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V8 ZJ Tierod Upgrade

Yep, bringing up an old thread.
When flipping the drivers side TRE are there any clearance issues with the wheel or tire?
 
Damn those swaybar brackets, I really need to get a good welder.
 
thats what my concern was they looked to be the same size, and my thumping method wouldnt let me know if the stock one was hollow.

how do i adjust it. im pretty retarded. do i just install it and take it to get aligned or what?
 
im limited on tools and live in an apt complex and the weather here sucks lately. but i can go to the auto skills place on post and get help. i just dont know the best route. i prefer to be safe. and dont want my jeep to ride any worse than it already does.
 
The only time you need to "flip" meaning swapping ends on the zj tie rod, is if you are running drivers side otk. if running utk flipping it is not needed.and when running it otk and flipping it. tie rod will not hit sway bar brackets.
 
thunderkiss779246 said:
thats what my concern was they looked to be the same size, and my thumping method wouldnt let me know if the stock one was hollow.

how do i adjust it. im pretty retarded. do i just install it and take it to get aligned or what?
Click to expand...

you installed it by adjusting it the same length as the one you take out, then go and get it aligned as it sounds like you dont know how to adjust toe.

if you install it and its not close to the correct length, you might not make it to the alignment shop
 
thunderkiss779246 said:
thats what my concern was they looked to be the same size, and my thumping method wouldnt let me know if the stock one was hollow.

how do i adjust it. im pretty retarded. do i just install it and take it to get aligned or what?
Click to expand...
You can just jack the front up,with the wheels strait,tape measure across the front of the tires and the back of the tires and adjust the tie rod(toe adj.) so the two measurments are equal.This will at least get you down the road without destroying your tires to the alignment shop.You can also run a string from the rear tires up past the fronts and make them touch the front and rear of each tire on each side.#2 method is only good if you have an adjustable trak bar and is adjusted so your front axle is centered.
Thanks for all the info
Adjustment.jpg
,I'll be doing the upgrade soon too.
 
Last edited:
OK -
So, the TRE going from my new tie rod to the drag link is bad / spins when I try to put a nut on it.
How do I replace this part? I haven't messed with it a whole lot (bigger fish to fry at the moment) but even after scraping the grease & grime off it, I don't see any way to remove the bad end there...
 
either put pressure on it using a jack or by putting tension on it using a pickle fork.That will keep it from spinning....
BTW.Just because it spins doesn't mean its bad.
 
I'm gonna bring this one back again...

Shortly I'll be installing a RE SF 3.5" lift and running 32" KM2's. With this setup can I get a way with ONLY installing a ZJ tie rod without having ridiculous steering angles; or do I need to do the drag link also?

I'll be using my rig pretty vigerously as a wheeler rather than a DD so given that is this a wise upgrade for me or would I be better off going with something like JCR or Currie for steering?
 
I did this a while ago and went back to a regular XJ style steering setup with an RE solid tierod.

While the V8 ZJ stuff is solid and much larger, it's also pre-bent to clear the diff cover and that was the weak link for me. I got into some rocks and it folded like a taco far sooner than my stock tubular XJ tierod ever did.

While below the knuckle and stock steering is never going to be the answer for an XJ in the rocks, the ZJ setup didn't work either.

While it may be a cheap upgrade if you routinely taco tierods, you may still want to consider doing a 1 ton steering setup or something that is really more appropriate.
 
I totally see where you're coming from. Ideally I'd like to swap over to a HD steering setup of some kind, preferably OTK.

To tie me over until I do a full swap, will stock steering with the addition of a stronger tie rod suffice or will there be issues with improper angles?

In the short run, would I be better of with something like and RE or TNT tie rod than a ZJ tie rod?

Is what you said above what you're running on your current setup or have you since moved on?
 
uber xj said:
I totally see where you're coming from. Ideally I'd like to swap over to a HD steering setup of some kind, preferably OTK.

To tie me over until I do a full swap, will stock steering with the addition of a stronger tie rod suffice or will there be issues with improper angles?

In the short run, would I be better of with something like and RE or TNT tie rod than a ZJ tie rod?

Is what you said above what you're running on your current setup or have you since moved on?
Click to expand...


my 89 is at 4.5" of lift up front with the zj tie rod and the steering is just fine.

what year xj? i believe the draglink for the zj is the same as the xj from 1991 and up. the draglink from a zj is only an upgrade on the 84-90 xj's.

currie makes a beefier stock set up with better TRE angles. not sure if it can be run OTK though.
 
uber xj said:
In the short run, would I be better of with something like and RE or TNT tie rod than a ZJ tie rod?

Is what you said above what you're running on your current setup or have you since moved on?
Click to expand...

My rig is at about 5", maybe 5.5", and I'm running a stock draglink and an RE tierod. Stock steering has been generally fine for my setup with the exception of places like Johnson Valley. I'm not likely going to invest any more money in this rig as I'm going to begin a new build this summer.

As for your tierod question, I'm not sure I would spend any more money on stock style setups if you truly think you're going to upgrade to something far better later. Just save your money and buy the stuff you really need. In the meantime, just keep a spare draglink and tierod handy when you're wheeling.
 
89xj said:
my 89 is at 4.5" of lift up front with the zj tie rod and the steering is just fine.

what year xj? i believe the draglink for the zj is the same as the xj from 1991 and up. the draglink from a zj is only an upgrade on the 84-90 xj's.

currie makes a beefier stock set up with better TRE angles. not sure if it can be run OTK though.
Click to expand...

That's right, I remember reading that. I have a 99 so all I'd need is the tie rod. OTK will come when I do a full steering swap.


John90XJ said:
My rig is at about 5", maybe 5.5", and I'm running a stock draglink and an RE tierod. Stock steering has been generally fine for my setup with the exception of places like Johnson Valley. I'm not likely going to invest any more money in this rig as I'm going to begin a new build this summer.

As for your tierod question, I'm not sure I would spend any more money on stock style setups if you truly think you're going to upgrade to something far better later. Just save your money and buy the stuff you really need. In the meantime, just keep a spare draglink and tierod handy when you're wheeling.
Click to expand...

What about your current setup doesn't work at Johnson Valley but works elsewhere?

Like you said, I just need to save and get myself something that will last in the long run. 32's are only Stage 1 for me really; intend to go larger, 33s or above once I regear but that's down the road a ways. Getting a HD steering setup will only benefit me in the long run.

With your HD TR, are you running stock tie rod ends or something else; or does the HD TR come with new ends?
 
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