OTK 1 Ton Y-Steering?

Inverted T sucks on a DD... we know this, the spacer is a band aid fix. So... I hummed and hawed about what to do for my steering set up, I thought about Heims but I can't make them last with our Canadian weather and road salt corrosion - heim boots were an option in my mind but I've since scratched that idea... now I have a new one:

Ok so I got looking at JCR's steering because I want to use the same TRE's for strength and this is what I have come up with



Part# es2233L
I want to run the drag link to it from the pitman arm, than I want to taper the TRE es2233L to accept es2026R - which will than have the corresponding tie rod running to the drivers side knuckle

I realize I lose one benefit of the inverted T steering - my toe will change as the suspension cycles throughout it's arc of travel but I think that a greater benefit is not having that dead spot in my steering...

Suggestions? Opinions? The good news is that if it turns out to be the suck... I still have good TRE's to use for OTK inverted T

Not many people have done this mod... I've seen Goatman's version with heims which gave me the idea... I'm kind of assuming there is a reason why this isn't done often but I guess I'm not seeing it.

No reason it won't work, and I understand the issues with heim joints in your climate. Obviously, the thing to check out is if there is enough movement in that joint so it won't bottom out, but it's not much different than the stock drag link. You could put it in a small press and make a slight bend in it if needed, between the two TRE's.

Plenty of guys have run that particular end in an inverted T configuration. It has a tendancy to bend in rock crawling envirenments, but that's as part of the tie rod, in your situation the tie rod could twist a little before that part would bend so that probably wouldn't be an issue.

Definitely worth a try. I like inverted Y steering. I also like inverted T when it's done right, but the angles need to be close to flat. I run both, T on the XJ and Y on the buggy. Niether have a dead spot. Interestingly, I also have both on my F250 and F350, Y on the F250 and T on the F350. Every time I drive the 350 after driving the 250 when I first drive off I feel the dead spot. Of course, after driving a mile or so I don't notice it anymore, but it makes we want to make my own steering links for my F350.

*resurrecting from the dead*

So does anyone run a setup like this? I have the DIY ruff stuff y link kit but do not want tie rod roll with the T type setup, so I'm looking into other options.

It would be OTK, 1 ton with no tie rod roll...



Possible problem I see is the amount of travel at the passenger Tie rod end due to it being at an angle in its static location. I could also run a drop pittman arm to lessen the angle but not sure how much I will need.

Jeep is on 4.5 inches on 35s.

get a picture of how the currie setup works. note the bend in the shank of the joint body so that it sits neutral even though the drag link is at an angle thats what allows droop.

the other problem you are going to run into is tie-rod clearance on the diff cover, springs, and sway bar mounts.

I have plans to do the same thing except I will only go OTK on the driver side . My plan is to use only the ES2234 R and L on the tie rod and the ES2027 R and L on the drag link. The drag link and tie rod tubing will have to be custom lengths (for me that is).

The ES2233L were designed as an attachment point for the steering damper. IMHO, reaming it to accept the larger diameter of the tie rod weakens it. However, many on here as well as on other forums have been using it successfully. I will have something custom made in place of the ES2233. I may not be doing anything for some time to come. The XJ have been driven less than 100 miles per month for 6 years. The entire front end including the D30 need to rebuild i.e. regear, ball joints, tie rod ends are just a few things that need to be done.

I see no reason why it will not work as good as or better than the XJ OEM supplied unit. Go ahead and do it. Let us know how it turn out.

if you don't want tierod roll buy the spacers from JCR and use them, at 4.5 inches of lift I run this basic setup and have NO issues at all, being taller i could see an issues arise but you should be fine.