OEM ZJ or the expensive route?

So I just picked up a cheap ZJ tierod for my XJ. I'd like to put heim joint ends on it and call it a day, but I keep seeing beefy tie rod kits from various aftermarket vendors. I'm curious if there is any tangible reason to spend $400 on an HD tie rod kit.

Another option is to do the WJ crossover conversion with knuckles and brakes, I suppose.

What do you think is going to be my best option? Oh yeah, XJ has a Rough Country 3'' series II lift and 31''s (but may go a bit bigger down the road).

Thanks guys

I am running a ZJ setup currently. I am at 5.5 inches of lift, soon to pass 6.
I orignally bought it as my stock TREs were all wore out and I bought the entire assembly for the same price as just the TREs.
My draglink is currently bend to crap from wheeling and I max out the draglink TREs easilly at fulldroop. If you can afford it, a good heavy duty steering system that gives more vertical range of motion is money well spent.

If you go for the ZJ setup be aware it only came on V8 ZJs. The I6 ZJs had exactly the same tie rod the XJ does.

I would probably go WJ before I'd spend a bundle on an aftermarket steering setup, but be aware it will cost you:
* 90 bucks for balljoints from alljeep.com
* 42 bucks for two unit bearing spacers from JKS
* whatever WJ knuckles, caliper brackets, TREs (get all 4), and calipers cost you
* 180 for new timken 99.5+ XJ unit bearings if your XJ is 99 or earlier (or junkyard em for ten bucks apiece if you're the betting sort)
* pads, rotors (redrill WJ ones)
* 210 for the drag link and tie rod from JKS with 2 sets of jam nuts (you could cut and sleeve the stock WJ stuff if you go that route... I got all the stock WJ parts for dirt cheap at the junkyard on all-you-can-carry day so I might try this first)

I am probably forgetting some things on the list... you get better brakes out of the deal as well, and you might need new balljoints and other wear items anyways (and can thus reason them out of the overall budget) but it's not a cheap swap. Figure $132 (JKS spacers + balljoints only) in new parts plus junkyard everything (even pads and rotors, and cut+sleeve the stock WJ steering linkages), I'd expect it to run at least 300-400 depending on your junkyard prices.

ok so u can use a v8 zj steering setup for an xj? is it the same dimension just beefier? also what is the drag link? ya im a noob. a little diagram or somethin would be cool. just so i can identify parts of the steering system.

the zj drag link is the same but the tierod is larger and solid instead of hollow like the xj one

Just did that swap last week.
Here's a link to a photo on Facebook Don't need to clutter up the thread with a useless pic, but if you want to see what it looks like:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=635587&l=e230896ccf&id=100000078979196

so all u do is just change the tie rod then? same tres?

If you can do it for cheap the V8 ZJ tie rod is the way to go. Otherwise you should be able to get a HDtie rod with beefier TREs for around 115$ I got the iroman4x4fab tie rod for 75$ and pair of TREs from the store are about 20$/ea
I do believe one of the currie hd setups is around 200-250$

im sorry i was asking if the zj tie rod ends work on the xj and etc... what im getting at is can i just go to the bone yard and get a zj tie rod and ends and slap them in my xj. if its that simple then thats what ill do. but i dont want to step bit or weld or anything like that.

The ZJ V-8 tie rod is a straight bolt in. No reaming, welding etc. It has larger dia. TREs, and a larger adjustment sleeve(it's the same sleeve that they use on the drag link) so you have to change it as an assembly, but the whole tie rod bolts in place of the stock tie rod with no other modification.

sweet. thanks for clearing it up for me burg