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ZJ Steering Upgrade Help.....

V

vortex

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Chehalis, Wa
So i search around but came up empty...

I have some serious death wobble at speeds over 45MPH.

I had planned on doing the V8 ZJ steering swap.

But im not sure what all it involves, Do i just drop the whole ZJ steering setup and swap it into my jeep (BTW its an '89 4L 4.5" 33's). There are several ZJs at the local u Pick-A-Part.

I am currently running completely stock steering and custom LCAs (which was a horrible idea) i will be swapping SuperFlex LCAs when i do the steering swap.

So if you guys could fill me in on a few things,

What year of ZJ do i want?
Can i swap the whole steering setup?
anything else i should know about?
 
Any year ZJ will do as long as it is the V8. The drag links are the same between V8 ZJ and XJ, but the tie rod (the one going from 1st rod to knuckle) is different. If the junkyard parts have lower mileage, though, why not get the whole setup?
Yes, you just bolt it all together & check your alignment. Correct toe as necessary.

You should know that your DW might not be cured by this swap, so count on spending some time under the jeep with a flashlight, a torque wrench and an assistant turning the steerng back and forth. Assume nothing. Suspect everything. Play, in any joint or bushing, is to be eliminated.
 
nope i put a V8 zj tie rod on my 89 xj it goes on with no modifications at all just make sure not to use a pickle fork to separate any tierod ends you plan to keep lol u can get a loaner tre tool at ur local autozone or buy a cheap one at harbor freight and it just presses them out and doesnt kill them
 
So another thing im curious about is do i just swap the drag link or can i also throw on the the track bar as well as the the tie rod?

And is the track bar on the ZJ longer that the one on the XJ?
 
Stock Trackbar is not adjustable. SO for lift, definitely get an adjustable track bar. Have you adjusted your toe after your lift? Most likely your problem.
Unless you get it for cheap with good rod ends, I recommend picking up the ironman4x4fab tie rod/TREs

As far as TRE removal for tie rod I loosened castle nuts so they were flush with end of the TRE and hit em with a hammer.
 
I don't like hitting the castle nut with a hammer. I have never had a problem getting tierods off with a few good wacks to the steering knuckle where the rod end bolts too. And a few good wacks to the tie rod where the drag link connects to it. They have always popped right out for me.
 
go1lum said:
I don't like hitting the castle nut with a hammer. I have never had a problem getting tierods off with a few good wacks to the steering knuckle where the rod end bolts too. And a few good wacks to the tie rod where the drag link connects to it. They have always popped right out for me.
Click to expand...

x2 I will only hit them lightly with a hammer, I'd rather mangle the dustboots with a pickle fork then screw up the threads.
 
V8 ZJ tie rod is an upgrade for all years of XJ, and as noted the ZJ drag link is an upgrade for RENIX XJs.

As for popping TREs out of things, I hate hitting the castle nut with a hammer too, shredded one and boogered up the TRE threads doing that. I've done a bunch of em by using the rounded butt end of my 3/8" craftsman ratchet as a large punch though, just remove the nut completely, set the ratchet handle on the TRE stud end, and whack the other end of the ratchet with a BFH.
 
Excellent response guys!

Also on the track bar, I have a lot f "Side to Side" movement. My thinking was bad bushings in the Track bar, But in theory i have steering slop so that would contribute, Correct?
 
Also as i was removing the tie rod and the drag link i noticed that the stock steering stabilizer had a lot of play on the axle end. Is this okay or do i need to replace this? Do i even need a stabilizer?
 
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