Steering conversion

[Sleezak]

Well the ol girl needs the front end done. Might as well upgrade. Has anyone done a crossover conversion? What kit is best? How about going high steer? Is this the time to be lifting? Gotta show some love to the best truck made! 

[Swampy]

Depends how much you want to spend and if you want to reem out the knuckles. I personally went with a v8 zj steering it has a solid tie rod unlike the hollow xj ones. It is like an oem+ upgrade. It bolts right up and parts can be had at the store. If 1 ton steering or the like is up your alley then someone else might have to chime in 

[Sleezak]

10 minutes ago, Swampy said:

Depends how much you want to spend and if you want to reem out the knuckles. I personally went with a v8 zj steering it has a solid tie rod unlike the hollow xj ones. It is like an oem+ upgrade. It bolts right up and parts can be had at the store. If 1 ton steering or the like is up your alley then someone else might have to chime in 

 

Is the ZJ steering still the “Y” link style??

[Swampy]

2 minutes ago, Sleezak said:

 

Is the ZJ steering still the “Y” link style??

Yes it is, where the tie bolts to the drag link and not all the way across to the other knuckle

[Jeep Driver]

10 minutes ago, Sleezak said:

 

Is the ZJ steering still the “Y” link style??

 

You need to study what others have done to gain crossover steering, consider the trade offs (steering geometry as it relates to the TB, and custom links),

 

I chose to stay with the Y configuration, not out of laziness, not because I'm cheap, but because I see no benefit. 

 

"Toe deflection' only occurs during extreme articulation, you will experience little to no deflection during normal road driving. 

 

[Sleezak]

17 minutes ago, Jeep Driver said:

 

You need to study what others have done to gain crossover steering, consider the trade offs (steering geometry as it relates to the TB, and custom links),

 

I chose to stay with the Y configuration, not out of laziness, not because I'm cheap, but because I see no benefit. 

 

"Toe deflection' only occurs during extreme articulation, you will experience little to no deflection during normal road driving. 

 

 

The y link seems to bother me most with bump steer. I realize part of my problem is just wore out parts. Perhaps new hardware will fix that particular problem. 

 

I do like swampys idea. Easy and cheap, while still an upgrade. 

[Minuit]

I think we need to go back a little bit. What are you using this truck for?  What are your plans?

[Sleezak]

8 minutes ago, Minuit said:

I think we need to go back a little bit. What are you using this truck for?  What are your plans?

 

Ha ha welllllll it’s just a daily. It really needs nothing more than what it came with when it was new. The jeeper inside screams to upgrade but honestly it doesn’t need it. I tend to take the “if I’m working on it , might as well make it better” approach. 

[Smokeyyank]

Solid tie rod along with stock goemetry is what If go with. WJ swap is really the only legit upgrade to improve tour geometry and gives you better brakes but its not cheap. 

[JMO413]

I am very happy with the ZJ setup.

It was fairly cheap and parts are easily serviced if needed later.

 

[Eagle]

12 hours ago, Sleezak said:

 

The y link seems to bother me most with bump steer. I realize part of my problem is just wore out parts. Perhaps new hardware will fix that particular problem. 

 

I do like swampys idea. Easy and cheap, while still an upgrade. 

 

Bump steer?

 

Between my XJs and MJs, I must have driven well over a half million miles on the stock steering. I have never experienced a hint of bump steer.

 

[gogmorgo]

Yeah, solid front axles shouldn't experience bump steer unless the track bar and drag link aren't parallel and don't move together, which will cause a bunch of other problems as well. 

I have experienced something akin to bump steer though in my 300,000-mile MJ, when hitting a particularly brutal overpass expansion joint on my morning commute. It cycled the suspension enough to feel the front end shift over and back as the track bar moved through its arc. My ZJ also noticeably does this in the rear as well over railroad tracks with lift pucks on old worn out springs... Kinda the nature of a five-link system. 

[Sleezak]

11 hours ago, gogmorgo said:

Yeah, solid front axles shouldn't experience bump steer unless the track bar and drag link aren't parallel and don't move together, which will cause a bunch of other problems as well. 

I have experienced something akin to bump steer though in my 300,000-mile MJ, when hitting a particularly brutal overpass expansion joint on my morning commute. It cycled the suspension enough to feel the front end shift over and back as the track bar moved through its arc. My ZJ also noticeably does this in the rear as well over railroad tracks with lift pucks on old worn out springs... Kinda the nature of a five-link system. 

 

Ya I realize bumpsteer is an independent front end side effect, I think what I’m feeling is enough slop in the tie rods that highway grooves and bumps pitch the truck. I’ve crawled under, they are shot to hell. 

[Sleezak]

12 hours ago, JMO413 said:

I am very happy with the ZJ setup.

It was fairly cheap and parts are easily serviced if needed later.

 

 

I’m liking this idea more and more. Easy and still an upgrade.