Steering

One thing I anxiously anticipated with my new-to-me front axle was getting rid of the TJ's stock "inverted-y" steering set-up. Nobody I have spoken to can explain to me any advantages the "inverted-y" setup could have over a more standard setup. Basically, the inverted-y has the draglink from the steering box to the passenger side knuckle, and the tie-rod from the driver's side knuckle to part-way along the draglink. (This looks like an upside-down y, hence the name.) The main problem with this is that as the axle droops, the draglink pulls upwards creating "toe-in". The normal steering setup has the tie-rod running to both knuckles, and the draglink connecting to the tie-rod and the steering box. Thus, the tie-rod keeps the tires in a fixed alignment at all times.

Even better, we used the steering parts for full-size trucks, meaning much stronger steering components than the factory TJ. Solid chromoly tubes as opposed to seamed (thin) steel tube. Hopefully this will mean that I don't bend my tie-rod anymore.

Due to the different placement of the steering box on my TJ relative to a full-size truck, the draglink was assembled from different full-size vehicle steering parts. (Dodge and Ford, I believe). This also meant that no stock steering stabilizer would fit, so we flipped the draglink over and used a steering stabilizer bracket from a Toyota draglink. This is why, in the 3rd picture below, the draglink end near the knuckle has the steering stabilizer attachment hole. I will need to find a draglink end of the same length that doesn't have this attachment point, since the flaring of the draglink at that point may bind against the tie-rod with the passenger side wheel stuffed upwards. With all the steering components in place, we positioned and attached the final bracket in the RE front axle kit for the other end of the steering stabilizer.

Driver side steering, tie rod end.	Pitman arm and draglink end, front trackbar.
Passenger side steering, tie rod and draglink end.	Steering stabilizer installed.