How to: Steering mod: Rag Joint to U-joint ZJ Shaft

[BKennedy]

Yes, I left the factory threads alone and just used longer bolts to add the lock nuts.

8mm x 1.25 pitch

For the upper safety pin I just used 1/4 20

 

[Benjam]

So are these shafts coming out of cherokees or Grand cherokees? The thread title and some of your posts have me confused. Aside from that, do you know if 89-95 are the only years to find these? Reason I ask is in the rust belt even a 95 can be a rare bird to find sometimes.

Also, is the jeep shaft comparable in size to the ford? As far as distance to the exhaust?

Thanks for taking the time to do a write-up on this, also. I will probably be going hunting at the scrapyard Saturday. Got a big trip planned this summer and I don't plan on taking any rag joints with me!

Benjam

 

[FR-425]

So are these shafts coming out of cherokees or Grand cherokees? The thread title and some of your posts have me confused. Aside from that, do you know if 89-95 are the only years to find these? Reason I ask is in the rust belt even a 95 can be a rare bird to find sometimes.

Also, is the jeep shaft comparable in size to the ford? As far as distance to the exhaust?

Thanks for taking the time to do a write-up on this, also. I will probably be going hunting at the scrapyard Saturday. Got a big trip planned this summer and I don't plan on taking any rag joints with me!

Benjam

Yea, the thread started as a "potential" solution and evolved into a "final" mod.

I asked Rick to change the title to read ZJ not XJ, but he forgot.

So the shaft is indeed from a ZJ which is the Grand Cherokee.

I sourced mine from a 93'.

I have sourced two others for EF members..

Looking at different model years I learned that starting in 95' some actually have a metal shaft with PLASTIC ends! WTH? They do still have u-joints and the plastic clamps are sleeved with steel. But I'm not like'n that option.

So it looks like 92' - 94' are the target years for this shaft. Although I have seen the all steel shaft in later years up to 2000, Not sure what the difference is, probably 2wd vs. 4wd. 6cyl vs. 8cyl. whatever

The ZJ shaft's u-joints are much smaller than the rag joints, as you can see in the comparison pics. So if you need extra room for headers or what-not, this would be a good way to get it.

 

[Benjam]

So I went to the boneyard and pulled two steering shafts today. One from a 95 Grand cherokee with the straight six in it, and the next from a 94 with the 5.2 V8.

I was pleasantly surprised to see how easy it is to pull the steering shafts on these rigs. a 13mm Socket and ratchet was all it took to get these shafts out.

The first shaft I pulled had a very slight amount of play in one of the U-joints, so I held on to it and kept looking until I stumbled upon the V8 grand cherokee. This model had a heat shield over the U-joint due to how close the exhaust manifold is to the steering gear. I figured the heat shield was a good sign that this shaft was in better shape, and it was. It was a bit tighter getting this shaft out because of the V8 versus straight 6, but no extra tools were needed. This shaft, though greasy, looks to be exactly the same as the shaft from the 95 with the straight 6. The u-joints feel good, so I took this shaft home with me.

Now to do some modifying.

Benjam

 

[gmanpaint]

I'm going thru the pick n pull website looking for the steering shaft. I found a yard that has two 93 Grand Cherokee's. Going thru the price listing they have, it breaks down the steering as:

238-3 Steering coupler - $8.49
238-4 Steering sector shaft - $9.99

I'm assuming the sector shaft is the part I'm after here, but what is the coupler? Is it part of it, or something else? Just curious is all. :scratch:

 

[FR-425]

I haven't seen anything under the hood of those that I would call a coupler... ...

Dunno? Junk yard cashier?

 

[RangerX]

Thread title changed to read "ZJ".

 

[FR-425]

Thread title changed to read "ZJ".

 

[BKennedy]

425, thanks for sending me that shaft. I put it on the back burner after purchasing new bolts, lock nuts, etc. I am going to use the stock Ford through bolt sizing at the top joint, just with a longer bolt to get a lock nut on it. I figure it will not allow as much wiggle as a SAE bolt if it gets loose. Was also thinking about cutting off the shaft ends and welding on the stock Ford mounts, but that might be more trouble than its worth.

I am quite frankly tired of looking at the underside of the Explorer and just want to drive it for a while before doing anything else on the dirty side.

Anyone who does this mod, please post pics on this thread and any problems you encountered.

 

[Got Trq]

Hmm.. I think I need this. My steering has a clunk sound when I hit some bumps, but I thought it was my worn out shocks (replacing those this weekend).

 

[BKennedy]

Hmm.. I think I need this. My steering has a clunk sound when I hit some bumps, but I thought it was my worn out shocks (replacing those this weekend).

That does not sound like your issue will be resolved by this modification. First, you need to find the problem. It sounds to me that you might have a loose or worn out tie rod end, but only if you can feel the movement through the wheel when it "clunks". This mod is for loose steering shafts due to worn out rag joints.

 

[Got Trq]

Well I also have pretty sloppy steering My X is a work in progress, slowly being restored haha.

 

[Benjam]

425, is your steering wheel still straight ahead after putting the jeep shaft on?

Benjam

 

[FR-425]

425, is your steering wheel still straight ahead after putting the jeep shaft on?

Benjam

No, it turned to the left a bit. Just shows how bad the rag joints were.

The steering wheel is keyed to the column shaft, so the only way to correct it is to re-adjust the tie rod ends.

If you mark the the tie rod ends and turn both the exact same amount in the same direction i.e. wheels right or wheels left you can get the steering wheel back to center with out fudg'n up the toe-in.

 

[Benjam]

Okay good, I'm just concerned about those lower splines being right. My steering wheel is to the right now when I'm going straight.

I'll have to post pictures later of how bad my rag joints were. Really bad indeed.

I also adjusted the steering gear and got some play out of that. I have to do an outer tie rod end so I'll align it then and everything should be good and tight!

Benjam

 

[FR-425]

 

[FR-425]

23,000 miles on the shaft now, a trip to Moab and Plenty of other wheel'n in between.


Still solid as a rock. This mod is for sure a keeper.

 

[Kami808]

Nice Mod!
I got some questions about this steering mod since I couldn't find any jeep Cherokee from 1989-95 for parts neither at the junkyards, I found this steering shaft on ebay from 1996 - 1998 Jeep Cherokee ZJ and I'm Wondering if these are the same from 1989-95?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1996-1998-J...Parts_Accessories&hash=item3cf122612d&vxp=mtr

 

[FR-425]

Hard to say from just that pic.

But I can see that all three of those in the pic are slightly different from each other.

To be sure if your going to buy on-line look for 92' - 95' only

 

[BKennedy]

I finally finished this mod on my 1994 Explorer. Works very well. Took some play out of the wheel, and don't have to worry about the rag joints exploding. It is very straightforward, just follow the guide. Go for a drive (I went off-roading) and work the steering. Come back and retighten the bolts/nuts.

I was planning on modifying the shaft by welding on the Explorer's steering gear box side shaft fitting. After 425 sent me his old, worn out shaft, I realized its a cast piece. I didn't want to trust a cast to stamped steel weld, and it was going to be much more trouble than its worth. Ended up doing just what the "how to" states. The steering wheel was only a little bit off. Maybe due to the rod end type steering setup, but any little modification to my steering puts the wheel off-center. It was already off-center the other direction due to a recent pitman arm mod. I have changed out a few steering gear boxes on my Explorer (4) in the years I have had it, and always had to adjust the steering wheel about the same as with this mod.