so whats the cheapest xj tie rod

xjnmud

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Joined
Apr 6, 2008
Location
charlotte
besides the zj junk yard option whats the cheapest hd tie out there. when i was looking back in the day i found one for around 60 bucks, i could be open to making one but im not sure about the hidden cost. the cheapest one i found so far is 92 shipped which is nowhere close to what i want to pay. any suggestion? : ]
 
I work in an alignment shop. One thing I don't mess with is steering or brakes, I would either buy a good new one (napa premium) or an aftermarket HD replacement. You need to line it back up after you replace it, count the number of threads, when you put it back. It will get it close.
 
im def looking for a HD tie rod. my plan as of now is to find/ make one that uses OE ends. i've found some nice tube to make it out of so now all i need is to figure out what the thread size is so i can buy some tube adapters. if this turns out well ill post up the details so others can do the same.

so whats the OE thread size on a 97xj tie rod end?
 
IIRC it was a 11/16"x?? thread on my 99 XJ. The only place i had luck finding the correct adapters was red rock 4x4. turns out they were poison spyder adapters, and i cannot find them anymore. I'm sure someone out there makes them though. I used 1.5" DOM tubing when i made mine .
 
ballisticfab has a good selection, and ya im using 1.5OD .25wall DOM also.

im gonna get one of my spare ends and get it measured also i may just call ballistic to see if they know off the top of they head.
 
When I did mine I ordered everything from Ballistic Fab great customer service and fast delivery. I also used 1.5" .0250 wall DOM, mine were 7/8-18 but they were for 1 ton tie rods.

Carolina Truggies is a Ballistic dealer I didn't know that when I ordered my stuff.
 
ya i guess 7/8-18 is the way im leaning, its about finding cheap ends nows, ive seen some for as low as $17 each

2 ends $35ish
2 adapters $22ish
flip kit $21
so as long as i can get the tube for around $15 i think ill have done well
 
Have you checked the taper on those?? I have never seen one with a 7/8" thread that works with the stock taper size?

If you go that route and have to ream out the drivers knuckle and the hole in the drag link, you might as well get another drag link reamed while you are at it so you have a usable trail spare.

I manage to bend a drag link almost every time i wheel, but not the puny stock tie rods??
 
XJ tie rod

i ordered my stuff from RJR off road.
HD knuckle to knuckle steering with HD draglink. very happy with the service. parts looked great on my xj. i hate the factory ylink steering.
 
ok ill try agian w/o being a dumbass......bc it is a good idea and works great.......and its real cheap.....take off your tierod, screw off one end making sure u count the threads, notice the inside is hollow....go to lowes or home depot and find a piece of round solid stock to slide down in it, get that....now find a piece of squarestock that is just big enough to beat/slide over the tierod BUY them at the counter with the salesperson....go home....put piece of solid stock in tierod, beat square stock over top of tierod, screw endpiece back in to counted thread....weld square stock to tierod....tada a very cheap and VERY VERY VERY effective tierod for under 20 bucks...good luck
 
In line with Rednecks comments, I have seen folks weld angle iron the length of their stock tie rod or drag link, as a trail repair and they ended up working for YEARS! If you are not upgrading the ends anyway, just beefing up the tie rod is cheap.

Not sure how many "TREs" I have seen broken on the trail, usually just a bent rod or drag link?
 
If you go the route of using the 1 ton tie rods you will have to drill out your knuckles with a 5/8 or 11/16 drill bit the taper the hole with a 1.5" per foot taper.
 
xj steering

you can fet from a junkyard out of a 93-98 grand cherokee with the V8. it is much stronger than any other oem parts you can use. these can also go on a tj.
 
When installing either the JK steering or using 1 ton TRE's are they being installed in stock config or flipped with TRE's pointing down? (heard you would gain and inch or 2)
 
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