ZJ Tie Rod Conversion

AMS417 said:
I got a bag castle nuts from Fastenal for like $3. Think its 1/2-20. I had a couple strip out when I removed them. May have been over tighten by the last person working on it.
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The helpful guy @ Moog did specify they're 1/2-20, yes. Just really annoying when I burned a vacation day to get a jump on my list of projects and now that one has to wait on my stuff to show up and a trip to Fastenal.
But, if the worst thing to happen to me today is that I can't get my toy put back together when I want, then I guess I'm doing pretty good. Just wanted to point that out for anyone else going the Amazon route. Might be worth the couple extra bucks if you have store nearby.
 
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As long as we're all BS'ing in here, I'm curious about something else. Since I completed this, handling has improved significantly. The thing I notice now though, and I hesitate to really call it a problem, is "play" in the steering wheel.

It's aligned, it drives straight even at highway speeds, I don't get any pull one way or the other. What might happen though is the steering wheel can sometimes be turned a couple degrees either way before it feels like I'm turning the wheels themselves. It varies with speed. Cruising down the road, a slight nudge on the wheel has the appropriate response. At slow speeds though maybe, entering/exiting lots, not as tight.

Hard to tell if it's in my head or something that developed. I notice it over really uneven road or unpaved lots with lots of lumps/bumps, where I'm going straight but the wheel feels like it's "floating" without providing any steering input in the first 3-5 degrees either direction. I'm going to do a dry steering test this weekend and see what I notice. I will say my ball joints are original and perhaps I put cart before horse when I did the ZJ upgrade before them.
 
When you do the dry test be sure to check for movement in all steering joints, as well as the steering box, steering shaft, and the steering shaft joint. A couple of degrees isn't a big deal. Lot of moving pieces from the steering wheel to the tire.
 
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@Chris i just received all my moog parts today. Only problem is that the tie rod end was missing the boot and the nut. Do you think if I just ordered a new boot I would be okay? The part doesn't looked damaged but the package was. Thats how I'm assuming the baggie with the boot, nut, and pin came up missing.
 
LilHammer97 said:
@Chris i just received all my moog parts today. Only problem is that the tie rod end was missing the boot and the nut. Do you think if I just ordered a new boot I would be okay? The part doesn't looked damaged but the package was. Thats how I'm assuming the baggie with the boot, nut, and pin came up missing.
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Call Moog - if they have any available, they'll send you the boot, nut, pin, and zerk that should have come with it. Otherwise, call who you bought it from and get it exchanged.
 
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Replacing my drag link in addition to the rest of the conversion. I've seen contradicting posts about the TJ and XJ drag link (DS1430 and DS1238 respectively) being compatible regarding angles and other dimensions. I understand that it's not an "improved" part but I'm replacing it regardless.

Basically, is the XJ (1238) a compatible replacement for the stock TJ (1430)?
 
aeyler94 said:
Replacing my drag link in addition to the rest of the conversion. I've seen contradicting posts about the TJ and XJ drag link (DS1430 and DS1238 respectively) being compatible regarding angles and other dimensions. I understand that it's not an "improved" part but I'm replacing it regardless.

Basically, is the XJ (1238) a compatible replacement for the stock TJ (1430)?
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I just did the TJ one because it's already strong enough. I didn't want to get into any issues, so I ordered the TJ one and replaced it since I was replacing everything else.
 
I did this a couple weeks ago, used the xj drag link because it was half the cost. If you don't need one, it's not an upgrade, but my ends were way worn.
 
They were identical without putting them on a CMM. I set them beside each other and so far as a tape goes were good to hook.

No problems so far. Put a few hundred miles of road and medium trails...
 
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Can someone confirm by looking at this picture if this the the correct tie rod?Apparently it has good ends on it $20 for the entire setup. Guy is unsure if it’s off a v8 grand Cherokee.

00DED73F-B0FF-4B7A-B0B4-FB1443A5D956.jpeg
 
Lol, am I not seeing something? The item circled has the ball joint end just like your pic above.

the lower portion is cut off in the picture so we can’t see but it looks like another threaded tie rod end/ball joint goesthere.
 
The drag link (part attached to the pitman arm) should have a tapered joint in it about 2/3rds down from the the pitman arm. That's where our (stock) tie-rod connects. The tie-rod itself (part circled) may be the same part, but it looks to me like the ends are longer than stock. If they came from the same vehicle they would connect at the passenger side knuckle? a different style of steering.

I'm no expert - most of what I know about this came from some of the older threads here - @Chris called ours Hindenbergen or something...

And I really did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night. 😃
 
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