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Ironman4x4fab steering box brace for XJ - works with C-ROK plates?

lordoeuf

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Vancouver Island
Does anybody know if the Ironman4x4fab steering box brace system will work on an XJ which has a C-ROK plated welded on? The C-ROK plate wraps under the unibody frame to grab those two sway bar mount holes. The C-ROK plate is around 3/16" thick.

The Ironman4x4fab brace bolts to the sway bar holes and will thus be 3/16" lower with the C-ROK plate installed. Photo of the Ironman4x4fab brace: https://ironman4x4fab.com/collections/steering/products/xj-steering-box-brace

So my first thought is that the brace will just sit 3/16" lower and be fine, but when I look at a photo of the unit installed (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dm7KeFwph2o&t=49s jump to 5:47) there is this little allen set screw on their bearing/shaft housing that looks like it will just miss the pitman shaft because of the thickness of the C-ROK plate.

Anyone install this brace system on an XJ with a C-ROK plate installed?

Apparently there are two revisions of this. The later revision allowed for some lateral play, e.g. due to bent frames, an offset steering gear box like a Durango, etc.

Thanks.
 
I haven't installed the Ironman unit, but I do have the Boostwerks Comp Mount which also accomplishes that sector shaft support.

I believe you should be able to use both, but you may need to shim the support bearing upwards by the 3/16" that you lost downwards. I would also recommend adding 3/16" of shim to the passenger side just to keep things square.

Hopefully that is simple and clear. If not, let me know and I will try to give a more detailed response.
 
Thanks for your response. Yeah, I've always had the 3/16" plate on the passenger side. C-ROK should have sold the kit with a PS plate.

Did you look at the photo at 5:47 on that youtube video? When I look at this photo, I don't see how I'd move that bearing with the allen set screw upwards any without lobbing off 3/16" from those two red pillars on either side of the pitman arm.
 
I see what you are talking about.

Yes, grinding 3/16" off of each of those pillars would be one way. I would be inclined to call Ironman and ask them if there would be any problem with inverting that pillow block. That might be an easy solution.
 
I had been in contact with Andy from Ironman4x4fab. He replied, "The clamps may not grab about 3/16" of the snout but it wont hurt
anything". I then replied to him that it looks like the allen set screw would be too low and asked if this would work. It has been nearly 4 days, and he hasn't replied again. This is why I started this thread.

If all I have to do is shorten those pillars by 3/16", that's easy enough. I wanted to clarify this to ensure that there won't be any other surprises once I purchase and deface the product.

Thanks.
 
I prefer to order products without any finish on them because I know I am going to have to alter something. Powder coating doesn't do well with welding after the fact.
 
Looking at that images from youtube video again, won't the ironman4x4 cross-member itself hit the pitman arm because it is sitting 3/16" lower? There's that large hole in the cross-member for the pitman arm to fit though, but now imagine that you drop it by another 3/16" - the pitman arm will rub all over the cross-member as you turn. In that youtube photo, it already looks like there is barely enough room. What do you think?
 
I have that Ironman bracket. It doesn't look like the one in the video anymore, there is much more space around the pitman arm now. Look at the bracket that you linked to in your original post above from the Ironman site.
 
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