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Steering Shaft Brace? Looking for ideas for my steering problem.

andrew2516

NAXJA Forum User
Ok, I have a 2000 XJ running a 4 bolt YJ box with plates on both sides of the frame rails and a custom 4x4 front winch bumper. I'm also running 1 ton OTK steering and a straight track bar that is flipped to the top side of the axle.

My YJ box is less than a year old and is already clunking and the sector shaft that connects to the pitman arm has play in it.

I thought I seen a steering brace that had a bearing that slid onto the shaft and had a brace connecting to the passenger side frame rail...this would be very similar to the M.O.R.E. brace but instead of connecting to the box it connects to the shaft.

Anyone know of this brace?

If not does anyone know if they make a performance box for YJ's that has a bearing by the sector shaft instead of a bushing?

I already have the plates for the YJ box and my "frame" is drilled for the 4th hole so I would like to stay with the YJ setup.
 
I know the brace you are referring to.


They use a pillow block for that support. You remove the retaining nut, thread in the support .... and then bolt the block in place (which then is mated to the brace that goes to the frame rail). I have the link saved somewhere .... made primarily for Dodge pickups with the Cummins motor.



Without knowing your setup ... i don't know if that's going to solve your problem or not. You might have gotten hit with a bad rebuild for all I know.


Maybe in a few hours I'll look for that support ... shouldn't be too hard for you to replicate if you can see the pictures of it.



Joe
 
I have that steering box brace on my Dodge, and have wondered why nobody has built one for XJs, etc. It replaces the nut below the pitman arm with a threaded pilot. Several versions are out there, DSS, Thuren, etc. I do want to make one for my XJ.
 
steering box brace...

31Xc9gtr6jL._SS500_.jpg


sector shaft brace...

dss1.jpg
 
Most, if not all, performance steering boxes replace the bushing on the sector shaft with a bearing.

As far as the cool steering brace available for Dodges, a lot of us wish something like that was available for our Jeeps.
 
That brace is on a Dodge, not on the T and J site. The post above missed the content, T and J has a normal steering brace but not the cool one for the sector shaft.


The sector shaft on my buggy is loose now, and it's a well built box from Tommy Lee with a bearing instead of a bushing, and it's only 3 years old. I guess 40" stickies, 2 KOH races, and a whole bunch of pre-running and wheeling was too much for it. I need to figure out this sector shaft brace thing.
 
One thing about that brace is that very good frame stiffening would need to be done, or frame flex will just add more stress to the sector shaft. I guess a regular steering box brace and the sector shaft brace could tend to make them move together........something to think about.
 
That brace is on a Dodge, not on the T and J site. The post above missed the content, T and J has a normal steering brace but not the cool one for the sector shaft.

Sorry should have clarified.

I have the dodge sector shaft brace (called DSS) for my '01. Have yet to put it on, but due to the weight of the 5.9 on the front end of these trucks and the tendency to wear out the track bar ball joint (size of an XJ's) the sector shaft takes some serious abuse.

I agree with Goatman that something like this would be invaluable to XJs.

What if one designed it to use only one frame rail? Thus eliminating the need to consider frame flex. Sort of an L-shaped bracket grabbing the steering box bolts and turning 90* under the rail to grab the sector shaft with a similar bearing that the dodge setups use.
 
I think we are all in agreement about potential frame flex issues.


However, I would think at this point .... most of us (who need this) have already modified/stiffened their frame rails sufficiently.


Now, if I were to go put this on a "regular" XJ with 35s and a short arm lift ---- I'd be barking up the wrong tree.



Wonder if it's worth the effort to try it for my TechSnob project? Damn ... I need to get that SOB running first ! :rattle:
 
Wonder if it's worth the effort to try it for my TechSnob project? Damn ... I need to get that SOB running first ! :rattle:

I'd love to see it attempted!

If you're planning on keeping a box (whether assist or not) I would definitely try to incorporate it.

Any thoughts on making a bracket for just the one rail like I posted above? Would that at least elminate the need to consider frame flex?
 
I'd love to see it attempted!

If you're planning on keeping a box (whether assist or not) I would definitely try to incorporate it.

Any thoughts on making a bracket for just the one rail like I posted above? Would that at least elminate the need to consider frame flex?



My thoughts were somewhat similar to Rich's. Tie the box and the shaft together with the same brace. Think almost like a radius arm (in terms of looks/design).


I think a single side mount would put a lot more stress on the box bolts (particularly if you kept the 3 bolt box). Off the top of my head ... if you have sufficient stiffening on both rails .... you shouldn't need to wrap around to the outside of the driverside rail.



Thanks .... now you've got me looking into this instead of finishing some other project on my truck. :D



Joe
 
sounds like a good product for some of our sponsors to think about making....
 
My thoughts were somewhat similar to Rich's. Tie the box and the shaft together with the same brace. Think almost like a radius arm (in terms of looks/design).


I think a single side mount would put a lot more stress on the box bolts (particularly if you kept the 3 bolt box). Off the top of my head ... if you have sufficient stiffening on both rails .... you shouldn't need to wrap around to the outside of the driverside rail.



Thanks .... now you've got me looking into this instead of finishing some other project on my truck. :D



Joe

That probably makes more sense.

Definitely keep us posted with what you come up with!
 
I'm glad to see I'm not the only one who would benefit from something like this. I'm thinking about tossing a YJ performance box in there but I'm sure it will just be a matter of time before the bearings wear out.

These box's are just not ment to be turning 36"+ tires in the woods, streets, or on the trail where traction is high.

I'm sure someone would make a killing on designing this for the XJ.



It might even be easier to brace the sector shaft off of something like the steel spacer/brace that I used to mount this YJ box. This way you won't have to connect both frame rails and the sector shaft would move perfectly with the box instead of fighting the internals if the "frame" flexes slightly in the front. This would also make it easier for less reniforced rigs to use this setup.
 
bringing this back from the dead because i was doing some research and came upon this

BD Diesel hardware kit... #1302000
0000341.jpg


Using that you could fab any sort of brace you wanted
 
All you'd really need is the pitman nut with the pilot on it. Common nuts & bolts, and that bearing block should be available at any decent farm supply or bearing supply.

I've been thinking for about 5 years that I want to build something like that for my XJ, ever since I put one on the CTD.
 
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