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author's note: After running the kit on my Jeep for a few months, I removed it and reinstalled the stock steering linkages. Due to a problem with the geometry of the kit and the inverted-T setup, I experienced a noticeable amount of understeer. This led to a loss of "center" feeling in the steering wheel and poor handling on the road. Many others with early versions of the kit have reported similar problems. I've spoken to Rusty several times about the problems I had with the kit and he says he has a fix for it, he has also changed it slightly since I got it. Even so, my stock steering is working very well now and I seem to have gotten the alignment dialed in, so at the moment I have no plans to reinstall the conversion. Feel free to contact me directly if you have any other questions. Installation date: 2/5/99 After a couple of weeks of talking with Rusty and some of the guys already running the conversion, I decided to try it out soon had a conversion and steering box brace sitting on my door step (Rusty's OffRoad is currently the only place that sells an XJ steering box brace). (the bent silver rod in the pics is my Rubicon Express trackbar)
Installing the steering conversion is a simple bolt-on swap (no drilling or reaming), all you do is remove the stock steering linkages, then bolt up the new ones. The first thing to do is remove the cotter pins and nuts from the stock rodends and unbolt the stabilizer from the draglink. You'll probably want to get a "pickle-fork"/rodend puller to help remove the rodends, I had to use one on the rodend attached to the pitman arm, but not on the other rodends. To get the rodends out of the steering knuckles I used a trick I learned at a local 4x4 shop: tap the side of the knuckles a couple of times with a hammer and the rodends will pop right out. Spraying some penetrating oil on the rodends will help loosen them up.
Once you've removed the stock steering linkages, bolt up the new tierod to the steering knuckles, then attach the new draglink to the pitman arm and the tierod. The stabilizer bolts to the draglink using a bracket supplied with the steering conversion. After you get everything bolted together, check to make sure the stabilizer length is set right so that you don't bottom it out or over extend it when you turn the wheels. Then just have the toe set and the steering wheel centered and you're ready to hit the trails. Rusty recommends rechecking the bolts and nuts after the first 300 miles and after any off-road trips during the first 300 miles.
The new linkages are definitely beefy, much stronger than the stock tierod, and they have a nice, durable silver finish. Rusty is also working on a dual steering stablilizer for the tierod conversion. Caution: Steering modifications can be dangerous, be sure to follow all manufacturer's directions and torque all bolts to the recommended torque. Use cotter-pins where applicable. Rusty's OffRoad can be contacted at: Rusty's OffRoad
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