Reece Ortiz

So I need to replace my tie rod ends. But turns out what’s on my Jeep isn’t stock. I’m the third owner. A guy at Napa helped me figure out that it looks like I have tie rod from a grand Cherokee or something. The tie rod has a ball joint at one end not removable. I got that part but I still need the drag link. The drank link I have on my xj has a ball joint on one end, two holes and threads on the pitman end and is about 32” at least. The drag link the parts store gave me for a xj wasn’t quite the same. The bends were different, it was about an inch shorter and the hole for the steering stabilizer was farther apart.

i know a lot of more experienced jeepers than myself like to swap parts for reasons like being stronger. so I’m wondering if anyone knows what drag link is at least 32” or I guess what steering parts would fit an xj. It has a 4.5 “lift

That Jeep Guy XJMJ

Pictures of your setup would be helpful. Its atleast a little more clearer start for getting an understanding of your current setup. The way people interpret parts and their given names can lead others into multiple directions. "the tierod has a balljoint at on end not removable" Thats what a tierod end is, describing it that way seems a little redundant.

tech

Does it look like this ? if it does then it is a 1998 grand cherokee v8 tie rod

Reece Ortiz

Yes it Kind of looks like that. I’ll post some pics

Reece Ortiz

Here is a pic of what’s on my Jeep now. And the parts I just bought. The tie rod looks good ( a bit different shape but same length and should work) and the drag link which looks the same but is shorter

IJM

You have the V8 ZJ tie rod setup, which is a common setup for the XJ since it's stronger. Having done the swap myself earlier this spring, I think the ZJ drag link is about 1/2" to 2/3" longer than the version the XJ uses.

tech

The one that goes from the steering box to the left side is your stock xj drag link and the one that goes from that to the right side is a 1998 Grand Cherokee V8 tie rod end .

Reece Ortiz

yes but my confusion is the stock drag link I picked up is about an inch shorter overal than what I currently havel so will it be too short? I wonder if the drag link on my Jeep is from a different model.

The drag link I picked up would also put the steering stabilizer bout an inch more extended; would it reach its limit when I turn left?

tech

I know different brands are different lengths , will the new one adjust to the length you need it ?

Reece Ortiz

Ok so I got the job done. Turns out I had the right parts but the curvature of them made it seem like it was too short. It was an optical illusion. Everything fit like it did before and the job was quite easy. No more popping sounds as I turn

UKXJ

Hallelujah!