Did some mocking up today, trying to figure out the steering.
I got these Rare Parts tie rod ends about 2 years ago at a steal, but not sure if they are going to be the right thing to use. They are pretty massive and may be difficult to package. Just for comparison, the thread size is the same as the LCA JJ's.
Clearance to diff seems fine with these 1.5" offset forgings. Camera perspective makes it seem close but there's a lot of room. Uptravel clearance should be fine too as there is at least 7.5-8" until it hits the radiator, only need 5.5-6" depending on the shocks I go with:
If I mount these joints OTK on these factory JK knuckles, it puts the tie rod basically in line with the top edge of the axle tube. That's pretty good clearance, maybe even better than a Reid knuckle. This is going to cause some glaring issues with the drag link arm on the passenger side, but I did warn that steering would get interesting.
I mounted the tire to check things out. Really liking the forward placement of the axle, but I'm yet to determine how many clearance issues it will cause. Rear fender clearance seems good, LCAs are good, but I could definitely see the top of the shock tower being an issue, and who knows if it will run into the grille now too. I didn't cycle anything up yet, this is just ride height.
The massive RP rod ends have some interference problems with the wheel when turning into them, and I'm not sure how I'm going to solve that problem.
Full lock on the knuckle without the rod end in the way:
Interference point with the offset TRE hitting the rim:
The cartridge itself fits inside the wheel fine, it's just the tang on it that hits the edge of the rim:
Seems like if that bend was at more of an angle it might clear, but I have no idea how I would do that. Heat it cherry red and bend it in a press, hoping the metal isn't fatigued after? Shaving the edge of the rim and the side of the forging also sound like bad ideas and probably wouldn't net much. A wheel spacer would probably solve all these problems, but I'm trying to avoid that if I can.