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Steering upgrade help and questions


Citron
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For those that don't remember, I have a 92 4wd. I took it out wheeling this last weekend and on the way home I had some significant back and forth movement in the steering wheel starting around 20 mph. Not looseness, when I let my hands off of the wheel it would move back and forth from about 11 o'clock to 1 o'clock. I don't remember this before, but I only drive it when off-road, probably a few times a month, so maybe I didn't notice before.

 

I feel like this is a good excuse to do a steering upgrade. I have been reading a few forums and have some ideas, but would like clarification. It looks like the center link needs to be upgraded no matter what? I saw that 5523 used one from a green something company, and someone named hoohaa made one. How do I find these products, and are there any other options?

 

I also saw that the two options for the pitman are to keep the stock box and install a pitman bracket, I think basically some kind of gusset. I think I saw one on rugged rocks. The other being to get a used manual steering box from a hardbody, and a pitman arm from a power box on a hardbody. I saw a how to on nissan4wheelers. Supposed to be the strongest, but harder to source. Any other options?

 

Third, install a steering stabilizer. Sounds like there was one available from the factory. Is it good, or any other options?

 

I have read that the tie rod ends can go either way, some say upgrade, others say factory are good enough except for extreme wheeling. Thoughts?

 

Eventually, I would like to do 2-3 inches of lift and 33x10.5r15 tires. And I would like to keep everything as cheap as possible. All upgrades need to be doable in a long weekend as I currently do not have a shop and need to use the one at work. Comments on steering please, lift questions will come in a different post at a later date. Thanks.

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I have cheap tie rods and kind of regret not getting something better, like Moog. However, I hear mixed results with Moog these days, so this is something I will need to revisit, probably in a year or two.

 

I have the Rancho steering stabilizer, but I don't think brand is crtical here. Rockauto sells various versions for a decent price.

 

I don't think the grassroots centerlink (HooHaa) is available anymore?

 

The Hardbody steering conversion is another option, where the HB centerlink is used with a combination of HB and Pathfinder tie rods. There's a good post that has all the details. If you can't find it I can post the info as I have toyed with doing this myself. This is a cheap conversion, less than $200.

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The problem with "cheap" is that it does not last and you will just end up redoing it later on. The grassroots CL was about $225, new control arms $200, 3" lift springs $125 (that was at the time I bought them). That's 550 just for the suspension and steering. Then there is an idler arm brace so you don't bend it, you can fab those yourself if you're handy, if not, they're not too expensive.

 

Of course you could just use junkyard jeep coil springs, and crank the tbars and do nothing else. But they will be replacing the CL, Idler, and doing an alignment every time. I learned the hard way, pay now or pay later lol.

 

All of this is easily done on a weekend. Or even a day if you're quick.

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Thanks for the info guys. Steve, if you have that link for the HB handy, I would like it. If not, I can search.

 

Adam, I hear ya. I was thinking the steering this month, suspension next month, and tires sometime this summer. Idler arm, good thing I posted, forgot about that.

 

Besides grassroots and HB, any other options for center link?

 

Is replacing the steering box and pitman unnecessary? I see neither of you mentioned that and I only saw it on one post at the other forum.

 

I will post my lift plans now, if you guys wouldn't mind taking a look.

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Another option is to brace up the centerlink. But, when you strengthen the weakest point in the suspension, you're just moving the weak spot to another component. :my2cents:

 

You only need to replace the steering box if there is play in the shaft. Same goes for the pitman.

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The pitman is literally just a piece of metal. So short of the hole getting wallowed out or something, there isn't much to go wrong with it. The ball joint is on the draglink, it is the opposite of most domestics.

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I wonder why those guys were "upgrading" to a manual hardbody steering box? I thought the power box must be really weak or something. I am glad you guys set me straight, saved a lot of hassle.

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The manual steering box isn't a replacement for the power box. Guys gut the steering bits out of them so it's just a shaft in a box and mount them up on the passenger's side instead of the stock idler arm.

 

The only other reason to mess with pitman arms is if you're doing the 2WD HB steering swap and need the small-taper pitman (later trucks have larger tapers). I picked one up for mine but have had second thoughts on the swap since--I'm not running a lift (or planning to) and it sounds like it introduces some tire scrub issues. IIRC yours may be early enough that it's got the small taper already, if you decide to go that way.

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