woo hoo!
 

Well, that was easy.

Finished off one more of the jobs that needed to be done on the ZJ.

The inner right drag link ball joint (the one that connects the tie
rod to the drag link) was shot. It was making ye old standard sucking
noises when the wheels were turned and was probably contributing to a bit
of road wonder.

Anyhow, The joint came out easier than the stabilizer did. Still used a
ball joint press to get it out, but only had to tighten it with the small
wrench and hit it once with the BFH.

The trick was putting the new one in without screwing up the alignment.

Took three measurements. One between the bolt and the far wheel tie rod
clamp. Transfered the existing tie rod position to the drag link using
a carpenters square. And finally measured between the bolt and marked the
threads on the new link end.

When I put it back up the whole assembly simply slid into place and all
the marks lined up. :) I got lucky the wheels didn't move.

The only thing that pissed with me was the castle nut. On this new
ball joint the cotter-pin hole was further down on the shaft and didn't
want to clear the nut when it was set to proper torque. It also didn't
have a lot of clearance or a bevel. Had to piddle with the hole and one
of my round files to get just enough clearance to pound it in.

Next up the track bar and upper/lower control arms. Eventually I'll have to
replace the other control bar end and the drag link (the ball joint is part
of the whole stinking bar). Probably should have just bought all the parts
and did it in one go. But that's too much to mess with right now. :/



--
DougW

Re: woo hoo!
 

DougW wrote:
> Well, that was easy.
>
> Finished off one more of the jobs that needed to be done on the ZJ.
>
> The inner right drag link ball joint (the one that connects the tie
> rod to the drag link) was shot. It was making ye old standard sucking
> noises when the wheels were turned and was probably contributing to a
> bit of road wonder.

Just got back from a night on the town. :)
Several miles of highway and some high sidewinds and absolutly no
jittery road feel.. :D

Amazing the improvement. I'm still not fully understanding how
a teeny movement can translate to that much road feel. :/

--
DougW

Re: woo hoo!
 

DougW wrote:
> Well, that was easy.
>
> Finished off one more of the jobs that needed to be done on the ZJ.
>
> The inner right drag link ball joint (the one that connects the tie
> rod to the drag link) was shot. It was making ye old standard sucking
> noises when the wheels were turned and was probably contributing to a
> bit of road wonder.

Just got back from a night on the town. :)
Several miles of highway and some high sidewinds and absolutly no
jittery road feel.. :D

Amazing the improvement. I'm still not fully understanding how
a teeny movement can translate to that much road feel. :/

--
DougW

Re: woo hoo!
 

DougW wrote:
> Well, that was easy.
>
> Finished off one more of the jobs that needed to be done on the ZJ.
>
> The inner right drag link ball joint (the one that connects the tie
> rod to the drag link) was shot. It was making ye old standard sucking
> noises when the wheels were turned and was probably contributing to a
> bit of road wonder.

Just got back from a night on the town. :)
Several miles of highway and some high sidewinds and absolutly no
jittery road feel.. :D

Amazing the improvement. I'm still not fully understanding how
a teeny movement can translate to that much road feel. :/

--
DougW

Re: woo hoo!
 

Pretty exciting when just a little thing makes a big thing go away.
Good to hear it :)


"DougW" <post.replies@invalid.address> wrote in message
news:5Z5Pg.12456$JR5.8304@dukeread11...
> DougW wrote:
>> Well, that was easy.
>>
>> Finished off one more of the jobs that needed to be done on the ZJ.
>>
>> The inner right drag link ball joint (the one that connects the tie
>> rod to the drag link) was shot. It was making ye old standard sucking
>> noises when the wheels were turned and was probably contributing to a
>> bit of road wonder.
>
> Just got back from a night on the town. :)
> Several miles of highway and some high sidewinds and absolutly no
> jittery road feel.. :D
>
> Amazing the improvement. I'm still not fully understanding how
> a teeny movement can translate to that much road feel. :/
>
> --
> DougW
>

Re: woo hoo!
 

Pretty exciting when just a little thing makes a big thing go away.
Good to hear it :)


"DougW" <post.replies@invalid.address> wrote in message
news:5Z5Pg.12456$JR5.8304@dukeread11...
> DougW wrote:
>> Well, that was easy.
>>
>> Finished off one more of the jobs that needed to be done on the ZJ.
>>
>> The inner right drag link ball joint (the one that connects the tie
>> rod to the drag link) was shot. It was making ye old standard sucking
>> noises when the wheels were turned and was probably contributing to a
>> bit of road wonder.
>
> Just got back from a night on the town. :)
> Several miles of highway and some high sidewinds and absolutly no
> jittery road feel.. :D
>
> Amazing the improvement. I'm still not fully understanding how
> a teeny movement can translate to that much road feel. :/
>
> --
> DougW
>

Re: woo hoo!
 

Pretty exciting when just a little thing makes a big thing go away.
Good to hear it :)


"DougW" <post.replies@invalid.address> wrote in message
news:5Z5Pg.12456$JR5.8304@dukeread11...
> DougW wrote:
>> Well, that was easy.
>>
>> Finished off one more of the jobs that needed to be done on the ZJ.
>>
>> The inner right drag link ball joint (the one that connects the tie
>> rod to the drag link) was shot. It was making ye old standard sucking
>> noises when the wheels were turned and was probably contributing to a
>> bit of road wonder.
>
> Just got back from a night on the town. :)
> Several miles of highway and some high sidewinds and absolutly no
> jittery road feel.. :D
>
> Amazing the improvement. I'm still not fully understanding how
> a teeny movement can translate to that much road feel. :/
>
> --
> DougW
>

Re: woo hoo!
 

Just fyi, when you have a castle nut to the proper torque and the hole
doesn't line up, it is proper practice to tighten it more until the pin
will slide through.

Taking a piece out of the castle weakens it. If it doesn't go onto the
bolt far enough to set the pin, you have something wrong, either dirt or
a deformed part or the wrong part.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

DougW wrote:
>
> Well, that was easy.
>
> Finished off one more of the jobs that needed to be done on the ZJ.
>
> The inner right drag link ball joint (the one that connects the tie
> rod to the drag link) was shot. It was making ye old standard sucking
> noises when the wheels were turned and was probably contributing to a bit
> of road wonder.
>
> Anyhow, The joint came out easier than the stabilizer did. Still used a
> ball joint press to get it out, but only had to tighten it with the small
> wrench and hit it once with the BFH.
>
> The trick was putting the new one in without screwing up the alignment.
>
> Took three measurements. One between the bolt and the far wheel tie rod
> clamp. Transfered the existing tie rod position to the drag link using
> a carpenters square. And finally measured between the bolt and marked the
> threads on the new link end.
>
> When I put it back up the whole assembly simply slid into place and all
> the marks lined up. :) I got lucky the wheels didn't move.
>
> The only thing that pissed with me was the castle nut. On this new
> ball joint the cotter-pin hole was further down on the shaft and didn't
> want to clear the nut when it was set to proper torque. It also didn't
> have a lot of clearance or a bevel. Had to piddle with the hole and one
> of my round files to get just enough clearance to pound it in.
>
> Next up the track bar and upper/lower control arms. Eventually I'll have to
> replace the other control bar end and the drag link (the ball joint is part
> of the whole stinking bar). Probably should have just bought all the parts
> and did it in one go. But that's too much to mess with right now. :/
>
> --
> DougW

Re: woo hoo!
 

Just fyi, when you have a castle nut to the proper torque and the hole
doesn't line up, it is proper practice to tighten it more until the pin
will slide through.

Taking a piece out of the castle weakens it. If it doesn't go onto the
bolt far enough to set the pin, you have something wrong, either dirt or
a deformed part or the wrong part.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

DougW wrote:
>
> Well, that was easy.
>
> Finished off one more of the jobs that needed to be done on the ZJ.
>
> The inner right drag link ball joint (the one that connects the tie
> rod to the drag link) was shot. It was making ye old standard sucking
> noises when the wheels were turned and was probably contributing to a bit
> of road wonder.
>
> Anyhow, The joint came out easier than the stabilizer did. Still used a
> ball joint press to get it out, but only had to tighten it with the small
> wrench and hit it once with the BFH.
>
> The trick was putting the new one in without screwing up the alignment.
>
> Took three measurements. One between the bolt and the far wheel tie rod
> clamp. Transfered the existing tie rod position to the drag link using
> a carpenters square. And finally measured between the bolt and marked the
> threads on the new link end.
>
> When I put it back up the whole assembly simply slid into place and all
> the marks lined up. :) I got lucky the wheels didn't move.
>
> The only thing that pissed with me was the castle nut. On this new
> ball joint the cotter-pin hole was further down on the shaft and didn't
> want to clear the nut when it was set to proper torque. It also didn't
> have a lot of clearance or a bevel. Had to piddle with the hole and one
> of my round files to get just enough clearance to pound it in.
>
> Next up the track bar and upper/lower control arms. Eventually I'll have to
> replace the other control bar end and the drag link (the ball joint is part
> of the whole stinking bar). Probably should have just bought all the parts
> and did it in one go. But that's too much to mess with right now. :/
>
> --
> DougW

Re: woo hoo!
 

Just fyi, when you have a castle nut to the proper torque and the hole
doesn't line up, it is proper practice to tighten it more until the pin
will slide through.

Taking a piece out of the castle weakens it. If it doesn't go onto the
bolt far enough to set the pin, you have something wrong, either dirt or
a deformed part or the wrong part.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

DougW wrote:
>
> Well, that was easy.
>
> Finished off one more of the jobs that needed to be done on the ZJ.
>
> The inner right drag link ball joint (the one that connects the tie
> rod to the drag link) was shot. It was making ye old standard sucking
> noises when the wheels were turned and was probably contributing to a bit
> of road wonder.
>
> Anyhow, The joint came out easier than the stabilizer did. Still used a
> ball joint press to get it out, but only had to tighten it with the small
> wrench and hit it once with the BFH.
>
> The trick was putting the new one in without screwing up the alignment.
>
> Took three measurements. One between the bolt and the far wheel tie rod
> clamp. Transfered the existing tie rod position to the drag link using
> a carpenters square. And finally measured between the bolt and marked the
> threads on the new link end.
>
> When I put it back up the whole assembly simply slid into place and all
> the marks lined up. :) I got lucky the wheels didn't move.
>
> The only thing that pissed with me was the castle nut. On this new
> ball joint the cotter-pin hole was further down on the shaft and didn't
> want to clear the nut when it was set to proper torque. It also didn't
> have a lot of clearance or a bevel. Had to piddle with the hole and one
> of my round files to get just enough clearance to pound it in.
>
> Next up the track bar and upper/lower control arms. Eventually I'll have to
> replace the other control bar end and the drag link (the ball joint is part
> of the whole stinking bar). Probably should have just bought all the parts
> and did it in one go. But that's too much to mess with right now. :/
>
> --
> DougW