tie rod and control arm

[ginericLC]

I took a little trip this weekend and I did a little damage.
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3060726&posted=1#post3060726

Nothing that I'm ashamed of or upset about.

Anyway, I had heard of folks using heavier duty tie rods to prevent them from bending. What should a could tie rod be made out of Chromoly?

I also checked out Slee's site for control arms. I hit the rear DS arm and bent it. His replacements are straight. I had heard that there are replacements that are curved to give more clearance. Also I thought I read here that there are longer control arms available to help with the fitting of larger tires. I'm pretty sure I'm sticking with 35s and really I don't anticipate going larger.

Meatgrinder is one of the tougher trails around here and typically I don't run trails with huge rock obstacles like that. Once a year doesn't justify all the mods to go to 37s. I do need to get the front locked for my next attempt at that trail. And my wheeling trips to Moab and such really don't require bigger tires. 37s wouldn't help me get any farther down the trail there either.

 

[Junk]

Cool pics gineric.

Yeah, plus 37's + some lift will make those off-camber shots a little more hairy.

I'm not a fan of going with heavier duty tie rod. If something is going to give, that's a quick trail replacement assuming you have a spare. Beefing it up means that something else becomes the fusible link and I'm not sure I want to blow up my box (assuming that's next). I carry some heavy duty ones in the truck, but they are only for trail spares. Just make sure whatever you get takes OEM spec tres.

I have Christo's heavy duty rear lower arms and they are very beefy. Folks always tell me to be carefull or I'll drag them over a rock, and I just say, uh yeah beavis, that's why I have them. I am going to make up some new mounts for them where they attach to the frame, but they are beefy. I would not go with longer arms unless you really needed the bigger tires, and it sounds like you are content with the 35's as I am with the 36's.

 

[Junk]

BTW, we may have to start calling you Mr. Bling based on your rear diff cover

 

[NW-sickboy]

I cant see any reason to not have a beefed up draglink? I have had mine bent up into my pinion once to many times..... ALL pro sells em to your specific length/DOM 1.25 tubing for 59 bucks. cheap mod seeing as the 80 drag link is sitting down behind the axle and takes a beating. how is letting your drag link bend going to be a good weak link?

My lower rear control arms are were prebent when built but not really much longer (like an inch) and it is a really nice feature so i dont have to drag them over everything. thats what my sliders are for. Top ripper is a REALLY fun trail. glad to hear you knee is feeling better.

http://www.allprooffroad.com/steering.htm

 

[Tooth Fairy]

Cool pics man. I'm running the slee stuff as you know, but, i went with that because I bent something and couldn't figure out what it was. Not to mention that everything was cold welded after 250K.

I've got one bent rear control arm and I haven't noticed it effecting anything adversly. How bad is it?

 

[cruiserman]

I'm with Mike on the tie rod. I'd rather it be the fuse than the knuckle arms. Just carry a spare.

 

[NW-sickboy]

so who's broke a knuckle arm?

 

[ginericLC]

BTW, we may have to start calling you Mr. Bling based on your rear diff cover

That is exactly what it is Mr. Flip off man!

 

[robbie]

regardless of what you replace it with (unless it spring steel), it will bend if you smack it with a rock. It is hanging in a low spot. I have bent one of chritso's tie rods. I have not damaged any thing else Yet. As for the rear control arms, the beefier the better, I some time use them as you would use a leaf spring to ramp up an object, In most of those time a bent arm would of not hepled, only allowed the rock to hit the arm in a different spot. I have not bent these yet, do not think this will happen, too thick. later robbie

 

[Tooth Fairy]

robbie,

What arms are you running now?