drag link binding and steering issues

First off I've searched and have only found one thread with a similiar problem, but not much help. I brought my jeep to get aligned today and found out I needed to replace my balljoints and both hubs. The shop did a quick toe in for me and I brought it home and started on the front end. I noticed that where the drag link and the tie rod connect is hitting the disco mount when turned to the right. Right now I'm at about 6.5" with 33's and I'm thinking i might need a drop pitman arm. My trac bar is a new replacement from RC with maybe 100 miles on it so I don't want to get a new drop trac bar if i don't have too. Also it drives pretty terrible right now a lot of bump steer and it feels like the wheels are fighting each other. Any input would be nice.
thanks Ryan

duel stablizers and stock tie rod end...neat


Your angles are almost spot on, a drop arm will probably hurt more then help, bad ball joints and hubs will make it feel awful, also whats your caster at? I would do some searching on checking hubs, ball joints, and tie rod ends before you replace them all, fix whats wore out then do a driveway alignment...

DIY alignment
http://www.go.jeep-xj.info/HowtoAlignment.htm

When it comes to steering components, if i have the money there when one things wears out, i replace it all. Chances are the rest isnt far behind, and why have to align it multiple times?

id suspect the dual stabalizer was someones attempt to fix the wandering.


wheel bearings and BJs are the first priority if they are indeed bad as the shop says...

in the process, check TREs and bushings, also axle shaft Ujoints. when aligning, be sure to check castor.

After I got done doing my lift the other day my linkage was doing the same thing. My main problem was the tracbar length It was off by 3/4". After I fixed that, the problem went away. It is still close may bend the pin that goes through the quick disco so I rotated it to horizontally. Caster/pinion angle may affect it slightly maybe??

Though I have a drop pitman arm and the RE drop tracbar and bracket soo who is to say. My thought the other day was chop it off weld a new one out of the way.

Most of the time when the tie rod hits the track bar mount like that it's from the drag link being slightly bent in from trail damage. Just hook a winch or something (strap) to it and pull it out slightly. Or, the castor can be too far off and the drag link is slightly closer to the axle bracket.

I'd consider getting help from a friend and pull the drag link out slightly.

Royal_Highness said:

My thought the other day was chop it off weld a new one out of the way.

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I was thinking that too I hardly ever connect my sway bar anyway. I replaced both hubs and all 4 ball joints yesterday when I got home TRE and bushings all seem fine. Castor's a little off but I'm going to go long arm in the fall. I'm mostly worried about where the tie rod is hitting the disco mount, any chance a dpa would help?

Goatman said:

Most of the time when the tie rod hits the track bar mount like that it's from the drag link being slightly bent in from trail damage. Just hook a winch or something (strap) to it and pull it out slightly. Or, the castor can be too far off and the drag link is slightly closer to the axle bracket.

I'd consider getting help from a friend and pull the drag link out slightly.

Click to expand...

ok thanks i'll give it a shot when i get out of work.

measured my castor today and it was -2*, adjusted my lowers and ended up with 6* drives great and no more binding with the discos unhooked. The tie rod still binds with the sway bar hooked up but I think a dpa and drop trac bar are in my future, hope this helps someone else.

ryan2035 said:

measured my castor today and it was -2*, adjusted my lowers and ended up with 6* drives great and no more binding with the discos unhooked. The tie rod still binds with the sway bar hooked up but I think a dpa and drop trac bar are in my future, hope this helps someone else.

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I had 6* of caster before I am at 1.5* now because of pinion angle. I just dropped couple hundred to get my shafts rebuilt. I wasn't going to run that bad of an angle again and screw the drive line cv joint up. If your shaft always rotates while your are driving. That may be something you may want to look into.

I had that same issue. All I did was cut off the sway bar mounts and add a piece of 3/8x1 flat bar 2in long to raise them up and out of the way. And when my buddy ran into the same issue we did the same to his. Both took less than an hour.

Bill