Opinions on IronRockOffroad OTK Steering?

[chadjans]

Someone show a photo of the Ironrock kit with the bolt centers of the panhard (axle and frame bracket) and the drag link (pitman and knuckle). I am curious about the panhard vs drag link angle. Need to draw some lines.

[BigDaveZJ]

This statement made me laugh.

Tell me why the heims on my steering (ram, tie rod and panhard) that have two years of hanging out in my garage on them are as tight as the day as I bought them.

Give me a heim with a grade 8 bolt, all metal lock nut and safety washer over a tie rod with a pressed ball in the housing end any day. Not having to deal with a tapered hole and a nonstandard thread is a positive.

[SirFuego]

Someone show a photo of the Ironrock kit with the bolt centers of the panhard (axle and frame bracket) and the drag link (pitman and knuckle). I am curious about the panhard vs drag link angle. Need to draw some lines.

I had to sorta estimate where it intersected with the knuckle, but they look pretty parallel. Doesn't surprise me because it reuses the same factory trackbar/draglink mounts.

[chadjans]

Cody?

[primo011]

I have the IROR OTK steering kit and I like it alot! The only thing I did different is that I did not use the Steering stabalizer mount and just cut it off. Instead I got some clamps from IROR and mounted me stabalizer from the trackbar to the draglink! Hers some pics! BTW this set up works the best in my opinion.

[TJBrad04]

buy some of these http://www.pitstopusa.com/detail.aspx?ID=4379

it will make them last a lot longer.

we would use these on all of the suspensions we built with heims, but eventually got away from them for durability reasons compared for other joint designs and tie rods.

[93ZeeJ]

just took it offroading at Slaughterhouse Gulch and also on a 400 mile road trip... it performed great on both im very happy with it

[victory]

Guys using this kit,

Are you getting any bumpsteer from this kit? Are you running a dropped pitman arm and dropped trackbar bracket (double sheer)? What's your setup? Thanks!

*also spoke to Josh from IRO, they can supply 3/4 bolts and spacers if you already drilled reamed your knuckles for chevy 1ton tre and want to run this heim kit.

[wjcando]

I've got IRO OTK kit. Heim joints have not been a problem at all. Jam nuts -- keeping them tight -- that's been a problem. You'll need black loctite, and then keep checking too.

Also, the kit does not include the steering stabilizer relocator. Without that, you'll still be busting the ss on rocks if you wheel. If offroad clearance is what you want, you'll need the ss relocation kit too.

A good alignment does cost a few more bucks with this setup.

[chadjans]

Also, the kit does not include the steering stabilizer relocator. Without that, you'll still be busting the ss on rocks if you wheel. If offroad clearance is what you want, you'll need the ss relocation kit too.

Throw the steering dampner in the trash.

[BigDaveZJ]

Throw the steering dampner in the trash.

But I'll get teh death wobblez without it!!

[MUDDTRACKS]

But I'll get teh death wobblez without it!!

x2 your whole front end could fall off with out. I'm think about adding 3 more ss just for the bling

[silber]

Bringing back this thread... those of you who have installed this, what were your alignment specs for toe? Or, if you set it yourself, what did you set it at?

[Kraqa]

that draglink just looks funky.

i couldn't get used to seeing that on my rig.

[silber]

Alright... let me give you some more background to see if that helps. Just installed this, drove for about 80 miles, then got "teh death wobblez". Went ahead and added my steering stabilizer back on, still have 'em. I set my toe to about 1/8 toe in. Is that too much? Everything is tight and torqued to spec.
Sad thing is I didn't have any wobble with the crapped out factory steering... That is why I'm guessing I messed something up with the alignment. Any suggestions from those running this set up would be appreciated!

[Kraqa]

ok, let me try to wrap my head aroudn this.

You had an alligned factory steering set-up on your jeep with no death wobble.

you installed new steering and didn't do an alignment. then you got death wobble.

then you adjusted your tow in and you still have death wobble.

and you want to know if the steering is faulty?

sounds to me liek you shoudl get an allignment. or have someone who knows what they're doing check your measurements.

[silber]

Nope, not questioning if the steering is faulty. I already know I'm the faulty one. Just looking for what toe setting is working for everyone else... I was the one who set the toe on my Jeep before with out a problem (and did set this toe before I even drove it to IRO specs), but am wondering if the recommended setting worked for others or what they used.

Thanks anyway!

[Kraqa]

The way I look at it is that all these typical settings are based on stock tire size.

once you have oversized tires you then need to get a ratio for the the spec is on a stock tire and what the spec should be for oversized tires.



If C is the angle then D is the distance of the contact patch to the center of the axle tube. If the angle remains the same then the contact patch distance will get larger as the diameter of the tire go’s up. SO what do you think is more important, the angle or the contact patch? The answer is the contact patch. The angle is only used because it can be easily measured by a technician. A good alignment guy will take into account the tire size then setting up your caster.

This is not much deferent then setting toe in. the 1/8” rule is a guide line for stock or slightly bigger tires. But again the larger the diameter of the tire the more tire is facing inward. Again, what do you think is the critical measurement? The 1/8” or how much of the tire is facing inward.

What will really fry your noodle is when you start to factor in that depending on how much caster you run the effects of the toe in can be multiplied.


The long and short. Set your caster to what should be spec based on your tire size. Then set your toe in at 1/8” if it drives shitty then decrease it to 3/32”, then 1/16” and so on and so on.

ORRRRRR get the truck aligned by a reputable shop that does digital alignments on lifted vehicles.

[silber]

Good info!

Thanks!

[FortCollinsZJ]

Ok, so with the bracket on the tie-rod for the SS, you have to unbolt a heim and adjust one end to adjust toe, correct? That seems like a terrible idea.

[wjcando]

Ok, so with the bracket on the tie-rod for the SS, you have to unbolt a heim and adjust one end to adjust toe, correct? That seems like a terrible idea.

Sorry, I don't see how that has anything to do with the SS bracket. That's the adjustment mechanism with or without SS.

[FortCollinsZJ]

Noooo, you aren't looking at the picture then.
Stock, the SS mounts to the axle, then to the lower end of the DRAG LINK (the angled one running up to the pitman arm mmmk)

Now in this setup, the SS is tied from the axle to the TIE ROD, (the straight one from knuckle to knuckle) Now with a stock tie rod, it has a sleeve on the drivers side, adjust the sleeve by turning it, and pull the knuckles together, or push apart. With the IRO steering, the tie rod it's self is the "adjuster sleeve", but if you were to try to turn the tie rod it can't because of the SS mount on it.

SOOOO like I just said, you have to take one end of the tie rod off the knuckle, thread it in or out, and put it back, check alignment, then repeat 'till its all good, making it a fucking pain in the ass to adjust toe.

That whole steering system looks designed like shit to me. Just my opinion.

EDIT, here I'll post the picture again for you. It looks simple enough to adjust the drag link, but the tie rod needs an adjustment mechanism, or fuck why not just mount the SS to the drag link like it should be! Then thread the tie rod LHT on one end and RHT on the other.

[wjcando]

My mistake. It's late and I was thinking WJ. With IRO kit, relocated SS never touches the tie rod.

[victory]

I've ran this steering with the draglink under the knuckle with three different pitman arms... And all those times i got serious bumpsteer and dw. This was with a proper alignment and draglink/track bar parallel. No steering damper, but i am a believer of correcting the problem instead of masking it...

But now i am running the draglink over the knuckle (like chevy 1ton) and everything is 100%. Absolutely no bumpsteer and no dw, WITHOUT a steering damper. I've tested it in the most rutted, off camber windy roads going fast enough to make the rear loose and no issues with dw/bumpsteer. Maybe the weird bend in the draglink does some funny stuff when the suspension is cycled... (when run OTK).

ONLY issues with this kit is the quality of the misalignment spacers... invest in some stainless steel pieces and better rod ends in the future and it should be the last steering kit to buy.

[FortCollinsZJ]

Better rod ends? I thought they were QA1? Those are damn good if they are infact actuall QA1.


Good job making the steering work. Thats the way it should look!