ZJ Tie Rod Conversion
- Thread starter Chris
- Start date
Doesn't seem like a very good idea to cut threads into a metal-on-metal greased joint post-assembly... but I'm sure Moog is smarter than I am. Or, maybe they're just cheaper.
EDIT: Yeah, they go in just fine. The zerks have coarse threads, so they don't take a lot of pressure to start grabbing.
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What "gets me" is their inconsistent painting. When I did F/R trackbars and steering, nothing was painted except ONE of the trackbars (forget which) which had paint on it. *SHRUG* Nobody paints knuckles either - thank Goddess for RustOleum!Doesn't seem like a very good idea to cut threads into a metal-on-metal greased joint post-assembly... but I'm sure Moog is smarter than I am. Or, maybe they're just cheaper.
MountaineerTom
LJ Enthusiast, Retired USAF Weapons Loader
Supporting Member
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Here's an aspect of the steering installation that I didn't expect to be a problem... and is either funny or aggravating depending how you look at it. I can tell you which side I fall on.
Getting the hardware into the bushing on the drag-link-end of the steering stabilizer required some force. I turned first to a rubber mallet, and when that didn't budge it, a hammer. Now, being at least a little forwarding-thinking, I threaded the crown nut on there to make sure if I galled the threads a bit, turning the nut off would cut them straight again. Right? Hmph. Enter Chinesium.
I whacked the assembled hardware into place on the stabilizer and torqued it with the hex nut:
About the above photo... I should say the crown nut was threaded all the way down at first... I almost never start taking photos when everything is going fine. I turned to the other end of the stud to address the crown nut. Yeah... it was jammed up pretty good. It didn't clock a degree with my weak-ass 24V impact.
This, I did with two box wrenches.
I'm not a real big guy, but I guess my persistence won out over the shear strength of whatever this stuff is. It was one of those (handful of) times when the wife came out to the garage to ask, "are you alright?" I am not alright. I'm pissed.
FWIW, I ordered a Monroe Magnum SC2928. It arrived in a generic blue box labeled, "Steering Stabilizer." It was, however, stamped with the correct model #, so... I dunno. I guess I'll contact them to see if they'll send me new hardware. OR, I'll just use what's already installed, assuming I can get it all apart intact. I'll bet the factory stuff is better quality than this crap.
EDIT: Monroe is going to send me a replacement parts pack. The rubber bushing has different hole sizes on either side. So... I'm the dummy. I pounded the stud through the wrong side (presumably).
Getting the hardware into the bushing on the drag-link-end of the steering stabilizer required some force. I turned first to a rubber mallet, and when that didn't budge it, a hammer. Now, being at least a little forwarding-thinking, I threaded the crown nut on there to make sure if I galled the threads a bit, turning the nut off would cut them straight again. Right? Hmph. Enter Chinesium.
I whacked the assembled hardware into place on the stabilizer and torqued it with the hex nut:
About the above photo... I should say the crown nut was threaded all the way down at first... I almost never start taking photos when everything is going fine. I turned to the other end of the stud to address the crown nut. Yeah... it was jammed up pretty good. It didn't clock a degree with my weak-ass 24V impact.
This, I did with two box wrenches.
I'm not a real big guy, but I guess my persistence won out over the shear strength of whatever this stuff is. It was one of those (handful of) times when the wife came out to the garage to ask, "are you alright?" I am not alright. I'm pissed.
FWIW, I ordered a Monroe Magnum SC2928. It arrived in a generic blue box labeled, "Steering Stabilizer." It was, however, stamped with the correct model #, so... I dunno. I guess I'll contact them to see if they'll send me new hardware. OR, I'll just use what's already installed, assuming I can get it all apart intact. I'll bet the factory stuff is better quality than this crap.
EDIT: Monroe is going to send me a replacement parts pack. The rubber bushing has different hole sizes on either side. So... I'm the dummy. I pounded the stud through the wrong side (presumably).
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So, I did this today. Notes for future noobs that have never done this before:
1. Take all your Moog parts and thread them all together first before you start (unless you can leave your Jeep down for days). They should all thread by hand without issue. I ended up getting a Moog ES2079S with bad threads in one end. I stopped trying to hand thread it when I couldn't do it anymore but it ultimately galled some of the threads on my new drag link (I replaced everything b/c my mechanic said all my tie rod ends were worn and the damper was leaking). Being that it was a Sunday, my only option was Autozone for a Duralast equivalent part. Thankfully, I didn't mess up the threads so much that the new sleeve wouldn't thread. I bought a Duralast DS1430 just in case, and it looked like crap compared to the Moog.
2. The threads on the Monroe dampener are also kind of ass. The castle nut side threaded OK. But the other end of that assembly just would not thread. I had to run a tap on the nut and a die on the bolt to get it to run together smoothly.
3. Similarly, you might want to get a new bolt/nut where the dampener bolts to the frame. I was able to reuse mine, but I had to run it through a tap/die as well to clean up the threads.
4. No matter how much I bashed on the dampener with a pickle fork, I was unable to get it out of the old track bar. Thankfully that didn't really matter for me, but that was unexpected. The pickle fork made short work of the rest of the joints.
1. Take all your Moog parts and thread them all together first before you start (unless you can leave your Jeep down for days). They should all thread by hand without issue. I ended up getting a Moog ES2079S with bad threads in one end. I stopped trying to hand thread it when I couldn't do it anymore but it ultimately galled some of the threads on my new drag link (I replaced everything b/c my mechanic said all my tie rod ends were worn and the damper was leaking). Being that it was a Sunday, my only option was Autozone for a Duralast equivalent part. Thankfully, I didn't mess up the threads so much that the new sleeve wouldn't thread. I bought a Duralast DS1430 just in case, and it looked like crap compared to the Moog.
2. The threads on the Monroe dampener are also kind of ass. The castle nut side threaded OK. But the other end of that assembly just would not thread. I had to run a tap on the nut and a die on the bolt to get it to run together smoothly.
3. Similarly, you might want to get a new bolt/nut where the dampener bolts to the frame. I was able to reuse mine, but I had to run it through a tap/die as well to clean up the threads.
4. No matter how much I bashed on the dampener with a pickle fork, I was unable to get it out of the old track bar. Thankfully that didn't really matter for me, but that was unexpected. The pickle fork made short work of the rest of the joints.
I did not. I'm hoping that being in Los Angeles, I don't have to worry about rust. At least, short term. I might get back under it and just paint in place.
Edit - is this BS ? They didn't look bare metal to me. They were a gray color, didn't look like bare metal to me. Though it didn't look like paint either.
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All but one of mine looked bare metal to me, so I painted them. If you're near the coast, I'd paint them. *shrug*
MountaineerTom
LJ Enthusiast, Retired USAF Weapons Loader
Supporting Member
Ride of the Month Winner
When I ordered mine they were all a dark gray color also. Been on for around three years and no rust issues other than one of the collar's threads being so rusted inside it couldn't be adjusted anymore. That being said, if/when I buy another set I would prep and paint just for piece of mind.
@Zorba I took pictures of my Moog parts today. Is this what yours looked like? There's definitely this grey coating on mine. Not paint (like the clamps).
I am like 10mi inland from the coast. I don't think the salt air makes it this far.
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Yea, that's what mine looked like. I just ASS-U-ME'd they were bare metal, so painted them.
I found this marketing page on the coating at Moog's website - https://www.moogparts.com/en-eu/sup...roduct-improvements/cataphoresis-coating.html.
They say it's better than paint. Is that BS? I don't live in the rust belt. I know how bad these jeeps rust from when I was a kid in Ohio. But my TJ has never left California, there's no rust on any of the frame/chassis parts that are original .
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