In order to keep our 1999...
In order to keep our 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee WJ steering straight on the highway and trail we installed a handful of steering upgrade components from JKS Manufacturing and Kevin’s Offroad. The crew at Off-Road Evolution in Fullerton, California, completed the installation.
Lifted trail rigs take a lot of abuse as a whole, and the steering system is typically the most vulnerable to damage. The repeated stress of bumping and knocking around takes a toll on the factory steering parts, not to mention that two of your rig's major steering components – tie rod and drag link – are the first items to meet rocks and other trail objects head on.
The factory steering system will withstand the stress of off-road use for a time but once it's had enough, you and your 4x4, lifted or not, will be parked trailside until limped home for repairs. Or worse yet, veering out-of-control across the highway with a white-knuckle death grip on the wheel praying that you'll come out alive. Both situations can largely be avoided, however, by performing a few simple steering upgrades.
The JKS HD Tie Rod and Drag Link are easy, bolt-on replacements that will resist impacts and bending much better than the OE tie rod and drag link. Both are manufactured from 1.25-inch-by-0.375-inch-wall seamless tubing and are designed to provide improved steering sensitivity and feedback to the driver. The HD Tie Rod and Drag Link are also properly threaded to accept readily available OE-style tie rod ends or re-use your existing ends.
The passenger side steering...
The passenger side steering arrangement shows worn tie rod and drag link ends. These are the units that came from the factory back in 1999. The ends still displayed decent movement but merited replacement.
Manufactured from 1.25-by-0.250-inch DOM tubing, the JKS Adjustable Track Bar is easily adjusted to perfectly center the axle housing beneath the vehicle. It is compatible with virtually any suspension system and can be adjusted to meet new length requirements as modifications are continually added to the vehicle. The track bar is mandrel-bent to ensure proper geometry and optimum clearance and is zinc-plated and powdercoat finished to provide excellent protection from corrosion and trail debris. It uses poly bushings at each end and can accommodate 1 to 6 inches of lift. Some of the JKS adjustable track bars are equipped with a Johnny Joint or OE-style rubber bushing at one end, depending on the application.
Finishing off the list of upgrades is a collection of products from Kevin's Offroad, all designed to eliminate the dreaded Death Wobble that can occur in lifted coil-sprung 4x4s. If you have to ask what Death Wobble is then you have never experienced it. You will know if Death Wobble is occurring and you will not forget it. The Kevin's Offroad website offers in great detail the causes and effects of Death Wobble and how it can be cured. The Kevin's Offroad parts that we'll install to eradicate the Death Wobble effect include, KOR SuperHard Durometer track bar bushings and KOR primary and secondary steering stabilizers.
The Off-Road Evolution crew...
The Off-Road Evolution crew removed the stock components. Note the leaking CV axle and worn boot. We’ll be upgrading front and rear axle components and adding lower gears and lockers in the near future. The factory braking system will also be addressed.
This article details the installation of the aforementioned parts on a 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee WJ but these upgrades from JKS Manufacturing and Kevin's Offroad are also ideal for many other Jeep models, including XJ, MJ, ZJ, TJ, and JK. Wrangler TJ and JK versions can also be paired with JKS Manufacturing's track bar relocation brackets to raise and rotate the mounting point on the axle end for correct alignment following the installation of a CV-style driveshaft.
Check out the photos and captions for more info as we detail the installation as completed by the crew at Off-Road Evolution.
Some of the parts to be installed...
Some of the parts to be installed included JKS Manufacturing’s Adjustable Track Bar, HD Tie Rod and Drag Link, and sway bar Quicker Disconnects.
Kevin’s Offroad supplied its...
Kevin’s Offroad supplied its KOR primary and secondary steering stabilizer kits, as well as its SuperHard Durometer track bar bushings, which are designed to further tighten up the steering and help eliminate the dreaded and dangerous “Death Wobble” effect that can occur in lifted 4x4s with coil spring and track bar suspension setups. Have you ever grabbed a shopping cart with that one crazy front wheel that makes the whole cart shake and makes it difficult to steer? Imagine this effect at 60 mph on the highway. All of the Kevin’s Offroad parts are available as part of the Hard-KOR Death Wobble Package. The KOR primary steering stabilizer kit is shown. It includes an Old Man Emu steering stabilizer, which features a twin-tube design and heavy-gauge steel stone guards to help resist damage.
Before removing the tie rod...
Before removing the tie rod and drag link the crew measured its length for reference. This will make initial set up adjustment easier when the new parts are installed.
With the tie rod off the WJ...
With the tie rod off the WJ it was set on the ground for measurement. Note the chalk marks on the shop floor at each rod end. This is an effective means of getting a baseline end-to-end measurement to transfer to the new tie rod and ends, which in turn makes initial steering adjustment and alignment much easier.
The JKS HD Tie Rod is shown...
The JKS HD Tie Rod is shown next to the stock tie rod (left). Wall thickness is greater and material is stronger. The JKS unit should have no problem fending off minor obstacles where the OE unit would certainly bend or break.
The JKS track bar is shown...
The JKS track bar is shown alongside an aftermarket track bar with a Heim-style joint at the frame side. We had not had any issues with this particular track bar until a recent occurrence of death wobble at 65 mph, however, we believe the death wobble effect was more of an overly toe-in alignment issue more so than a track bar issue. After that we decided to address the issue across the board and replace any possible roots of the cause. It should be noted that the WJ’s alignment was bad and the tires were toed-in quite a bit when Death Wobble occurred. Since death wobble can be attributed to multiple elements of the steering and suspension system it is difficult to blame one just part.
This worn sleeve on the aftermarket...
This worn sleeve on the aftermarket track bar we removed shows that it was riding the bolt threads in one area more heavily than the rest.
The tie rod and drag link...
The tie rod and drag link ends were the original 1999 parts and were likely attributing to the steering issues we were experiencing. We elected to upgrade to quality greasable MOOG rod ends to help tighten up the steering system.
The Off-Road Evolution crew...
The Off-Road Evolution crew installed the new rod ends in the JKS HD Tie Rod and Drag Link using the measurements noted before disassembly.
The KOR SuperHard Durometer...
The KOR SuperHard Durometer bushings were easily pressed in to the JKS Adjustable Track Bar. Once in place the new track bar was installed.
With the JKS Adjustable Track...
With the JKS Adjustable Track Bar in place the included jam nuts were tightened down.
The new MOOG greasable tie...
The new MOOG greasable tie rod and drag link ends appear much beefier than stock.
JKS Manufacturing’s Quicker...
JKS Manufacturing’s Quicker Disconnects allow the sway bar to be easily disconnected for trail use and re-connected for the trip home. It uses upper and lower removable pins so the link can be pulled and stored in the vehicle instead of left hanging in the wheel well where it might be damaged. JKS Quicker Disconnects are available for Jeep JK, TJ, YJ, CJ5, CJ7, CJ8, XJ, MJ, WJ, and ZJ.
Once the wheels were back...
Once the wheels were back on and the WJ was on the ground the Off-Road Evolution crew centered the steering wheel by adjusting the drag link. Once it was straight enough to drive to the alignment shop the jam nuts were tightened
A single KOR steering stabilizer...
A single KOR steering stabilizer was installed using KOR hardware. If we experience future issues with Death Wobble we’ll install the secondary unit to further tighten up the steering system.
With the installation complete...
With the installation complete we made a quick trip to the alignment shop. The crew at Kevin’s Offroad suggests setting toe-in to just barely less than zero and then fine tuning it to your highway or trail preference. We purchased a one year unlimited alignment contract at a local tire shop. We’ll do our best to fulfill our end of the bargain.
To finish off the installation...
To finish off the installation we mounted up a set of 17x8.5 AEV Pintler wheels and BFGoodrich Mud Terrain T/A KM2 tires. You’ll see a full review of this tire and wheel package in an upcoming issue.
Installed in the secondary...
Installed in the secondary location between the drag link and track bar the KOR steering stabilizer is clear of uncoming trail obstacles and out of harm’s way.