Steer Wrestling - WJ Knuckles On A TJ Wrangler

EDITOR HAZEL and Tech Editor Simons are longtime Jeep guys and warned us that this project would become far more involved than we anticipated.

- Harry Wagner

While we are pleased with the final product, it was hardly a bolt-on affair. We had to source parts from multiple vendors and do significant fabrication. If you just want stronger steering, there are bolton options that fit the bill. If you want to replace the inverted Y setup, there are even kits that do that, but they are expensive and you don’t get larger brakes. It all comes down to your priorities.

The introduction of the TJ Wrangler in 1997 offered many advantages over the outgoing YJ, most notably the front and rear coil suspension. The subsequent Rubicon model that began in 2003 set the bar even higher with locking differentials and a 4:1 transfer case. What was sorely lacking, however, was adequate steering. The TJ uses an inverted Y steering configuration with a drag link that connects from the pitman arm to the passenger knuckle and a puny tie rod from the drag link to the driver knuckle. Furthermore, there’s a bend in the passenger-side drag link to provide clearance when turning full-lock. And guess where the factory-style tubing always fails. You guessed it—at the bend.