fritzthekatt

I've done some preliminary research and have read the pro's and con's for each option but figured I pose this question to the professionals out there.

Prereq info: 33's, D30 LP, rocks and mud, moderate wheeling

So now the hypothetical question, If money were no object, what hardware would you run if you were replacing all steering components?

PSC vs AGR?
TRE's vs HEIM?
JCR vs IRO vs Currie?
Standard vs OTK?
Steering Fluid Cooler?

no rdplz

99 Durango box
IRO's OTK
Steering fluid pump

xjmarc

With 33s on a vehicle that is street driven often I'd stay with something close to stock, and steer clear of crossover steering. Made that mistake and won't again. No need for hydro or hydro assist. To go OTK you need to make a lot of mods to make it work right on a street vehicle like for the track bar and sway bar.

fritzthekatt

Thanks for the response's gents. Stock bar upgrade from what I can tell would be the JCR or the Currie's HD tie rod system. Are there any other HD "stock" systems out there that I should consider?

JCR warns of HD diff cover clearance issues with the upgrade. Anyone had any problems with clearance? If so what guard were/are you using?

NewKindOfClown

A V8 ZJ (Grand Cherokee) tie rod is a huge improvement over the stock XJ TR, for a junkyard price. Maybe not as good as a true HD, but it should hold up to 33s and moderate wheeling.

b.mcdaniel.2009

Subscribed...I was wondering the same question and was looking into some of the same companys as you.


I was told the Helm Joint's wear faster than the TRE. Not sure if thats true.

storm101

One major contender you guys left out is seriousoffroadproducts.com - his serious steering is a pretty sweet setup.

Btw frankz (vendor) on here runs the site , pretty knowledgeable guy with some great products from what I've read.

ClassicX

First off, good questions. I'm interested in the responses.
I have a similar setup to yours and am going to go with currie . I've heard nothing but good things from people running their kit (steering). A lot of the jeepspeed guys run it. I have their adj. track bar and liked that it used a johnny instead of heim. That's how I jeep tho..... All a matter of preference.

opake

Good point here, I'm thinking of ordering his kit that you'd don't have to drill for, but would like some input from anyone running it. I also have a Solid industries front diff cover on my D30, don't want any interference with that either. Subscribing to this thread..

mud-dog27

X2 for this option, with 33s this will be more than sufficient compared to the stock XJ 3/4" hollow tube, V8 ZJ is i believe 1" solid bar and it is a direct drop in and i noticed an immediate improvement in the steering response

i wish i had taken a pic of the stock XJ tie-rod when i pulled it cause it was bowed and that was only with 32s

one thing i havent done yet is the durango box upgrade but be sure to research it and get the correct box as there were 2 versions

NewKindOfClown

Stock XJ tie rod next to an IRO HD tie rod (1.25")


V8 ZJ tie rod will be enough, but this shows how pitiful our stock bar is.
And the Durango swap is popular because it's awesome. I'll be doing mine sometime soon after installing my lift and 33s. dukie564 did a great write-up on the swap.

freegdr

if all your gonna run is 33s go with the v8 grand cherokee upgrade

fritzthekatt

Thanks for the input everyone. Noticing the conversation centers around bars and the ZJ V8 swap. If you do this upgrade is it necessary to upgrade the pump and gear box?

There was a little talk about the durango gear box swap. Why is this a popular swap? Is it a performance/price deal compared to a HD PSC ($275) or AGR ($325) mid level upgrade? Are their strength(power)/turn radius advantages to the dodge or aftermarket options? What are the differences between the right durango box and the wrong one?

Would a steering fluid cooler be necessary with this setup? Is there really a risk of boiling the steering fluid?

Off topic here. Anyone know of some good yards in Northern Virginia or Maryland that have fair rates on parts. I have called a few and felt they were way over priced.

freegdr

you can pretty much by the grand cherokee link on line for cheap its a direct replacement for the xj one its just solid and bigger round instead of hollow .

mud-dog27

V8 ZJ linkage drops right in place of your stock setup, no other modification required.

the durango box is stronger as the durango had 31s stock, this box also has a better ratio then the cherokee box IIRC. How it compares to the other boxes you mentioned i do not know.

as for boiling your steering fluid i wouldnt worry too much about it unless you start going above 36s and running hydro assist.