Offset TRE's with Stonecrusher style steering

[mj1989gt]

Finnally got everything finished on the steering. Welded up all the tubes and the saddle for the heim joint. I used the one offset TRE for the passanger side for clearance witht the drop bracket and a normal TRE on the driverside to clear the pitman arm. I will probably get it aligned this weekend and see how it drives.

 

[mj1989gt]

Finally drove the truck around the block for the first time since October. Only got it up to 30mph but it seemed to drive OK. Still need to finish up a few other things so i can drive it further.

 

[wood1]

Very nice!

 

[Naasau]

Looks good!

I've got a few questions for you though, since it is a bit hard to tell from the pics:

1. First, I assume that both of your Tie Rods are still strait, and since I don't see an adjustment sleeve then aligning the passenger side Rod is kind of a PITA?
2. Also, is it just me or is the TRE off of the pitman arm threaded out quite a distance? (I can't really see it that well from the pics, maybe some closeups?)
3. Has it been over to an alignment shop for a fine-tuning?
4. And finally, have you/when will you be able to test it out for extreme flex so that you can determine if there are any odd pulling problems? (I've read some reports of big issues with bumps at speed causing sudden yanks to the side... but that could be any number of things that could or could not be related to the SCS type assembly)

Sorry for all the questions/requests, but I am determined to make a better assembly for my X and I want as much info as possible before I go out and buy a bunch of parts.

 

[Naasau]

Oh, and while totally irrelevant, what color are ya gonna paint/powder coat it?

 

[RustySJohnson]

Tough 2 align

It looks great. Rugged simplicity. Let us know how it works once you get it aligned.

The LHS should be OK, but the RHS appears unadjustable without some disassembly. There is a double adjuster that allows your steering linkage to be adjusted without removal. I used one and can vouch for the quality and it works for a similar application:

http://www.polyperformance.com/shop/Synergy-Suspension-Double-Adjuster-Tube-Adapter-p-19276.html

BRIAN1 told me about it, it worked well.

 

[mj1989gt]

I've got a few questions for you though, since it is a bit hard to tell from the pics:

1. First, I assume that both of your Tie Rods are still strait, and since I don't see an adjustment sleeve then aligning the passenger side Rod is kind of a PITA?
2. Also, is it just me or is the TRE off of the pitman arm threaded out quite a distance? (I can't really see it that well from the pics, maybe some closeups?)
3. Has it been over to an alignment shop for a fine-tuning?
4. And finally, have you/when will you be able to test it out for extreme flex so that you can determine if there are any odd pulling problems? (I've read some reports of big issues with bumps at speed causing sudden yanks to the side... but that could be any number of things that could or could not be related to the SCS type assembly)

1. Yes neither rod has been bent. I used the offset TRE on drivers side to clear bracket so no bending was needed. And yes the passanger side is a pain to adjust. I will have to look into that adjuster from poly.
2. I will try to take some more pictures but no it's not threaded out as far as it looks. I made sure to have atleast an inch of thread in each bung.
3. No fine tuning yet. I have the old snap on bubble caster/camber tool and a toe plate so i have it very close if not perfect but i will recheck it on the rack at work.
4. Hoping to finish the e-brake and get the driveshafts extended so i can drive this thing some more. Also need my bumper mounted and I need to find my license plate!

 

[Naasau]

I found my license plate under the carpet in my wife's heep after I finally got the bumper done, god only knows how it got there. So you'll probably find yours in the last place you'd think to look as well.

Speaking of... you look like the kinda guy who needs these!
http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=209636

I look forward to seeing/hearing more! Well Done!

 

[mj1989gt]

Close up pics of the TRE's/DRE's. I will not be getting my driveshafts till tuesday. I was hoping to get them saturday so i can drive this thing a little before camping next weekend. And yes i still need to put the boots on 2 of the TRE's

 

[carboncanyon]

maybe its just the camera angle, but it really looks like your going to run into interference problems on the drivers side if you ever bounce the front end and both tires compress at the same time. Looks great for droop, but it looks like stuff could get interesting..

 

[mj1989gt]

maybe its just the camera angle, but it really looks like your going to run into interference problems on the drivers side if you ever bounce the front end and both tires compress at the same time. Looks great for droop, but it looks like stuff could get interesting..

The tie rod that goes to the driver side wheel is about 1 inch behind the pitman arm so they shouldn't ever hit even at full compression. It stays about 1 inch behind on full left and right turns as well.

 

[mj1989gt]

Finally got my driveshafts installed. I took it for a nice long drive around town and on the freeway. It handles great. Very minimal bump steer when hitting big dips in the road. Drives very smooth at 70mph on the freeway. I wish i would have driven this thing with the lift and stock steering to compare. I drives like stock except that the wheel is a little to loose at freeway speeds. I have my caster set at 5* so maybe i need to add some more caster. So as of right now i am very happy with this settup. I'll put some miles on it and keep you guys updated.

 

[mj1989gt]

Got back from a fun weekend in Anza-Borrego state park. The explorer worked great the whole time. The steering worked good off road but I never removed the sway-bar so it did not flex much. I put about 500 miles of off and on road driving on it. Handles very well at 70 mph on the highway. Has some bumpsteer but not bad. This steering isn't perfect but it works for me.

 

[Naasau]

Looks good! Could you describe the minor bumpsteer issues? Does it pull to either side or 'hop' when it hits pot holes at high speeds?

/hijack

Also, I just got a set of those tires, how do you like them so far?

 

[mj1989gt]

The only time i feel the bumpsteer is when i go through big dips in the road were the suspension is compressed maybe 3 inches. On a normal highway i really dont have bump steer issues. Desert highways have lots of dips for dry river beds and thats when i notice it. The steering is a little more loose than stock. I have been talking it over some more with people and have decided that it is caused by the center heim joint saddle being able the twist.( no way to prevent that). My friend has a 2009 jeep with 4 inch lift and his drives no better than mine so I'm not worried.
I love the tires! next time i will go with 33/12.50 instead of the 33/10.50. These tires are skinny! i measured only 8 inch tread width. Road noise is not bad either compared to other mud terrains.

Edit: I should add that for the money i spent on this settup i could have built a single swing steering system. BUT thats only if you can fab your own swinger and have a tig welder for the pitman arm. And do not screw up and buy 2 sets of TRE's for your SCS

 

[Naasau]

My 285/75r16's (about 33x11) only have 9" tread width, but they are waaayy more stable than the 30x9.5r15's that I left on for a while after I did the lift . And you're right, the road noise is almost nothing compared to the goodyear MTR's (old ones) that came on my wife's Heep Rubicon

/unjack

Could you expand on the Single Swing steering system? Cause a welder I got.

 

[mj1989gt]

http://www.race-dezert.com/forum/sh...ngle-swing-quot-I-beam-steering-pics-and-info

That link should show some basic ideas of what a single swing steering system is. Lots of prerunner guys use them. It allows you to move the steering more inline with the pivot points and works great with large amounts of wheel travel.

 

[Maniak]

I know there must be a reason..

Why did you build it the way you did instead building a y-style steering?

This is the kit you can buy from ruffstuff.

It does appear that if your stock steering setup is almost flat that things won't clear. In other words, don't run a drop pitman arm..

Am I missing something or is the ruffstuff kit just another way to skin the cat?

~Mark

 

[Tbars4]

..Maniak...Do you have a link to ruffstuff's steering?

..I thought they had a couple different setups for the Rangers/Explorers..:scratch:

 

[Maniak]

..Maniak...Do you have a link to ruffstuff's steering?

..I thought they had a couple different setups for the Rangers/Explorers..:scratch:

This is the ruffstuff kit I found..
http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/YLINK.html

Stonecrusher won't sell to ranger/explorer people.. Something getting measurements right.. I already tried to buy their stuff.

One thing that occured to me. The ruffstuff steering kit appears that it may cause a bunch of bump steer on a TTB setup. I have a hard time picturing steering movment in my head...

~Mark