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ouch sound

beakie

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Ontario, Canada
so after a trail ride I noticed I bent the stock tie rod right at the driver side TRE. Although I haven't taken it off to see, I would assume the TRE's are screwed, atleast the one at the bend.
I have called around looking for the V8 Grand Cherokee tie rod to replace this one, those few places don't want to sell a used tie rod, even tho I tell them its for a trail rig (althought its mostly DD, I do trail ride whenever I can), more on this later.

So onto the sound,

Now I am getting a 'clunk' whenever I hit a stiff pot hole, not much when I hit a bump, but divits make it bad.
Turning corners the steering wheel hesitates moving back to center, as if the stabilizer (new skyjacker) 'moves pauses moves pauses' but rapidly. Its enuf that I can feel the wheel 'turn stop turn stop' not so much as to effect steering, just enuf to bother me.

Now the bent tie rod has been like this for a week, I know I should replace this ASAP, but I am wondering if tracking down a grand cherokee tie rod is the way togo, or order a new HD one online is the way to go? or spend the extra now on a replacement steering system like rusty's or bulletproof?

I put this in OEM since its a stock tie rod, if it should be in Mod sorry.

any ideas on the sound, steering pause, or replacement part?

97 w/31's
3", HDtrac bar, mount & frame brace, steering box brace, lca's... from Rusty's
everything else is stock
 
Well, On my rig I had a bent tierod which was bad enough to cause some serious deathwobble. It was certainly making some noise on bumps, but I can't say for certain if it was the tie rod or not, since the DW effectively covered any other noise the truck was making. In my case, I went down to the local pick and pull and grabbed a new tie rod and ends of another XJ for $15 and all is well. the steering still creaks and groans a little but nothing serious. I could be wrong, but I think that steering pause could be related to the tie rod since I think that the self centering is at least partially due to the toe setting and as I know well, a bent tie rod will knock your toe all out of whack.

Hope this helps some,

Pat
 
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