steer. I can't remember the web site but they were pretty cheap.

Go-fer-it inserts are incredibly cheap. You could probably even get another set of XJ steering knuckles for cheap as well. How much are you looking at saving here?

I got 3 go-fer-it inserts for $49 shipped. I think each one is $24 shipped? That's pretty damn cheap.

If you need OTK on the driver's side right now, just buy the insert, drill it out, weld the insert in. When it comes time to do 1-ton, you can either grind out your welds and pound the insert back out or just pony up and get another set of steering knuckles from the JY. That way you can even take your time while still driving the XJ.

EDIT: Also just wanted to say that the guy at go-fer-it was AWESOME. He got them shipped out like an hour or two after I ordered them. He said if I didn't receive them in 3 days to call him back.

i just got off the phone with Rusty's. to create the upper taper, they say that you can rent a tie-rod taper-reamer from autozone. to prevent the hourglass-shaped hole, Rusty's has a shim insert that goes in the bottom.

i wonder which method is better: ream and plug, or goferit?

Depends upon the cost of the shim kit versus your ability to weld.

If the shim kit is reasonable and you can't weld, then I would be inclined to try it. Of course I would develop a regular schedule of checking it for any looseness that may develop.

Otherwise if you can weld, I would think the goferit may be a better longterm solution.