Modified steering issue. NEED HELP!!

[l1kenother]

Ok, so I will try not to make this super long.... But,
I purchased the 1 ton TRE y link OTk steering kit from Ruffstuff. I drilled my knuckles/pitman to 7/8" for the tapered inserts. I had my tie rod/ drag link cut, welded, and painted (cause I cant weld). I put everything together(looked awesome) and the tie rod hits on my coils before full turn.

I flipped it UTK and it rubs on my DT Fab diff cover. And im just not going to run UTK anyways, but it was an option that still didnt work

So since I cant go back (cause drilled knuckles) what other options do I have?
Im not going to build a 44 cause I do not have the money for that. I guess the only option is flat top knuckles. I know I can do WJ knuckles but not sure what all that includes (i need to do more research)

Pretty frustrated that this doesn't work since it was advertised on this website. Also I have contacted Ruffstuff and spoke with Jay (very nice and helpful) about what I can do and he said only thing he can think of is new knuckles. But I would still need new steering, which I will be contacting Ruffstuff about once I figure out what Im going to do. So I need some help!


Rubs on pass side.

pass side full turn til rub

driver rub

driver turn

UTK rub

 

[Rob707]

You could cut off the coil mount reinforcement plate, trim the front side of the coil mount and then put the plate back on it. Im running the same setup but with heims, having the same problem. I trimmed the front of the coil mounts and it just touches on full lock...

 

[rockclimber]

run offset TRE's. dan sells them.

 

[the_weirdo]

Two options:
a) offset TREs
b) have a shop with a huge press bend your existing TRE to put some angle on it.

I chose option B when I ran the UTK 1-ton steering. The guy put in in a huge press and put a 10-15 degree bend into it so now it clears parts.

Its too bad they don't advertise this when they sell parts.

 

[Jeep450r]

I would snatch some offste TRE's, or you could do what this guy did and put a bend in the tube itself.

 

[SeansXJ]

You could cut off the coil mount reinforcement plate, trim the front side of the coil mount and then put the plate back on it. Im running the same setup but with heims, having the same problem. I trimmed the front of the coil mounts and it just touches on full lock...

x2

 

[l1kenother]

offset tie rod ends would not work due to the pass side TRE which is longer and includes the drag link tre ( this also will not allow to run a bent tie rod). RS does not make that TRE in offset. actually I called around and no one does. Also I trimmed the shit out of that coil bucket and it is pretty much touching the coil itself. Also the driver side is touching the coil.

 

[rockclimber]

Two options:
a) offset TREs
b) have a shop with a huge press bend your existing TRE to put some angle on it.

I chose option B when I ran the UTK 1-ton steering. The guy put in in a huge press and put a 10-15 degree bend into it so now it clears parts.

Its too bad they don't advertise this when they sell parts.

do a combo of both. run an offset TRE at the drivers side to clear the diff, and have a shop press the larger TRE so that there is an angle on it.


the third option is to get some narrower diameter tubing as well. now that you have measurements, you could get a smaller diameter tubing out of chromolly for the strenght, but smaller size. the size will depend on what ID is needed for a 7/8"18tpi tap.

and you can flip the driver side TRE to OTK while leaving the passenger UTK to help with clearances.

 

[blondejoncherokee]

I don't see any harm in pulling the coils and trimming more off the mounts. I thought Dan sold offset tres ? What diameter tubing is that ? I am borrowing Billys 1.5" bender right now so if its 1.5" we could bend it.... We could drill out the otk on the pass side and reweld a insert utk at my place easily if you pulled the knuckle off and brought it over.

 

[l1kenother]

do a combo of both. run an offset TRE at the drivers side to clear the diff, and have a shop press the larger TRE so that there is an angle on it.

This sounds like the best idea. i didn't know i could put a bend in the longer tre. i will see about that.

 

[CRASH]

Offset TRE's or a bend only works if the drag link is attached directly to the knuckle and the tie rod only connects the knuckles.

Running offset TRE's or a bend with the drag link attached to the tie rod will cause a horrible dead spot as the tie rod rolls under steering load.

I went down this road 15 years ago, and the solution was to move the coil bucket back. Everything else sucked.

 

[Ben H]

What about notching the contact points in the tie rod?

 

[rockclimber]

Offset TRE's or a bend only works if the drag link is attached directly to the knuckle and the tie rod only connects the knuckles.

Running offset TRE's or a bend with the drag link attached to the tie rod will cause a horrible dead spot as the tie rod rolls under steering load.

I went down this road 15 years ago, and the solution was to move the coil bucket back. Everything else sucked.

Offset tre or no offset, inverted t always has a dead spot.

 

[l1kenother]

Offset TRE's or a bend only works if the drag link is attached directly to the knuckle and the tie rod only connects the knuckles.

Running offset TRE's or a bend with the drag link attached to the tie rod will cause a horrible dead spot as the tie rod rolls under steering load.

I went down this road 15 years ago, and the solution was to move the coil bucket back. Everything else sucked.

Offset tre or no offset, inverted t always has a dead spot.

Sooooo... move the coil bucket back (which is a PITA), or knuckles seems like my only option....

 

[blondejoncherokee]

Just.cut.the coil bucket.or.go utk.

 

[l1kenother]

Just.cut.the coil bucket.or.go utk.

Im just gonna go to town with the grinder and see what happens

 

[CRASH]

If the grinding does not work, you can take the same combination of parts and turn it into an inverted "Y" set up (like stock) but over the knuckle, with a bend in the drag link (like stock).

 

[blubullett]

If the grinding does not work, you can take the same combination of parts and turn it into an inverted "Y" set up (like stock) but over the knuckle, with a bend in the drag link (like stock).

How do you do that?

 

[rockclimber]

How do you do that?

connect the drag link directly to the pitman arm using the TRE with the tapered hole at the passenger knuckle and the high angle TRE at the pitman arm. then use the 2 standard TREs to connect from the tapered hole on the drag link TRE to the drivers knuckle.... gonna need to bend the drag link to clear the track bar bracketry.

 

[l1kenother]

soo i cut the shit out of the coil buckets and it barely touches at full lock so I called it a day. Soo yup. pretty happy with the steering. a lot better than stock. but there is still a decent dead spot in steering. and some decent bump steer. But thanks all for the help. now lets go wheelin