CJ7 Steering
CJ7 Steering
- Thread starter Tectron
- Start date
mriplaybass
Full Time Jeeper
I have 33x12.50x15 tires on our 79 CJ7 and have had no problems with it at all. Unless you get a front tire wedged in some rocks and try to use brute force to move, you should be fine. Something that I just did to further protect the steering linkage, was to flip the master and drag links to the top of the knuckles.
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- Springfield, Missouri-U.S.A. Earth
- Vehicle(s)
- '85 CJ-7, 258/4.2L 6cyl. Bought new in 1985. Full cage, Warn 8274 winch, Ford 9" rear, front/rear Detroit Lockers w/4:88 R&P. T-5 tranny and 4:1 t'case. 33X12.50-15 BFG/AT, MSD ign, on board air---
Been run'n 33's on mine for over 30 years......
LG
LG
Scout1067
Old Time Jeeper
I may be mistaken, but there is only one tie rod on a CJ7 . The rod that goes from the passenger side steeering knuckle to the steering unit is the steering drag link. I just replaced my tie rod and drag link with MOOG parts and the best advice I can give is to use your old tie rod as a measuring stick when putting the new one together to avoid having to do a lot of messing around with toe-in. If you put it back together right you might not even have to adjust it at all. I was slightly off and it took some playing to get it back correctly. HH6's calibrated eyeball was not quite precise. LOL
HackFabrication
Old Time Jeeper
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- 1,438
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- Location
- Canton, MI
- Vehicle(s)
- 1976 CJ5,
2020 Grand Cherokee Summit,
2018 GMC Sierra 1500 SLE Regular Cab Shortbed
If you'd like to get something heavier, give Jim a call: http://www.crabtreetool.com/ He made up a few heavy duty tie rod/drag link kits. I still have one sitting in a box waiting for installation on my CJ5 . He doesn't show them on his website, but you could see if he still has them. Great guy to work with!
Tectron
Active Jeeper
Flipping does what ? more clearance?
Tectron
Active Jeeper
RiverandSand
Senior Jeeper
If you are going to use your jeep on the street more than offroad I wouldn't go with the heim joints. I would look for HD rods with conventional tie rod ends.
Tectron
Active Jeeper
The Jeep unless I sell it will spend 90+% of its life off pavement, I live 22 miles of dirt road from the nearest Blacktop, mostly graded county road to get to the highway. That being said, still better with HD rods ? Sounds like you implying that the Heim joints would be for something you trailer to where you going to ride.
RiverandSand
Senior Jeeper
Yes and No, I use heims on my dune buggy and have only broke one in 20 yrs of duning. However, I do trailer it to the dunes. I think if you break down your chances of getting a heim would be harder to get than a tie rod end. Quadratec sells an HD tierod set by rugged ridge.
- Posts
- 14,787
- Thanks
- 54
- Location
- Springfield, Missouri-U.S.A. Earth
- Vehicle(s)
- '85 CJ-7, 258/4.2L 6cyl. Bought new in 1985. Full cage, Warn 8274 winch, Ford 9" rear, front/rear Detroit Lockers w/4:88 R&P. T-5 tranny and 4:1 t'case. 33X12.50-15 BFG/AT, MSD ign, on board air---
One trick to increase the OEM tie-rod strength, is to slip a 4' section of 1/2" re-bar inside the tube.
LG
LG
mriplaybass
Full Time Jeeper
Take a look at my build thread, and you can see that you get 2" to 3" of clearance for the steering linkage.
https://www.jeep-cj.com/forums/f98/79-cj7-they-re-coming-take-me-away-aha-24761/index12.html
RiverandSand
Senior Jeeper
As Bass said 2 to 3 inches is a good way to get the rods out of harms way. I used Goferit tierod flip, it wasn't complicated, came with everything you need except a drill bit. There is another kit I believe it's by TRE, others here have used them. It is also a good way to prevent bump steer, especially with a 4" lift. My rods sit almost level and parallel to the dropped pitman arm.
Tectron
Active Jeeper
Is there a CON to doing the change? I see the benefit now. Should the drilling be done off vehicle in a press?
jay59l
Jeeper
If you got the $$ go big. I’ve never regretted upgrading a safety system. With 33”s, the stock stuff in good condition should be fine. I’d upgrade the steering box mount or get a brace first since that area is prone to failure.
Tectron
Active Jeeper
RiverandSand
Senior Jeeper
None that I have seen sofar, the later jeeps have the tierods on top. I did it on the jeep, I made a jig to keep drill straight with the hole. If you have it apart yes a drill press would be ideal.
RiverandSand
Senior Jeeper
That and a cross brace will keep the gear in place with the bigger tires.
mriplaybass
Full Time Jeeper
There are 2 ways of flipping the steering. You can get a reamer kit which entails reaming the holes from the top, installing the bushings, and tightening everything up. The other way is to use a kit that only requires drilling a 3/4" hole in the knuckle arm, inserting the bushing, and tack welding it in place.
I have never used the reamer kit, but have been told by others that if you go too far with the reamer, you are SOL since now the taper will no longer allow the tie rods to properly tighten up. Another aspect to consider is that once you ream the knuckles, you are committed. No do overs.
With the 3/4" straight bushing method, you go all the way through and insert and weld the bushings. Not that you would want to do it, but using this method, if you ever want to go back to the stock location, all you have to do is grind off the spot welds and put the bushings back in from the bottom. Now you are back to the OEM location. I drilled mine while the knuckles were still on the vehicle using progressively larger drill bits until I was at 3/4". Total time to do both sides took me 35min. Best 35min investment I ever made. If you do this method, make sure that you grind the inserts flush with the bottom of the knuckle.
I have never used the reamer kit, but have been told by others that if you go too far with the reamer, you are SOL since now the taper will no longer allow the tie rods to properly tighten up. Another aspect to consider is that once you ream the knuckles, you are committed. No do overs.
With the 3/4" straight bushing method, you go all the way through and insert and weld the bushings. Not that you would want to do it, but using this method, if you ever want to go back to the stock location, all you have to do is grind off the spot welds and put the bushings back in from the bottom. Now you are back to the OEM location. I drilled mine while the knuckles were still on the vehicle using progressively larger drill bits until I was at 3/4". Total time to do both sides took me 35min. Best 35min investment I ever made. If you do this method, make sure that you grind the inserts flush with the bottom of the knuckle.
Tectron
Active Jeeper
**"You can get a reamer kit which entails reaming the holes from the top, installing the bushings, and tightening everything up."**
This method requires a straight reamer and a bushing with a tapered hole already drilled for the tie rod? and no welding the bushing in?
**"With the 3/4" straight bushing method, you go all the way through and insert and weld the bushings"**
What tolerance range between bushing OD and 3/4 drilled hole ID ?