STEERED SMART

2-3 As said, this JK already had some decent steering parts installed on it, but even decent steering parts are dwarfed by these parts from Steer Smarts. This is the Yeti XD JK Top Mount Drag Link with Griffin XD Attenuator, perfect for this Jeep that had already been drilled for a drag link flip. The attenuator works kind of like a shock absorber for the drag link. Hard hits from the wheels get damped slightly before hitting the steering box or wheel.

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SOURCE

Steer Smarts

steersmarts.com

STEERED SMART

By Verne Simons editor@fourwheeler.com Photos: Verne Simons

We’ve used Steer Smarts Yeti steering parts before. Namely, the Yeti XD Series JK tie rod and drag link system on our 2017 Ultimate Adventure vehicle build, the UA CJ-6D. When we installed these parts back in 2017, we were gob-smacked at the size and beef that you get with these steering parts. Steer Smarts doesn’t skimp on the material, and rumor has it the parent company is a genuine OEM steering component manufacturer. That means well-engineered and strong parts that fit as they should. That system, the one on the UA CJ-6D, has stood the test of time with no issues whatsoever despite years of heavy off-road use.

So, when our buddy Eric bought a new and well-built JK for a family wheeler and daily driver, we knew just what to recommend when he noted that the JK’s aftermarket aluminum tie rod was bent (truth is, he told us these are the parts he wanted, and we agreed). We’re still not exactly sure how the previous owner of Eric’s new-to-him ’18 Recon Rubicon JKU bent the generally unbendable tie rod, but somehow it happened.

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8 We also installed the Yeti XD JK Frame Side Track Bar Reinforcement Bracket. This bracket bolts in place using the supplied hardware. The part helps reduce any flex at the frame-side track bar mount position, which is great for any JK with oversize tires. 9-10 With most of the parts installed, we set the track bar parallel to the drag link using the track bar bracket holes in the Jeep’s aftermarket axle-side track bar mount. This helps prevent bumpsteer while lessening the angles of the drag link and track bar. The tie rod is the Yeti XD Pro-Series Aluminum Tie Rod Assembly for JK, which is another huge part that boasts forged steel tie-rod ends and a massive aluminum center adjuster tube that is machined for clamps rather than relying on jam nuts that can loosen up. The last step up front was to center the axle at ride height and use the Steer Smarts Toe Plate Alignment Kit. This kit makes setting the toe of your front axle an easy affair and it is well worth the cost of the product.

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11-12 The last step was to install the Yeti XD Rear Adjustable Track Bar and center the rear axle at ride height. Did we mention that these parts are huge and thus should take your mind off any possible failure while on the trail? That’s 1 1⁄2 inches of solid E-coated and powdercoated forged steel and it ain’t bending anytime soon.

13 After the install we went for a test drive and then we re-checked everything. Thanks to Steer Smarts this Jeep’s owner won’t have to worry about any of the steering or axle centering components on this JK for many years to come. FW

Either way, the Jeep needed some love in the steering and axle-centering department before Eric and his family undertook a cross-country overlanding vacation in the JKU. So, with a drag link, tie rod, steering stabilizer, and front and rear adjustable track bars in hand, we took a few hours one day to install all these bulletproof parts. In addition, we did a DIY steering alignment using Steer Smarts’ Toe Plate Alignment Kit.

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