Need help identifying front suspension parts

TexasTJ2004 · Sep 5, 2026

I bought TJ and need help identifying the components of the front suspension.
The steering knuckles look strange, as well the steering linkage itself.
Also, I get pretty strong steering wandering when pressing brakes. Like left to right, right to left etc. Still don’t have the caster/ pinion angles measured, but it is low pinion Dana 44 (I believe from TJ) and 4 inch lift.

Unique Username · Sep 5, 2026

The steering and track bar looks like it came from Trail Forged That is the paint recipe they offer on the product sold.

I had that brand cross over steering many moons ago and the bolts at the knuckles would come loose if the lock nut was not replaced every time I adjusted the alignment. That design also has other draw backs but maybe check everything is snug. The joints used on that system also don’t far well in weather. They might be a little sloppy.

It also looks like some ball joint deletes were installed. Never used them. Don’t have much input I can provide on that.

NashvilleTJ · Sep 6, 2026

Cross over steering with a stock track bar creates bump steer. It destroys your steering geometry, and that is why you are experiencing wandering. Your best shot is to go back to a stock steering setup. But the problem with that is it looks like all of the rod end tapers have been drilled to run bolts instead of rod ends, so that unfortunately may mean replacing those items - knuckles, pitman arm - and that's not a small undertaking. I think there are kits available to repair the tapers, but not sure.

Hopefully I am wrong about the replacement, and those are actually rod ends and not bolts, but hopefully someone more familiar with that particular steering setup will chime in.

TexasTJ2004 · Sep 6, 2026

NashvilleTJ said:
Cross over steering with a stock track bar creates bump steer. It destroys your steering geometry, and that is why you are experiencing wandering. Your best shot is to go back to a stock steering setup. But the problem with that is it looks like all of the rod end tapers have been drilled to run bolts instead of rod ends, so that unfortunately may mean replacing those items - knuckles, pitman arm - and that's not a small undertaking. I think there are kits available to repair the tapers, but not sure.

Hopefully I am wrong about the replacement, and those are actually rod ends and not bolts, but hopefully someone more familiar with that particular steering setup will chime in.

I am experiencing especially bad wandering when I am breaking hard and the front kinda dives. I understand that when the front dives, the steering and track bar are no longer in the parallel plane, and this basically leads to steering jumping all over.
Let's assume that I can replace knuckles (I have 5.3 LS with 4.56 gears on TJ Rubicon Dana 44 and 4L60E, so plan to go to 35s and big brake kit with it's own knuckles anyway) and and pitman arm (pain to remove old one but I have the tools) - with my 4 inch lift, with Correctlync be the right answer?

NashvilleTJ · Sep 6, 2026

TexasTJ2004 said:
I am experiencing especially bad wandering when I am breaking hard and the front kinda dives. I understand that when the front dives, the steering and track bar are no longer in the parallel plane, and this basically leads to steering jumping all over.
Let's assume that I can replace knuckles (I have 5.3 LS with 4.56 gears on TJ Rubicon Dana 44 and 4L60E, so plan to go to 35s and big brake kit with it's own knuckles anyway) and and pitman arm (pain to remove old one but I have the tools) - with my 4 inch lift, with Correctlync be the right answer?

Yes, the correctlync would be a very good solution. Many folks here run it and can give good feedback.

It’s not that the drag link and track bar are not in the same plane, the issue is that the knuckle side of the track bar and the drag link do not follow the same arc when the suspension cycles. One moves farther left or right than the other, and the wheels turn.

TexasTJ2004 · Sep 6, 2026

NashvilleTJ said:
Yes, the correctlync would be a very good solution. Many folks here run it and can give good feedback.

It’s not that the drag link and track bar are not in the same plane, the issue is that the knuckle side of the track bar and the drag link do not follow the same arc when the suspension cycles. One moves farther left or right than the other, and the wheels turn.

Thanks. Seems like I am getting the correctlync and then reassessing the situation after getting it installed.

Unique Username · Sep 6, 2026

TexasTJ2004 said:
Thanks. Seems like I am getting the correctlync and then reassessing the situation after getting it installed.

If you’re going to do a Correctlync and the Big breaks from BMB, you can also have the tie rod flip done at the same time. Just something to consider depending on the amount of work you want to put into raising the sway bar ends.

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Need help identifying front suspension parts

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