This is Dynatrac's High Clearance steering kit at full droop with the sway bar connected. Notice the perfect geometry of the steering components so that there is no binding or angles that will inhibit proper steering.
Click here to read more of the story.One morning, the staff here at 4WD&SU was kicking around a few ideas and theories about TJ steering setup. The discussion carried on for quite some time due to the fact that there are so many variations and ideas on the subject. In the end, the consensus was that we should speak with an expert about TJ steering, so we headed over to Dynatrac to meet with Jim McGean.
The front of a TJ is a very busy area because of all the possible positions of steering and suspension components during up-and-down travel and left-to-right steering movements - especially during a good crawl session. Without the right equipment, it is very difficult to fully articulate a vehicle's suspension and determine if the complete steering system is in harmony with suspension movement. The actual stresses of four-wheeling can flex steel control arms, bushings, and joints even more than what was observed during the test, so it's important to allow for this flex when designing a steering system.
Things That Affect TJ Steering
1. Bumpstops
A. What they do: limit uptravel. Tires can also stop travel before bumpstops by hitting the body but not always in all positions (e.g. straight ahead).B. What to watch out for: Don't get carried away. Is that last 1/2 inch of uptravel worth damaging other components? Set bumpstops so they halt the axle before it or the steering components hit things like the oil pan, harmonic balancer, framerails, and so on. Remember: bumpstops will compress somewhat. Make sure the bumpstop halts the axle before the shocks are fully compressed.
2. Shock Absorber Limit Straps
A. What they do: limit downtravel.B. What to watch out for: Be sensible. Once the spring is loose in the seat (has no tension), further downtravel is virtually useless but can cause damage to driveshafts, steering rod ends, and control arm bushings and mounts. Limit straps also aid in keeping the coil springs seated inside the coil buckets.
The coil springs and tires were removed to demonstrate what happens to the steering components at full compression and full droop to the driver side.
3. Front Axle Forward/Aft Mounting Position
A. Why it matters: Moving the axle too far forward crowds the steering linkage between the axle and the steering gear.B. What to watch out for: Over-extending front control arms to push the front axle forward usually only gains a very small amount of tire clearance and can cause more harm than good if it causes steering linkages to collide, hang up, or scissor across the drag link and track bars. If you must have more tire clearance, perform some bodywork or relocate the steering gear and track-bar frame mount forward.
4. Front Axle Left/Right Mounting Position
A. Why it matters: As the axle moves up and down, the track bar also moves the axle left and right (driver and passenger).
B. What to watch out for: The track bar pulls the axle to the driver side (left) when the axle drops; it pushes it to the passenger side when the suspension compresses. Most TJs have more usable downtravel than usable uptravel due to tire and body interference. As a result, the axle will always move much quicker and farther to the driver side during suspension movement. It is often better to let the axle be slightly off center to the passenger side at ride height to compensate for this. Usually 1/2 to 3/4 inch is plenty.