One of the things I’ve noticed while out on the trail with other TJ owners was the frequency of bent tie rods. Understandable, once you take a close look at the stock one. It’s a wimpy hollow tube about ¾” in diameter that kind of reminds me of a super size strand of uncooked spaghetti and inspires about as much confidence. Since most of us like to run at least 33” tires and drive over big rocks and other such obstacles it doesn’t take a rocket surgeon to figure out that the stock tie rod is on borrowed time.
So what to do? If you’ve been looking through all the catalogs and reading the magazines you know there are a number of beefier steering set-ups you can purchase; some just replace the stock components with stronger ones, some require you to drill out and re-taper the stock knuckles to use larger and stronger parts, and others require you to replace the knuckles and everything in between to accomplish the ultimate in high-strength steering. For most of us, though, the cost of these wonderful pieces requires some serious belt tightening and besides, if you’re only running 33 or 35 inch tires do you really need rock-buggy strength components to enjoy a good gnarly trail? I think not.
What’s the solution? A tie rod and tie rod end from a ’98 V8 Grand Cherokee. If you’ve ever had an opportunity to check underneath the front end of one of these fine vehicles, you may have noticed the tie rods are about 1” thick solid steel with a super chunky tie rod end to go with it, and the good news is - they’re a direct bolt-in to the TJ. What I really like is that the parts are available from your favorite auto parts store so, on the off chance that you do break one or just need to replace a component that wears out, you don’t have to special order it and wait for UPS to bring it to you.
Here's what you will need: |
LH Outer Tie Rod End |
NAPA # 269-2788 |
$34.00 |
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Adjusting Sleeve |
NAPA # 269-1134 |
$19.00 |
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RH Tie Rod |
NAPA # 269-6085 |
$72.09 |
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Total: |
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$125.09 |
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Not to bad, huh? However, I’m going to recommend going a little farther since there’s more than a slight chance you’re vehicle has some miles on it, and probably more than a few trails - replace the drag link and upper tie rod end while you’re in there. You’ll appreciate the feel of the tighter steering and the ability to postpone any further maintenance on your steering components for quite some time.
Drag Link (RH outer tie rod end) |
NAPA #269-6090 |
$159.00 |
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Upper Tie Rod End |
NAPA # 269-2788 |
$38.09 |
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Total: |
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$197.09 |
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Grand Total: |
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$322.18 |
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I need to point out that these prices are what I paid about a year and a half ago so you may not be able to get the same pricing, in fact, you may even get them for less with some shopping around. Don’t just get the cheapest ones, though, look for Moog or NAPA for best results.
This upgrade is, in my opinion, the best money you can spend on your Jeep in terms of improved road feel and off-road confidence. I’ve been running this set-up on my ’98 TJ with 35” MTRs since June of ’05 and I’ve been on a number of trails since then including Poison Spider Mesa in Moab and, believe me, I’ve seen some tie rods bent on some of those trails.
If you’re concerned about the alignment here’s some tips. Measure the length of the old components before, and after, you remove them, and match those measurements to the new components. If you’re within 1/16” you won’t have any problems between your place and the alignment shop. If you want to skip the alignment shop altogether, since the only thing that will need to be adjusted is the toe in, just measure the distance between the tires in front of the axle and behind the axle at the same distance from the floor as close to the centerline of the axle as possible. Choose a spot on the tire that’s smooth so you don’t have your measurement thrown off by a tread lug or lettering and adjust your tie rod so the distance between the front of the tire is 1/8” less than the distance between the rear of the tire. This is rough, granted, but I did this for years without any problems or weird tire wear. Just be careful and measure as accurately as you can and you’ll be fine. Center your steering wheel by turning the adjustment sleeve by the steering box, and after making sure all your bolts are tight and studs are pinned go find yourself a gnarly trail and enjoy your newer, stronger steering.
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