SoCal! It's about time for some steering, help me choose!

[crazyjim]

So I've decided I need to do something about my steering, my TRE's are worn and making a sh*tty noise when I turn, and today's shenanigans didn't help them out at all.

So my question. What do I do? Who's steering do I run? Who's is the best price for the quality?

I've heard JCR has a pretty bad dead spot in the steering, that's the last thing I want, but quite a few people run it. I've also heard currie is weaker than most others.

So what about the JCR steering makes it have a dead spot?

If I were to build steering what should I watch out for?

[swbooking]

I have JCR's OTK and its just fine. I dont really feel a dead spot like Ive heard about before. If anything its too minimal for me to care enough. Its a Jeep, its not supposed to have the steering tolerances of an F1.

Compared to stock steering which I had before, this is ridiculously better.

my .02

Just FYI, I also went to running an OTA Trac-bar bracket from JKS at the same time I did the steering swap...

[GrimmJeeper]

jim, for how you want to run your rig it would be best to ask this question on www.jeepspeed.org (http://www.jeepspeed.org) or lurk over there and see what the racers are running.

[silverslk]

jim, for how you want to run your rig it would be best to ask this question on www.jeepspeed.org (http://www.jeepspeed.org) or lurk over there and see what the racers are running.


X2

And check into track bars after seeing your track bar bind up so early this weekend.

[crazyjim]

Cool, thanks guys, I'll go check it out over there.

[RWKHausSupply]

its funny to hear all the neg about currie steering. I ran thiers on my TJ and beat the crap outa it for about 3 yrs hard, then had it on my XJ up till the ironjock front end swap and never once in either application or my buddys that run it, did it bend more then about 1/4" in teh dead center of the tie rod. thats not enough for me to ever be concerned. For the money, ease of fit, and close proximity to replacment ends (only down fall is that they are proprietary ends) it just makes sence I think for 90% of all Jeep XJ/TJ owners.

If it were me with your set up, I would do currie and then slice a tube of chrom tube and sleeve the tie rod with it leaving the area just in front of the diff bare currie. that will significantly improve any TR chance of bending. But thats just me.

Or whait till you get a D44 front and then do some flat tops.

[tcm glx]

Cool, thanks guys, I'll go check it out over there.


Jim, Currie steering never did me wrong, worked perfectly well for over 3 years. Second alternative (and what I would do now if I could do it over again), call Billy up. He just did a setup for Craig, and it looks freakin nice, all DOM, extremely beefy, and allows for a ton of articulation.

We had a setup almost identical to what Billy did on our the Jeepspeed rig.

[djblade311]

After running the JCR 1 ton setup, I wouldnt run JCR UTK at all anymore. OTK on this setup should allow for longer life span for the TREs and reduce the TRE rolling which causes the deadspot.

Remember, no steering is unbendable or unbreakable. Checkout the Toys by troy (Kyung runs it), PhatJeeps (Rick - Jumpthis runs it) or Currie setups

[RWKHausSupply]

Jim, Currie steering never did me wrong, worked perfectly well for over 3 years. Second alternative (and what I would do now if I could do it over again), call Billy up. He just did a setup for Craig, and it looks freakin nice, all DOM, extremely beefy, and allows for a ton of articulation.

We had a setup almost identical to what Billy did on our the Jeepspeed rig.

I agree with that style being nice (cross over with TR on bottom and DL on top of the stock knuckle. But if its abused and jumped, theres some extra risk involved. Are they to be concerning prolly not. But your dealing with a single shear and then on the single sheer drilled out mounting location of the stock kunckle you also have opposing forces, top and bottom. all this with a 9/16 or 3/4" bolt that is 4" long. Just not safe for speedy Abuse in my opinion. Now in a crawler, its prolly less intense and nothign to worry about. If the knuckle was better matieral or thicker then I would would not even imagine it being a issue at any speed and punishment. just my .02

[Kejtar]

I'll cut you a deal on JCR style setup ;) It'll come with my old TRE's and I'm pretty sure I have a brand new set of all of the TRE's to go with it.

Was it bad? nope... but IMHO it wore out the TRE's too fast. Also even with the spacers it's still a bit loose.

What do I run now? Heims and the tierod underneath the knuckle and the draglink above. So far I love it: feels nice and crips.

[crazyjim]

I'll cut you a deal on JCR style setup ;) It'll come with my old TRE's and I'm pretty sure I have a brand new set of all of the TRE's to go with it.

Was it bad? nope... but IMHO it wore out the TRE's too fast. Also even with the spacers it's still a bit loose.

What do I run now? Heims and the tierod underneath the knuckle and the draglink above. So far I love it: feels nice and crips.
What kinda deal? Pm me :D

[djblade311]

So far I love it: feels nice and crips.

so if you are part of the bloods or Latin kings, you wouldnt like your current setup?

[swbooking]

so if you are part of the bloods or Latin kings, you wouldnt like your current setup?
:roflmao:

[NRT_Chris]

If you get the steering from Currie, Ill get you a discount on some "real" upper control arms :)

[jeeperjohn]

Jim, I'm running "bulletproof" draglink and tie rod and I am very happy with it. It is strong enough to jack the jeep up with if necessary. It is a bit of work to install but if you get the tie rod with the bent ends it should be an easy install. The price is kinda high compared to others but I will not be replacing any parts anytime soon.

[crazyjim]

If you get the steering from Currie, Ill get you a discount on some "real" upper control arms :)

Yea yea I know I need new UCA's :laugh3:

Jim, I'm running "bulletproof" draglink and tie rod and I am very happy with it. It is strong enough to jack the jeep up with if necessary. It is a bit of work to install but if you get the tie rod with the bent ends it should be an easy install. The price is kinda high compared to others but I will not be replacing any parts anytime soon.

What's this? Never heard of it?

[jeeperjohn]

Yea yea I know I need new UCA's :laugh3:



What's this? Never heard of it?
http://bulletproofsteering.com/

[mikedashg]

I've also heard currie is weaker than most others.


The Currie tie rod is 1.25" 4130 Chromolly, the JCR is 1.25" DOM.

I have the Currie, but I didn't really have a choice at the time. It was really the only aftermarket steering for the XJ at the time.

The real down side is supposedly you have to get the ends from Currie. And they aren't cheap.

http://www.currieenterprises.com/CESTORE/product.aspx?id=1221

[ocean_jet]

Jim, I'm running "bulletproof" draglink and tie rod and I am very happy with it. It is strong enough to jack the jeep up with if necessary.


x2.

Had my entire front end jacked up on the tie-rod recently (not smart... but I was in a pinch). It flexed... but returned to straight when I let it down.


The low end kit is comprably priced to JCR. The basic UTK was $329. JCR is around the same price I think.

[crazyjim]

Well, I've got two deals in the works, one RHD ZJ OTK setup, and the other a UTK JCR setup.

I REALLY don't know what to do, the JCR scares me a little bit.

[Ryno XJ]

Well, I've got two deals in the works, one RHD ZJ OTK setup, and the other a UTK JCR setup.

I REALLY don't know what to do, the JCR scares me a little bit.


Sounds like you already answered your own question.:roflmao:

[crazyjim]

Sounds like you already answered your own question.:roflmao:
Except the numerous people I've asked about which they would go with, said JCR. BTW, you busy tomorrow? I might swing by!

[silverslk]

Except the numerous people I've asked about which they would go with, said JCR. BTW, you busy tomorrow? I might swing by!

You gonna take the LCA's to John too?

[Ryno XJ]

Except the numerous people I've asked about which they would go with, said JCR. BTW, you busy tomorrow? I might swing by!


Yeah, I should be around.

[crazyjim]

You gonna take the LCA's to John too?
Already spoke with him about that.

[88trailcrawler]

how come when I am shopping for steering, I hear nothing but good stuff about the JCR set up. Then AFTER I install it I come across this tread.

I am experiencing the tie-rod roll. Makes for crappy thump sound when standing still and turning the wheel back and forth....maybe a bit of a soft spot noticable on-road but nothing noticable on the trail and it is beefy.

What sold me is the off the shelf TRE's...just in case.

The flat spot would probably be a big issue for a jeep speed build...which I am not.

[Kejtar]

how come when I am shopping for steering, I hear nothing but good stuff about the JCR set up. Then AFTER I install it I come across this tread.

I am experiencing the tie-rod roll. Makes for crappy thump sound when standing still and turning the wheel back and forth....maybe a bit of a soft spot noticable on-road but nothing noticable on the trail and it is beefy.

What sold me is the off the shelf TRE's...just in case.

The flat spot would probably be a big issue for a jeep speed build...which I am not.

do you have one poly spacer or two? if you have one, get a second one of the other end of the TRE and it will improve things if you got two... it's as good as it gets ;)

[GrimmJeeper]

can someone get me one of these "currie only" TREs? i can go through the book at work and see if they match up to anything.... i doubt they went through the hassle of making thier own TREs, maybe they are just being tight with the part number :dunno:

[Ryno XJ]

can someone get me one of these "currie only" TREs? i can go through the book at work and see if they match up to anything.... i doubt they went through the hassle of making thier own TREs, maybe they are just being tight with the part number :dunno:

I'll try to get a # tomorrow.

[GrimmJeeper]

I'll try to get a # tomorrow.
im betting they are not letting thier part numbers be interchanged, i need an actual TRE to measure the threads and the length across all the axis of the part. :cheers:

[Russ Pottenger]

Mike,
I got the Currie steering kit sitting on the floor in my shop. If nobody comes up with anything, PM your addy, and will UPS it to ya.

[crazyjim]

Mike,
I got the Currie steering kit sitting on the floor in my shop. If nobody comes up with anything, PM your addy, and will UPS it to ya.
Then you could UPS it to me afterward :D

[GrimmJeeper]

Mike,
I got the Currie steering kit sitting on the floor in my shop. If nobody comes up with anything, PM your addy, and will UPS it to ya.
thanks for the offer Russ, i just need the ends, not the whole setup. im sure the long drag link is currie only, but the rest of the TREs probably match up with something OEM.

[Russ Pottenger]

thanks for the offer Russ, i just need the ends, not the whole setup. im sure the long drag link is currie only, but the rest of the TREs probably match up with something OEM.

I assumed you just wanted to see the TRE.
I can box it up and ship it out.

[NRT_Chris]

Grimm; If I had the part numbers that crossed over to something you had I would give them to you. Currie did go through the hassle of coming up the there own ends. In the long run they can have them made to there spec cheaper then they can buy off the shelf rod ends. Thats what John Currie told me when i asked..

[Wiser]

if you want something better than stock but dont want to pay alot for steering. Get ZJ V8 steering from the Pick A Part. Tim, Dennis and I run it with no problems. Direct bolt up..

[silverslk]

if you want something better than stock but dont want to pay alot for steering. Get ZJ V8 steering from the Pick A Part. Tim, Dennis and I run it with no problems. Direct bolt up..

No offense Anthony. I believe he is looking for something a but beefier. Did you see his pics? I am sure he would like the wheels to stay straight after EVERY landing. haha

[Wiser]

No offense Anthony. I believe he is looking for something a but beefier. Did you see his pics? I am sure he would like the wheels to stay straight after EVERY landing. haha
no problem. the broke mofo i am, it suites me just fine. :D. In that case i hear the JCR Setup is sweet:guitar:

[silverslk]

no problem. the broke mofo i am, it suites me just fine. :D. In that case i hear the JCR Setup is sweet:guitar:

I hear you. I will be looking for the same setup as you (being broke). But just has no job and thats what I had when I did my long arms on my jeep. haha

[mikedashg]

Let us know Grimm what you find out. I'll have some old Currie ends maybe next month if ya need em, but it sounds like Russ is going to send some to you.

[GrimmJeeper]

Grimm; If I had the part numbers that crossed over to something you had I would give them to you. Currie did go through the hassle of coming up the there own ends. In the long run they can have them made to there spec cheaper then they can buy off the shelf rod ends. Thats what John Currie told me when i asked..
Well, that settles it, Chris works for em, he would know. :dunno:


thanks Chris. :D

[RWKHausSupply]

Well, that settles it, Chris works for em, he would know. :dunno:


thanks Chris. :D

Well anyone that seriously took the time and had the TRE's (expecially the Pitman arm TRE) would see they are specialty items. They have a offset to them in the end that angles the DL down towards the knuckle and the knucle end is vise versa. Not to mention the thread size and shaft sizes.

[RWKHausSupply]

Decent deal..
http://www.jeepsunlimited.com/forums/showthread.php?t=915676