[Mel85CJ]

what have most people been using on their scout front axles as far as tie rods go.... are you re-using the stock scout & shortening the drag link & reaming out the D30 knuckles for the heavier tie rods? anybody know if you can put CJ tie rod ends onto scout tie rods?

-Mel

 

[2887]

I am VERY glad you brought this up. I am at this point right now with my scout. Parts mike reccomends reaming the CJ tapers out to accept the 7/8 TRE's, but I have never seen a reamer to do that. (I am sure they make em and all, I just never had to use one)

To add a question to the post, assuming scout 44 with jeep dana 30 outers, and jeep power steering, what is the rough finished length of the drag link???

I think parts mike wanted something like 139 bucks for a drag link setup with cj ends and the right lenght for the scout 44.

 

[Tippy]

When I used a waggie front I reused my dana 30 knuckles and drilled out the taper so I could use Heim joints and bolts. I then used DOM tube to make a drag link and tie rod and put them on the top side of the knuckle ears. I think I had to cut the old brake caliper ears off of the dana 30 knuckles so I could use the bigger waggie brakes. They mounted a different way. The hardest part about making my tie rod out of DOM was finding a reverse cut tap so I could adjust the toe in without removing it from the knuckle. It took NAPA about a week to find one.

 

[Mel85CJ]

Yea.. thats what we did, but we used 1 1/4" tube, and 3/4" heim joints, and the tube slams into the diff cover... ummm (without trying to sound too weird)
how big is your tube? what size heims?

-Mel

 

[Tippy]

I used 1" DOM and 5/8" heim's, but I just measured and I have about 1/2" of clearence at neutral - I didn't measure it when turned.

Haven't seen you around lately. Good to have you back.

 

[Mel85CJ]

Thanks, I can only post at work for some stupid reason.. it give me an error message at home "sorry, you have an invalid host" everytime I try to post. Plus, when I try to post at work, I have to log in everytime, even if I click the *remember me* button.. then there is the frustrating TITAN ad.... I lurk a good amount though...
-Mel

 

[2887]

probably a stupid question, but where does one get one of the tools used to ream out the taper?? (I don't have any parts stores here other than NAPA which has NO tools.)

Is this something you can stick in a 1/2 drill and use, or do you need a jig to hold the knuckle and the reamer??

 

[Hooch]

Mel,

A bit O/T but when you get "sorry, you have an invalid host".... You haven't got a software firewall running by any chance such as Zonealarm or the like. If so try turning the "privacy" option off. Just a stab in the dark....

 

[Mel85CJ]

fixed it

 

[Tippy]

I just used a drill bit and 1/2" drill. I can't remember the size off hand.

 

[2887]

doesn't it need to be tapered though, something like an inch per foot??

Thanks

 

[Tippy]

With heim joints you use a bolt and mis-allingment bushing.

 

[2887]

I shoulda said something, I am still in the old school TRE world....

 

[jeepgod]

i got my reamer from Goodson Tool & Supply part number TR-216-2 $59.99

i believe snap on has it also.. part number R121 $40

the goodson one is really nice... used it many times.. cant comment on the snap on... its a 1.5" per foot reamer...

 

[2887]

hey thanks for the link! Why is it that every hangup on my jeep I run into, it costs another small fortune to fix/solve the problem??

I mean, jeeze, I just want to wheel the thing, not spend any darn money on it... Nobody else has this problem of their jeep costing them money right?!?

 

[102]

I had the same problem, Mel.
Until I raised the drag link with three extra thick grade 8 washers and one mis-alignment cone on my HEIMS joints and heavy DOM drag link.
It made all the difference and now I can get full lock to lock with just a touch on the diff cover.