Tie Rod/Tie Rod Ends recommendations? (4 Viewers)

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Went to get my car aligned after a lift. Turns out I need to replace the tire rods so they can adjust it and align the car.
Looking at the Cruiser Outfitters 80 Series LHD Tie Rod End Kit for the rod ends.
Do I/Should I get new drag links while I'm at it?
Any other aftermarket vendors apart from Slee for the drag links?
 
I bought a heavy duty steering kit from man a fre to replace my drag link and tie rods. I was kind of disappointed. They seemed nice but they were so much bigger than stock that they rubbed on my control arms so I had to grind a 1/4" off the arms and they also interfered with my old man emu steering stabilizer so I had to add two extra washers on the steering stabilizer to get it all to fit. Then I had a both tie rods wear out in less than 6 months so my mechanic replaced them with a different brand. I was kind of annoyed, if they would have advertised on their website that I would have had so many fitment issues I just would have replaced the steering components with oem.
 
FWIW, the only alignment adjustment is toe in/out (length of tie rod) and the lift wouldn't have changed that. The relay rod simply adjusts steering wheel center which is what needs to be adjusted after the lift.
I just replaced all 4 of my ends with OEM last week. Adjusted the tie rod to 1/16" toe in with 315s. Took a few drives to get the relay rod juuuust right.
Tracks true and tight.
 
Trail gear shafts and ends. Beefy and has survived everything I put it through. I bent the front steering rod hitting a small tree stump on a trail.
 
FWIW, the only alignment adjustment is toe in/out (length of tie rod) and the lift wouldn't have changed that. The relay rod simply adjusts steering wheel center which is what needs to be adjusted after the lift.
I just replaced all 4 of my ends with OEM last week. Adjusted the tie rod to 1/16" toe in with 315s. Took a few drives to get the relay rod juuuust right.
Tracks true and tight.
I think that makes my life a little bit easier. I am in need of new tie rods though so I might just go with them to play it safe.
 
OEM or 555's.
 
Bent the stock TRE's all to s*** first time took my 80 out to Johnson valley. Finally getting around to replacing steering linkage. Looks like reaming-out to adapt GM 1-ton TRE's is pretty common, and EMF joints would be next step up from there. Will probably end up going that route.
 
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FWIW, the only alignment adjustment is toe in/out (length of tie rod) and the lift wouldn't have changed that. The relay rod simply adjusts steering wheel center which is what needs to be adjusted after the lift.
I just replaced all 4 of my ends with OEM last week. Adjusted the tie rod to 1/16" toe in with 315s. Took a few drives to get the relay rod juuuust right.
Tracks true and tight.

hey jon,

is this an accurate youtube vid that i can use to adjust the steering wheel on my 80? it's slightly crooked to the left or to drive straight i have to hold the wheel a tiny bit to the left. thx!

 
is this an accurate youtube vid that i can use to adjust the steering wheel on my 80? it's slightly crooked to the left or to drive straight i have to hold the wheel a tiny bit to the left. thx!
The relay rod (the rod in front of the axle housing) adjusts steering wheel center. It has no effect on anything else.
If you let go of the steering wheel on the road and the vehicle tracks correctly and does not pull in either direction, then simply adjusting the relay rod will straighten the wheel.
If the vehicle pulls in either direction, the relay rod is not the issue and you have more work to do.
 
The relay rod (the rod in front of the axle housing) adjusts steering wheel center. It has no effect on anything else.
If you let go of the steering wheel on the road and the vehicle tracks correctly and does not pull in either direction, then simply adjusting the relay rod will straighten the wheel.
If the vehicle pulls in either direction, the relay rod is not the issue and you have more work to do.
 

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