Tie rod help please!

[Jim Bonz]

I purchased my first tj a few months back. It has 35" tires and the tie rod that came on it was a cobbled up mess. I want to eventually go with a currie but money was tight so I went with a moog zj upgrade for now.
It didn't have a stock drag link so I used a heavy duty drag link I had purchased from rock auto for my XJ.
But it seems that the angle where the tierod end goes into the steering knuckle looks funny to me and I wanted someone else opinion on it. It doesn't seem they fit at the right angle. It drives decent for the most part, even at 70-75 but if I hit a large pot hole on that side I get DW until I slow down.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

That is normal since there's a ball joint inside there. Check that your track bar is secure and there's no slop or looseness where it bolts to the axle which is one of the more common ways how DW can develop.

 

[Chris]

Usually the drag link has more of a bend to it where it attaches to the passenger side steering knuckle, like this:

View attachment 6064

However, that's the stock tie rod. If you're using a ZJ tie rod it may not have as much bend as the stock TJ tie-rod does.

I think it's fine to be honest. The ZJ tie rod is just shaped slightly different in that area it looks like.

As for the death wobble, that could be quite a few things. First thing I would check when trying to diagnose death wobble is to do a dry steering test.

Keep the vehicle running, but completely stopped and in park. Have someone get in the vehicle and crank the steering wheel back numerous times, really fast, back-and-forth.

Have them do this while you're laying under the car looking at the steering components move as they turn the wheel. List for clunks, and pay attention for any visible play in the steering.

My death wobble turned out to be a track bar bolt that wasn't torqued down properly. All it took was this steering test and it was super easy to notice it when I was under there.

 

[Jim Bonz]

Thanks guys for the fast responses. I will do the steering test tonight .
I did notice while I had the front axle on jack stands when I first start to turn the wheel I have some up and down movement in the sector shaft. While the wheels are on the ground I have about 2 inchs of slop in my steering wheel ( I had my wife turn the wheel just where the slop was and my sector shaft was moving up and down) Could the steering box be bad possibly?

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Thar sure sounds like your steering box is worn out.

 

[Chris]

I agree with Jerry, sounds like your steering box is worn out.