A real steering upgrade: Y-link & 1-ton TREs

[Roc Doc]

Yes the rotor splash shield does act as a spacer so you did the right thing. The mini truck guys do this all the time because the shield just gets bent up in the rocks.

 

[yOHda]

If you think you might upgrade your steering, I recommend getting that RHD steering arm from Cruiser Parts now rather than later. Who knows how much inventory they have. A few years ago these arms were unobtanium! It's only $139, so just buy it and save it for a rainy day. That is unless you plan on going with Hellfire knuckles

Better get them before they get popular. I bought mine from Cruiser Parts six months ago and it was $99. Others are charging more than double.

Good Job on the steering upgrade. I went with the RS Heim kit when I did my upgrade. Have you experienced "the dead spot" in the y-link steering?

 

[jcardona1]

Better get them before they get popular. I bought mine from Cruiser Parts six months ago and it was $99. Others are charging more than double.

Good Job on the steering upgrade. I went with the RS Heim kit when I did my upgrade. Have you experienced "the dead spot" in the y-link steering?

$99 wow! I know a few folks paid A LOT more than that before Cruiser Parts brought them in.

With regards to dead spot...I've heard that term a lot but I'm not sure what it is. Can you elaborate?

 

[Douglas S]

It's a fairly common issue with this steering setup. The tie rod rolls forward or backward (depending on which way the wheel is turned) instead of putting force on the knuckles, resulting in a dead spot where the wheel turns but the tires don't.

 

[jcardona1]

Ok gotcha. It's kinda what I figured. I have noticed that the tie rod "rolls" when the steering wheels is turned and I understand this is just how Y and T-link steering setups work. While I do notice it rolls, I haven't noticed any slop in the steering. Maybe since my truck isn't lifted that tall? Then again, my caster is at 0º so I've assumed that was responsible for the crappy handling on the freeway, even before redoing the steering.

I've read that replacing the grease boot with a thick poly bushing helps reduce the tie rod roll. I've been meaning to order a pair of these for the TREs on the tie rod: http://www.jcroffroad.com/product/PLYBSH.html

The real solution would be to have the draglink go directly to the knuckle instead of the tie rod for a true crossover steering setup like js93cruiser did. This would require using a Slee high-steer arm on the passenger side only.

Or the ultimate option, Hellfire knuckles

 

[notthejeepnomo]

that looks great thanks for the thread. when i go hydro assist i think i'll do what you have done.

question: when running the rhd arm could you also have a tie rod in the back as well. for double shear? does the back of the arm come up to the same height as the drivers side lhd arm, above the control arm? or could it be bent to do so?

 

[jcardona1]

that looks great thanks for the thread. when i go hydro assist i think i'll do what you have done.

question: when running the rhd arm could you also have a tie rod in the back as well. for double shear? does the back of the arm come up to the same height as the drivers side lhd arm, above the control arm? or could it be bent to do so?

Thanks, glad it helps!

I really don't think a tie rod in the back also would work, but I have no idea. The hole on the rear arm sits about 1.5" lower than the front hole.

But you could bend it to fit. That's what my buddy did on his 3rd gen 4Runner with an FJ80 axle. He didn't know these RHD arms were easy to get so he took the stock arm, flipped it around and bent it up a bit higher with heat so it matched the arm on the passenger side.

 

[dallen341]

I wonder if the stock tie-rod were replaced with the GM 1-Tons, if that would put the tie-rod higher in elevation creating more clearance from the front arms when doing caster correction. As in...Are they taller? I realize a larger diameter tie-rod is required which may cancel and gains.

Thoughts?

 

[ewillis]

[Let's start off with a parts list:

Y-link kit from Ruff Stuff complete with GM 1-ton TREs ($245)
http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/YLINK.html

RHD double steering arm that goes on the driver's side ($139)
http://shop.cruiserparts.net/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6_73_239&products_id=22472

OD Tube Clamp for the steering stabilizer ($35)
http://www.trail-gear.com/od-tube-clamps

Re-tapering the pitman arm to the correct .795" taper of the draglink TRE, done by 4x4Labs ($20)
http://www.4x4labs.com/products/steering/pitman-arms/

7/8" inserts that go on the steering arms that give the correct taper for the 1-ton TREs ($16)
http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/INSSTEER.html​

Friggin nice upgrade Jose! Just to be clear...the above parts list with the addition of "ruffstuff http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/.../TREYLINK.html but I didn't know it was a draglink TRE" would be the best way to go? Also, I know this is difficult to quantify and your mechanical expertise definitely eclipses mine, but how much of a PITA would this project be for the "average" shade-tree mechanic?

 

[mmml4]

Thanks, glad it helps!

I really don't think a tie rod in the back also would work, but I have no idea. The hole on the rear arm sits about 1.5" lower than the front hole.

But you could bend it to fit. That's what my buddy did on his 3rd gen 4Runner with an FJ80 axle. He didn't know these RHD arms were easy to get so he took the stock arm, flipped it around and bent it up a bit higher with heat so it matched the arm on the passenger side.

Do you have a link to your buddies build?

 

[jcardona1]

I wonder if the stock tie-rod were replaced with the GM 1-Tons, if that would put the tie-rod higher in elevation creating more clearance from the front arms when doing caster correction. As in...Are they taller? I realize a larger diameter tie-rod is required which may cancel and gains.

Thoughts?

The tie rod might sit a tiny bit higher, but it would be pretty negligible I'd say. Even less if you run the heavy duty tubing.

BUT, I just thought about this. You could perhaps run the poly spacer bushings I discussed above. Put those under the stock TREs on the tie rod, I'm sure that would raise a bit.

Friggin nice upgrade Jose! Just to be clear...the above parts list with the addition of http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/TREYLINK.html but I didn't know it was a draglink TRE" would be the best way to go? Also, I know this is difficult to quantify and your mechanical expertise definitely eclipses mine, but how much of a PITA would this project be for the "average" shade-tree mechanic?

Thanks! With regards to the kit, you only need the full Y-link kit. No need to buy the separate TRE in your post, that already comes in the kit.

I think this is the easiest and cheapest way to get a GOOD steering upgrade. If you could spend an extra couple hundred bucks, you could get a high-steer arm from Slee and run a crossover steering setup. That would get rid of the tie rod "roll" and the deadspot we were talking about.

You would need to talk to Slee and buy just the passenger side arm from this kit:

http://www.sleeoffroad.com/products/products_steering_main.htm

Then instead of the Y-link kit from RuffStuff, you buy the crossover kit which is the same price: http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/XOGMSTE.html

As far as difficulty, I'm the same as you. Just a garage with basic hand tools. If you don't weld, you'll have to find somebody to cut and weld on the 4 bungs to the tube, very easy job. I had my buddy do it for a case of Monster

For the pitman arm, you'll want to have a local machine shop do that since taper reamers are pretty expensive. For the steering arms, you could have them ream those out too if their labor is reasonable or just drill them out to 7/8" and use the RuffStuff inserts.

 

[jcardona1]

Do you have a link to your buddies build?

No sorry, I don't think he has a build thread anywhere online. But I do have a few photos of it. It has an early FJ80 front axle, stock birfs and is now on 40s (37s pictured). He wheels the snot out of this thing

 

[Larry0000]

Ah yes, I do remember coming across your thread but i guess I didn't read close enough. And that's good to know! I did see that TRE on ruffstuff http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/TREYLINK.html but I didn't know it was a draglink TRE. I figured it was just a regular Y-link TRE that he sells in the kit I bought. DOH!

Oh well. But I do plan on going hydro assist in the future when I get bigger tires. When I do, I'll just remove the stabilizer and use the OD tube clamp on the lower tie rod to mount the ram

Great write up!!

If I were to use http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/TREYLINK.html in place of the drag link tre shown in this write up, so i could mount steering stabilizer in same location, would the 7/8 inserts work with the pitman arm instead of getting it reamed?
Thanks...

 

[jcardona1]

Great write up!!

If I were to use http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/TREYLINK.html in place of the drag link tre shown in this write up, so i could mount steering stabilizer in same location, would the 7/8 inserts work with the pitman arm instead of getting it reamed?
Thanks...

Thanks! I'm not sure, but I don't think it would work. The draglink TRE is a lot larger and beefier than the other TREs because it operates at more extreme angles all the time. The standard TREs are usually always flat.

Sent from my HTC6500LVW

 

[Larry0000]

Ok thanks, I ordered everything last night so I will be giving this set up a go. Thanks again for the write up!

Larry

 

[DHwreckage]

The tie rod might sit a tiny bit higher, but it would be pretty negligible I'd say. Even less if you run the heavy duty tubing.

BUT, I just thought about this. You could perhaps run the poly spacer bushings I discussed above. Put those under the stock TREs on the tie rod, I'm sure that would raise a bit.



Thanks! With regards to the kit, you only need the full Y-link kit. No need to buy the separate TRE in your post, that already comes in the kit.

I think this is the easiest and cheapest way to get a GOOD steering upgrade. If you could spend an extra couple hundred bucks, you could get a high-steer arm from Slee and run a crossover steering setup. That would get rid of the tie rod "roll" and the deadspot we were talking about.

You would need to talk to Slee and buy just the passenger side arm from this kit:

http://www.sleeoffroad.com/products/products_steering_main.htm

Then instead of the Y-link kit from RuffStuff, you buy the crossover kit which is the same price: http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/XOGMSTE.html

As far as difficulty, I'm the same as you. Just a garage with basic hand tools. If you don't weld, you'll have to find somebody to cut and weld on the 4 bungs to the tube, very easy job. I had my buddy do it for a case of Monster

For the pitman arm, you'll want to have a local machine shop do that since taper reamers are pretty expensive. For the steering arms, you could have them ream those out too if their labor is reasonable or just drill them out to 7/8" and use the RuffStuff inserts.

one thing i was wondering, if you go with the Slee high steer arm doesn't that block the abs port on top so you would be running without abs?

 

[jcardona1]

one thing i was wondering, if you go with the Slee high steer arm doesn't that block the abs port on top so you would be running without abs?

Yeah that's correct. That would be when you start to go more extreme and not a street-driven truck. I'd eventually like to go to a part-time kit, so ABS would be non-op at that point anyways. I've also been thinking of doing an ABS delete to simplify the braking system. Don't think this is something folks would want to do on a truck that's used on the highway every day however.

 

[OGBeno]

Don't think this is something folks would want to do on a truck that's used on the highway every day however.

Been done many times.

 

[thatcabledude]

Same here... No ABS stuff no LSPV no BS.

 

[jcardona1]

My LSPV was sent to die a slow death at the landfill (running a manual valve). Feel like doing the same thing with ABS!