longer drag link adjusting sleeve for lifted jeep

[blondejoncherokee]

anyone know where to get a longer adjusting sleeve for the drag link?
or a good safe way to lengthen it?
i need a longer drag link to properly center my steering and dont have the cash to buy a new steering setup. i also have no problems with mine other than the fact its too short, and i also just bought right before this project brand new moog long and short side tre's for the drag link.
any ideas?

 

[ehall]

If you're running out of drag link you probably need a drop pitman, but neither should be needed with the RE3.5 in your sig

 

[wishihad1]

you need to check over everything again. somethings not right.

I had plenty of adjustment to straighten my steering wheel when i was at 5.5 inches of lift with the dana 30 and stock steering.

Ive also done plenty of other cherokees with similar lift and the sleeve has had plenty of adjustment

 

[blondejoncherokee]

alright im at 5.5" of lift.
i just swapped in a zj steering box.
ill work on the adjusting a little more then.
i guess i was trying to keep as much of the threads engaged in the sleeve as possible thats all. i can go out a little further

 

[RCP Phx]

Bull,as already stated in the other thread,at 6" lift (on both my rigs)I had to extend my draglink collar to feel assured that ther was plenty of thread engagement.

 

[wishihad1]

for all the work your putting in to this if you cant figure it out, id say screw it and drive with a steering wheel off center. it might bug you, but it doesn't hurt anything, and its certainly not worth lowering your jeep (other thread) in order to center it.

if anything buy some new steering, or build your own. for about 200 bucks you can build your own for any lift you would ever want

 

[Goatman]

for all the work your putting in to this if you cant figure it out, id say screw it and drive with a steering wheel off center. it might bug you, but it doesn't hurt anything............

Except that you'll loose steering degree in one direction, which isn't good especially on the trail. And, since the knuckle will hit the stops sooner in the other direction you'll put added stress on the box and the drag link since you won't always feel the steering hit the stops and will usually turn past that in tight spots on the trail. I've seen drag links get bent that way.

Best to figure out how to get the steering centered.


The general rule on thread engagement is an amount equal to the diameter of the threads should be the minimum engagement. If you have a joint with 7/8" threads, then 7/8" of threads should be engaged, in your case 21mm depending on which year you have. Anything more than that is OK. You can also add a nut, used like a jam nut, on the end of the adjustment collar to add some strength and piece of mind. No left hand thread nuts, though, unless you can find a metric LH jam nut.

 

[blondejoncherokee]

yah im going to install the new drag link (stock) that i had already ordered and be more thorough at centering the steering wheel. and pray the new drag link ends are maybe a 1/2" longer.

and yes my problem is that i can turn the thing 2 turns to driver and one to passenger so i need to fix it. if the diameter of the sleeve is the rule of thumb ill definetly have some room to adjust out i am in further than that. and as for "lowering" to 4.5", that has been my plan for a long time, i never wanted 5.5" up front, im at about 4.75" in the rear. plus i want to drop the angle of my control arms, it rode nice at 4.5" before, but the trackabr was hitting the diff(i have long lcas that have been lengthened 2" to stretch the wheel base) but i haev since adjusted the ucas back to account for this and my current coils are too soft so some stiffer coils will help that, as well as i have some hockey puck bump stops to throw in there as well that i didnt have before. so that being said, i wanted to go to 4.5" anyway and drop the spacers and that will help with the drag link.
i will probably recenter it tonight after my last minute applying to PHD in statistics at UC davis tonight since i am finishing my masters this semester.

 

[blondejoncherokee]

installed the new drag link tre's(long and short) my pass side end(the long tre) was pretty worn. and i was able to center the steering wheel better, the tires turn about the same side to side now, its just that the driver side takes 1/2" turn more, its 1 1/4 turns to the pass side and 1 3/4 turns to the driver, so i still got a little work to do but its alot better. ill take it out and drive it and see if its better tomorrow. i also readjusted the toe in, i had too much toe...

 

[andrew2516]

Was your steering box and wheel centered when you installed the box? Also the pitman arm has to be on the correct way if not this could be your problem.

I've seen jeeps with a lot more lift than 5.5 that ran stock steering and it seemed to adjust correctly.