PR44, balljoint, Synergy and PSC hydro upgrades and issues

Eddie, thanks for the advice. I'm more concerned about lateral axle centering than strength with where my brackets are welded on, but I'm going to try to find a new 07-11' stocker per your recommendation. I'm going to have to find out if 52059982AE is dual clevite, or one spherical end. The fact that you guys are running them on 40s and in some cases racing on them takes the strength question right out of my mind. For the tie rod, do you think there's any difference at all in the Crown and a Mopar one? For all I know, Crown might make it for Mopar.

On the draglink, I already have a flip with my knuckles, and the trackbar bracket and other brackets are already in place. I'm thinking of piecing together a crown or Mopar draglink with a RHD end. I going to go out on a limb and guess that's what's included in the EVO kit, and since I already have the brackets and taper, does it make sense to buy the entire kit?

2007blackjk My case is a little odd. The Synergy stuff, coupled with Dynatrack ball joints and RCV boots is such a stiff setup, that I've had some sticky steering since install. I had a front e-locker fail on me and engage while turning onto the highway, and really stressed the steering system trying to avoid death at 40mph once I got off on the ramp. I've been experiencing even more of this stiff and sticky steering since, and likely over-stressed a linkage somewhere. I believe where I'm at right now, is a combination of the stiff heavy duty components, coupled with a linkage probably being over-stressed and bent, coupled with possible steering box damage. My JKU was such a fun vehicle, that I put 18K miles on my tires in the first 6 months since I put them on last Nov, mostly wheeling and fun trips. Since the locker incident, over the last 4 months I hate driving it, and have less than 4k on it. I need to get it right again, and will throw whatever it takes at it. I would have been posting from Rausch with some other WoLers this weekend if the steering was right.

Unfortunately for me, we don't have any reputable offroad shops here in Indiana. If I come into a lot of money some day, my celebration will be trailering Beast out west, giving it to Mel with a giant wish list, and paying them to make it right. Up until today, I've tightened every bolt, cut, trimmed, welded and shaped every component. I don't trust well =(.

Thanks for the advice so far everyone in the thread, and sorry to jump on the same wagon with the op.
 
Just ran across this
What was done to your rig this week?
http://wayalife.com/showthread.php?p=373163#post373163
I'm sure it works great on a tie rod but not sure how well it'll work with a drag link being that it inherently sits at an angle.

I'm more concerned about lateral axle centering than strength...

Why is that? Your axle will always be a bit off center depending on how much weight you have in your Jeep. It's just the nature of a solid axle with a track bar. Your axle being centered should be the least of your concerns.

...I'm going to try to find a new 07-11' stocker per your recommendation. I'm going to have to find out if 52059982AE is dual clevite, or one spherical end. The fact that you guys are running them on 40s and in some cases racing on them takes the strength question right out of my mind. For the tie rod, do you think there's any difference at all in the Crown and a Mopar one? For all I know, Crown might make it for Mopar.

Honestly, I don't know for sure and really, you could be right in that Crown may make the Mopar one. I'm sure the bushings on both are clevite.

On the draglink, I already have a flip with my knuckles, and the trackbar bracket and other brackets are already in place. I'm thinking of piecing together a crown or Mopar draglink with a RHD end. I going to go out on a limb and guess that's what's included in the EVO kit, and since I already have the brackets and taper, does it make sense to buy the entire kit?

Yup, that's about what you would get with an EVO kit - Mopar RHD drag link. The track bar is not replaced being that you just use your factory one.
 
too bad you're not closer, we could compare setups closer. This is why I dislike making too many changes at once - the gremlin shake out, but I'm inclined to it's synergy parts related.

I say this because I've driven other Jeeps with the PR44 and PSC attached to stock tie rod and drag link aftermarket adjustable track bar and they steers like slicing through butter (for lack of a better description).

They have different lift kits but that shouldn't affect the steering.

I'm thinking the oversized Synergy TRE's are not suited for the Jeep.
 
Axle off the ground, draglink connected from pitman arm, it takes a lot of force to move the knuckles back and forth by hand from the draglink. More than I'd expect, most of my weight in fact, not that I'm an expert. I never really have any deadband in the system, otherwise I'd have replaced things or adjusted the gear by now. Thanks for the follow ups. Tonight I get to order components!
 
too bad you're not closer, we could compare setups closer. This is why I dislike making too many changes at once - the gremlin shake out, but I'm inclined to it's synergy parts related.

I say this because I've driven other Jeeps with the PR44 and PSC attached to stock tie rod and drag link aftermarket adjustable track bar and they steers like slicing through butter (for lack of a better description).

They have different lift kits but that shouldn't affect the steering.

I'm thinking the oversized Synergy TRE's are not suited for the Jeep.

How did you mount the ram ?
 
Axle off the ground, draglink connected from pitman arm, it takes a lot of force to move the knuckles back and forth by hand from the draglink. More than I'd expect, most of my weight in fact, not that I'm an expert. I never really have any deadband in the system, otherwise I'd have replaced things or adjusted the gear by now. Thanks for the follow ups. Tonight I get to order components!

Oh ok ... I misunderstood the last post.
 
Axle off the ground, draglink connected from pitman arm, it takes a lot of force to move the knuckles back and forth by hand from the draglink. More than I'd expect, most of my weight in fact, not that I'm an expert. I never really have any deadband in the system, otherwise I'd have replaced things or adjusted the gear by now. Thanks for the follow ups. Tonight I get to order components!

how much force at each wheel if you disconnect the drag link, tie rod and track bar? did the ball joints get over-torqued? I'd check each wheel and take the knuckle off to check the ball joint.

If I recall correctly, they only require 10-15 foot lbs to move them. When I installed mine on the D44, my neighbor (who I found out worked for GM assembly!) had what looked like a fishing scale that he attached to the knuckle and pulled on it to measure the force.
 
how much force at each wheel if you disconnect the drag link, tie rod and track bar? did the ball joints get over-torqued? I'd check each wheel and take the knuckle off to check the ball joint.

If I recall correctly, they only require 10-15 foot lbs to move them. When I installed mine on the D44, my neighbor (who I found out worked for GM assembly!) had what looked like a fishing scale that he attached to the knuckle and pulled on it to measure the force.

That's a really good idea lol
 
In my case, you can rock the knuckles back and forth easily when it's just the ball joints. If I remove the tie rod, draglink, and RCV's (boot drag), it's easy to rotate, even with the dynatrac ball joints. I an try this week with the RCVs, but no linkages and get back to you. I'll try to bring a fish scale home when I do it.
 
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If you need to order up a new factory track bar, try to get one that is a 2007-10 as they will have clevite bushings on both ends. The newer ones, 2011-up has a clevite on the axle end and a spherical joint on the frame end. This is a nice setup but, they don't seem to last as long. If you're concerned about strength or flex, I can assure you that it seems to be more than enough for Moby with his 40" tires, ProRock 60 and 14" of vertical travel that the EVO DTD provides. They are also what EVO 1 runs and it competes in Ultra 4.

That is crazy you have experienced no breaks or bends with the stock front track bar. I bent mine really bad running Holy Cross on 35's! Only had 12,000 miles on it! EDIT: Nevermind, I forgot I had swapped the stock one out for a Teraflex and that's what bent.
 
That is crazy you have experienced no breaks or bends with the stock front track bar. I bent mine really bad running Holy Cross on 35's! Only had 12,000 miles on it! EDIT: Nevermind, I forgot I had swapped the stock one out for a Teraflex and that's what bent.

:cheesy: I was gonna say, how the hell did you manage to bend a factory front track bar so easily. Just be glad that you didn't break your TeraFlex track bar - that's what typically happens with them :shock:

main.php


http://wayalife.com/showthread.php?5169-TeraFlex-Front-Track-Bar-Breaks
 
In my case, you can rock the knuckles back and forth easily when it's just the ball joints. If I remove the tie rod, draglink, and RCV's (boot drag), it's easy to rotate, even with the dynatrac ball joints. I an try this week with the RCVs, but no linkages and get back to you. I'll try to bring a fish scale home when I do it.

I was and still kind of am having sticky steering like you are describing. One of my balljoints was binding so after addressing that it's better but it's still stickier than when I had my stock steering installed. I am running a synergy tie rod and draglink. I first started noticing it shortly after installing my draglink. Can it really be the hd tie rod ends causing the sticky steering?
 
This is strange.

I'm guessing tie rod. Only because so many people use the Synergy drag link (flipped or stock location) and I never heard of any steering issues.

I have a all Synergy front end. Steering seems ok. There's some laziness but I contribute that to 3-3.5 caster angle.

Very curious to see what you guys find out.
 
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