MJ Steering/Suspension Upgrade

[EVOLUTION]

There were too many pictures to post everything on here, so as long as you don't mind visiting our forums, here is the recent control arm/steering upgrade that was done to my 87 Comanche after my squirt poor attempt of a cheap spring over lift about 6 years ago flopped.

Enjoy.

http://www.evolutionmachining.com/index.php?/topic/158-comanche-steeringsuspension-upgrade/

[thayer03]

Looks great!!!! How much for you to make a duplicate kit for my Manche!?

Randy

[EVOLUTION]

Looks great!!!! How much for you to make a duplicate kit for my Manche!?

Randy

We're working it out.  We made two of everything so we had one other complete set here to reference from... give me a little bit to price everything out & I'll let you know how much a DIY kit would cost.  The rear was just a spring over with perches.  The front had 2" coil spacers & I think 4.5" coils... I can't remember the exact size we bought.  I've got 31's on it right now & it looks great at that height.  Could probably get some 33's under there.  Extras would be longer brake lines, longer shocks and coils.  We would have the coil buckets, steering with our tie rod ends, upper & lower control arms and any other brackets we made included in the kit.  I'll let you know as soon as I figure out the price.

[JackstandJohnny]

that steering, did you guys make the passenger side TRE so you can bolt the drag link to it?  i really like that;

also, just ream the stock jeep knuckles and bolt it up?  what about the pitman arm?

im already drooling. i can picture it on the YJ

[thayer03]

Awesome. Sounds good.

Thanks!

[EVOLUTION]

that steering, did you guys make the passenger side TRE so you can bolt the drag link to it?  i really like that;

also, just ream the stock jeep knuckles and bolt it up?  what about the pitman arm?

im already drooling. i can picture it on the YJ

Yup.  Clay had the idea so he machined it up & we're testing it out.  The idea was to have cross over steering made cheap & easy.  It wasn't coated so any other ones we make would be coated the same as the heims.  All the other tie rod ends are ours as well & just had to ream the hole out a bit like you said, to fit the taper of the joint.  The pitman arm was just a normal aftermarket drop pitman arm that I already had in there.

[Pookapotamus]

would be really interested in a price as i need to do my steering asap.

[JackstandJohnny]

x2

[EVOLUTION]

Sorry, there are two brackets that we welded on to hold the back rod, as seen in this picture.  The other ones would bolt from the pitman arm to the special tie rod end, and then across the two knuckles.





I will work out a cost for that steering setup this morning.  It's much easier than the cost for the links etc because of all the brackets.  I'll let you know as soon as I have a price.  I'm not sure how much the lengths of the rods would vary from a comanche/XJ to a YJ... hopefully they are similar, if not he can make them shorter.

[cLAY]

Damn it! I just bought a replacement Moog 1 ton Chev TRE for my custom D44 steering setup and paid more for it than what you list your 1 ton Chev TREs for on your website! Wish I had known sooner you guys were building TREs!

[JackstandJohnny]

erin, what would the TRE that accepts the 1 tonne chev TRE cost (the one that the drag link bolts into?)  i see the normal one tonne TREs on the site but not those!

[FirstTimer]

I see that you flipped the tie rod, drag link, etc. mounts.  This is something I've been thinking of doing on my Tj.  What would it cost to have this done?  For now it would be with mostly stock parts, that is until I brake something and replace it with a better after market part.

Thanks

[EVOLUTION]

Ok so the steering setup was a little more complicated than I thought because of the bracket on the right being attached to a shock mount & coil bucket.  We're trying to work something out & Clay's trying to remember if he could fit the two front links in and still keep the rear panhard bar.  he doesn't remember if it hit or not... Anyhow, I'll let you know as soon as we figure something simpler out.  Right now you can get a tie rod or drag link made for the cost of the material (depends on how many inches it is, it is $1.25/inch) and then $35 an end for machining the threads.

The normal chevy TRE's we sell are $85 each + a $5 jam nut.  The other TRE had never been done before... which is why it wasn't on our site & why we don't have a price for it.  I suspect it will be around $100.  We are still testing it to make sure it functions as it should, but so far so good.  High-steer + Cross over steering made easy... sounds good to me!  We also have the 2.5 ton TRE's for around $100 a piece as well if anyone is using rockwells.

Firsttimer:  I'll check with Clay to see what he says & I'll let you know.  

As with all of our b@lls (had to spell it this way because your word filter kept changing the word to beans), the pins are actually 4140 HTSR and coated with liquid nitride now so they are black.  The material and coating allows for longer wear rather than machining them out of stainless like we used to.

[vantagetes]

So if I am correct it would use 3 1ton TRE ($255) + the special one ($100) for $355 plus 4 jam nuts ($5) so $395 for the TREs.

Then some tubing (stock TJ tie-rod is around 42" center to center of TRE so I'll just say the draglink is the same for 84" total @ $1.25/"=$105) plus the 4 threaded ends ($140).

$395+$105+$140=$640 sound right or did I do it wrong? Would this price include reaming the knuckles? I've been told that drilling out the knuckles for hiems is a no no unless you sleave them with steel after, I assume just reaming them slightly larger for the taper, and the fact that the taper allows you to adjust for any wear would make this step redundant?? Also with the larger TRE is there any clearance issue with the rim? I have 15" rims with 3.5" backspace.

[EVOLUTION]

So if I am correct it would use 3 1ton TRE ($255) + the special one ($100) for $355 plus 4 jam nuts ($5) so $395 for the TREs.

Then some tubing (stock TJ tie-rod is around 42" center to center of TRE so I'll just say the draglink is the same for 84" total @ $1.25/"=$105) plus the 4 threaded ends ($140).

$395+$105+$140=$640 sound right or did I do it wrong? Would this price include reaming the knuckles? I've been told that drilling out the knuckles for hiems is a no no unless you sleave them with steel after, I assume just reaming them slightly larger for the taper, and the fact that the taper allows you to adjust for any wear would make this step redundant?? Also with the larger TRE is there any clearance issue with the rim? I have 15" rims with 3.5" backspace.

Yup, your pricing sounds right to me, it wouldn't include reaming.   For the tie rod/drag link material, we use solid 4140 HTSR with a yield strength of 140,000 psi.  The ends are the only thing that are machined to have the joints threaded.  Strong like bull.

Clay says you don't need to sleeve the knuckles if you are just slightly reaming them out for the 1 ton tapers.  You only need to sleeve them if the hole is already too large & you need to put a smaller joint in there or if the knuckles are aluminum.

There should be no clearance issue with the rims.