Steering damper doesn't fit

Hhouse54

Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2022
Messages
40
Location
Oregon
Can someone help me with this… I’m relplacing all my steering components with the Zj upgrade. I have a steering damper that doesn’t seem to fit. Not sure if I’m doing something wrong here or not. See pics. TIA!

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That looks like the ZJ drag link. Not gonna work.
You still need to use the TJ drag link and install the ZJ tie rod end and terminal to that.
 
Why does the bolt for your steering damper look like its vertical?
It should be angled away from the front end towards the rear of the jeep.

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The vertical aspect of the driver's mounting bolt hole is new for me too but I don't see where that could actually cause a problem. I would install the washer and nut onto the tapered stud and tighten it so it is pulled fully down into the drag link. That's a tight tapered fit and both sides have a coat of paint on them so I wouldn't expect it to fit all the way down at first. Then pull the passenger-side of the SS out so it can bolt into its mount.
 
The vertical aspect of the driver's mounting bolt hole is new for me too but I don't see where that could actually cause a problem. I would install the washer and nut onto the tapered stud and tighten it so it is pulled fully down into the drag link. That's a tight tapered fit and both sides have a coat of paint on them so I wouldn't expect it to fit all the way down at first. Then pull the passenger-side of the SS out so it can bolt into its mount.
That tapered stud is as far down as it will go. Maybe that’s part of the problem ? I have tightened it down tighter then it should be and it won’t seat in any further. I don’t have a nut on it in the picture but that’s as far as it will go.
 
The drag link won’t rotate because of how the tie rod end of it is connected into the steering knuckle.
If the ball joint at the passenger spindle is level and the damper mounting pin is vertical I'd say the part is bad. Mine is the same part number and with my ball joint level the hole is angled back significantly. I wouldn't loose much sleep over a bad part. Maybe take a pic of the passenger ball joint at the carrier just to double check but it looks a bit like a bad part to me.
 
The drag link looks funny to me where the steering dampers stud rides. Here's mine for comparison.

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The drag link looks funny to me where the steering dampers stud rides. Here's mine for comparison.

View attachment 324370
If the ball joint at the passenger spindle is level and the damper mounting pin is vertical I'd say the part is bad. Mine is the same part number and with my ball joint level the hole is angled back significantly. I wouldn't loose much sleep over a bad part. Maybe take a pic of the passenger ball joint at the carrier just to double check but it looks a bit like a bad part to me.
This was super helpful. My ball joint was stuck at the passenger side and I got it to rotate more so now where my steering damper connects to the drag link is way less vertical and more angled to the rear. This is what it looks like now.

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This was super helpful. My ball joint was stuck at the passenger side and I got it to rotate more so now where my steering damper connects to the drag link is way less vertical and more angled to the rear. This is what it looks like now.

View attachment 324381
I can pull down on the damper and get it to go in on the passenger side. Is that normal to have to pull down on it a little bit?
 
This was super helpful. My ball joint was stuck at the passenger side and I got it to rotate more so now where my steering damper connects to the drag link is way less vertical and more angled to the rear. This is what it looks like now.

View attachment 324381

did you just replace or repaint your oil pan or something? It's so damn clean and mine looks like butt.