Drag link from heavy duty steering kit hitting axle area

[matman]

So I’m installing the Crown Automotive HDSTRGCR1 Heavy Duty Steering Kit.

A bit of an issue. The drag link ball joint is hitting the passenger side axle area when I’m fully turned to the right. Is this going to be a problem?

Hopefully the pictures show what I mean

 

[jjvw]

Adjust the tie rod for toe and the drag link to center the steering wheel. Do these at normal ride height and only at normal ride height.

After that, if this interference is occuring at full shock extension with the wheels turned all the way to the right, then this is a non-issue because you are already airborne right before a serious crash.

 

[matman]

Adjust the tie rod for toe and the drag link to center the steering wheel. Do these at normal ride height and only at normal ride height.

After that, if this interference is occuring at full shock extension with the wheels turned all the way to the right, then this is a non-issue because you are already airborne right

So I fixed the problem and deciding to report back here.

I ended up adjusting the drag link side to make it shorter. I popped the arm off, and done a couple turn to shorten it, and I have a few millimeters of gap on full lock.

 

[jjvw]

So I fixed the problem and deciding to report back here.

I ended up adjusting the drag link side to make it shorter. I popped the arm off, and done a couple turn to shorten it, and I have a few millimeters of gap on full lock.

Is the steering wheel straight? Is the toe correct?

 

[matman]

Is the steering wheel straight? Is the toe correct?

Steering wheel yes, because I adjusted the drag link sleeve

Toe correct? Well I tried to do a diy allignment. I will get it aligned

 

[macleanflood]

All it takes is a tape measure.

Thread 'How to align your Jeep Wrangler TJ'

Oct 31, 2015

Here's how to check and adjust your own toe-in that also includes how to center the steering wheel as well as re-center the axle if necessary. With just a little care on your part with nothing more than a tape measure, a big set of pliers, and a wrench, you can easily set your toe-in with as much accuracy as an alignment shop can. Really.

Start after making sure the front axle is properly centered. That may involve adjusting the trackbar's length which can only be done if there's an aftermarket adjustable-length track bar installed. Or if the original OEM track bar is still installed and...

• Jerry Bransford
• alignment lj alignment tj alignment
• Replies: 400
• Forum: TJ How-to Guides

• 
• 

-Mac

 

[mrblaine]

So I fixed the problem and deciding to report back here.

I ended up adjusting the drag link side to make it shorter. I popped the arm off, and done a couple turn to shorten it, and I have a few millimeters of gap on full lock.

The improper fit of the tapered pin in the right side steering arm isn't doing you any favors. I don't know if the pin is out of spec or the hole in the arm is wallowed out.

 

[matman]

The improper fit of the tapered pin in the right side steering arm isn't doing you any favors. I don't know if the pin is out of spec or the hole in the arm is wallowed out.

Are you referring to the damper? I see that too. I don’t know what to do about that

 

[freedom_in_4low]

Are you referring to the damper? I see that too. I don’t know what to do about that

no. Where your drag link is attached to the knuckle, the cotter pin is entirely above the castellations in the nut, indicating that the tapered stud on the rod end is pulling too deep into the hole in the knuckle. This is a fairly common issue - I even replaced a knuckle once thinking the hole was oversized, but the problem remained with only very modest improvement, seeming to imply the tapered stud was undersized on my Moog drag link and TRE. I've replaced dust boots on both sides at least once but I haven't popped a ball out of the socket so far, which would be a possibility taken to the extreme.

 

[jonny jeep]

I have a similar issue with contact on my TJ. Whenever I get a new draglink I get it in the press at work and increase the bend in the rod to give me more clearance.

I also have an issue where the taper appears to be going too far into my BBK knuckles. The TREs have always been torqued to spec, so I've assumed the tapers are a bit off. A washer under the nut takes care of it.

 

[mrblaine]

I have a similar issue with contact on my TJ. Whenever I get a new draglink I get it in the press at work and increase the bend in the rod to give me more clearance.

I also have an issue where the taper appears to be going too far into my BBK knuckles. The TREs have always been torqued to spec, so I've assumed the tapers are a bit off. A washer under the nut takes care of it.

Not impossible for it to be off but if you knew how we designed it for each batch of knuckles, it makes more sense. I have OEM castellated nuts we use for set up. To be correct, if you put the nut on by hand and then snug it down to the very next slot, the cotter pin should not readily clear. It should only clear the slot far enough to go in when it is torqued.

What I have found that is more variable than I'd like is the depth of the slot or more particularly, the height of the base of the slot when measured up from the bottom of the nut where it contacts the steering arm. That one I don't know how to fix.

 

[jonny jeep]

I don't doubt the lengths you go to in producing the knuckles. Reading what I typed again I see I wasn't particularly clear. I think it's the taper on the TREs that could be off a bit.

 

[matman]

no. Where your drag link is attached to the knuckle, the cotter pin is entirely above the castellations in the nut, indicating that the tapered stud on the rod end is pulling too deep into the hole in the knuckle. This is a fairly common issue - I even replaced a knuckle once thinking the hole was oversized, but the problem remained with only very modest improvement, seeming to imply the tapered stud was undersized on my Moog drag link and TRE. I've replaced dust boots on both sides at least once but I haven't popped a ball out of the socket so far, which would be a possibility taken to the extreme.

Ahh, yes. I have since back that out. For some reason, it wasn’t torquing nicely. The other side torqued nice. The side you’re talking about, for some reason it just kept on torquing without my wrench clicking. I don’t know why that happened

 

[mrblaine]

Ahh, yes. I have since back that out. For some reason, it wasn’t torquing nicely. The other side torqued nice. The side you’re talking about, for some reason it just kept on torquing without my wrench clicking. I don’t know why that happened

Most likely it is due to a soft pin that just keeps stretching.