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Some clarifications regarding steering components?

ZenDragon

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Phoenix, AZ
Just so you can get an idea regarding my mechanical knowledge, I came primarily from a tuner car background. Im not a mechanic by any means, but Ive done suspension installs on 350Zs and Sentra Spec-V's, a couple Eclipses, etc. None of which have a solid axle, and the only other truck I owned was a F150 which had used Torsion bar independent front suspension. So my knowledge of the steering and suspension components in a solid front axle is limited at best.

So I've started to collect parts for a build and I was in my local off road parts store asking about Tie Rods and became very confused as to his response. I said I needed a new Tie Rod per the recomendations of some folks here, and he looked confused as to what I was asking for. He insisted that the "Tie Rod" was just the things on the end. What I have otherwise seen referred to as the "Tie Rod Ends." He insisted that the bar, going across the axle in the front is called the drag link. But all the information I can find regarding this say that the bar coming down from the pitman arm is the Drag Link and that the bar coming across the axle is the Tie Rod. He seemed to get offended by my quetioning his knowledge, so I just bought what I needed, except the tie rod, and left.

The picture below (although for a TJ) seems to confirm my belief. But I dont want to go back in there asking about tie rods and end up with something Im not asking for. He was recommending what looked like this (http://www.currieenterprises.com/cestore/product.aspx?id=1219) which looks to me like a full replacement including both the "tie bar" and the drag link. So anyhow Im a little confused what I should be asking for. Can you all please clarify for me exactly what I need here?

tjsteering(1).jpg
 
You are correct, he doesn't know what the hell he's talking about.

Some tie rods (V8 ZJ tie rod for instance) have one of the tie rod ends built in. The stock XJ one is a tie rod with both tie rod ends replaceable.
 
You are correct, he doesn't know what the hell he's talking about.

I thought so haha! I told him that I everything I have seen has referred to the whole bar as the tie rod and he said "You can call it whatever you want, and I will call it what it is." Like who am I to question what he is saying just because he works there? lol Thank you for confirming that I am not an idiot. :)
 
There is much confusion about the drag link, tie rod end. Some catalogs list the whole drag link and built in TRE as the pasenger side TRE. I went through this a couple years ago before I knew that the drag link (built as it is) is in fact the "pitman arm to knuckle" TRE. All the other TRE's are the same, just a TRE.
 
"Drag Link"--attaches to pitman arm and "drags" the tie rod/knuckles to steer the vehicle. "Tie Rod" ties the two knuckles together. "TREs" or tie rod ends are replaceable pieces that can be found in a number of different places other than attached to a tie rod.
 
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