Building a beefed up steering system, anyone have part numbers for CL bushings?

K

KBC

Bought an X
Location
BC
I'm putting together a beefed up steering system similar to the one Frogstar did. He made his own bushings but although I can do most of the work, I don't have the tools to make my own bushings. Has anyone else pressed out the built in ball joints from their centre link and put some off the shelf bushings and sleeves in?
Ok I'm pretty much going to copy what he did other than make bushings and sleeves so can anyone help me steal his creation?

Cheers
 
robcarync

robcarync

Sliders
Location
Raleigh, NC
When discussing with PPEngineering about my steering set up...they ran into issues finding a spherical bearing that would fit properly into the stock pocket of the ball joints/stud. They were going to have to bore out the center link to over-size the pocket and fit a larger bearing.

That was a spherical bearing though, so a bushing may be different. I imagine it isn't a standard size though if PPEngineering couldn't source a bearing for it.
 
K

KBC

Bought an X
Location
BC
Yeah I'd like to put a bushing in to remove one of the pivot points. I've emailed grassroots4x4 to see if they sell the bushings in their CLs but haven't heard back yet. I guess I'll send frogstar a pm.
 
Frogstar7055

Frogstar7055

Wheeling
Location
Jacksonville FL
robcarync said:
When discussing with PPEngineering about my steering set up...they ran into issues finding a spherical bearing that would fit properly into the stock pocket of the ball joints/stud. They were going to have to bore out the center link to over-size the pocket and fit a larger bearing.

That was a spherical bearing though, so a bushing may be different. I imagine it isn't a standard size though if PPEngineering couldn't source a bearing for it.
Click to expand...

Forget that spherical bearing crap,you want a straight holed bushing.



The bushing has a .75 holes and a sleeve with an O.D of .748 and an I.D. of .5 for a 1/2 x 13 bolt. (grade 8 of course)



The sleeve is .015 longer than the bushing,this allows for tightening without the double shear points causing tension on the bushing.







My steering is 1000 times better now with zero play.
This is an easy mod to copy (I copied it from someone else).



If I had my own lathe I'd be knocking these out left and right.
 
T

TJTJ

Skid Plates
Founding Member
Location
NJ
Frogstar7055 said:
Forget that spherical bearing crap,you want a straight holed bushing.



The bushing has a .75 holes and a sleeve with an O.D of .748 and an I.D. of .5 for a 1/2 x 13 bolt. (grade 8 of course)



The sleeve is .015 longer than the bushing,this allows for tightening without the double shear points causing tension on the bushing.







My steering is 1000 times better now with zero play.
This is an easy mod to copy (I copied it from someone else).



If I had my own lathe I'd be knocking these out left and right.
Click to expand...

A buddy of mine has a machine shop with a lathe or three...

If you tell me what's needed...I can pass to him, etc.

;D
 
K

KBC

Bought an X
Location
BC
Thanks for the info FS. I found a lathe I can learn how to use. What kind of materials did you use and where is a good place to buy them? Did you make the sleeves and bushings out of solid stock?

EDIT/PS; Nice welds, I need to learn TIG. And nice head shots.
 
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Frogstar7055

Frogstar7055

Wheeling
Location
Jacksonville FL
I have a set of spare bushings for the centerlink in my toolbox at work,I could give you those dimensions.
I have found that different manufacturers of parts sometimes have different sized componants so they would only for sure work in a Moog centerlink.

All I did was press out the the stock spherical and straight bushing on a new centerlink and took measurements and made bushings from that.
 
Frogstar7055

Frogstar7055

Wheeling
Location
Jacksonville FL
KBC said:
Thanks for the info FS. I found a lathe I can learn how to use. What kind of materials did you use and where is a good place to buy them? Did you make the sleeves and bushings out of solid stock?

EDIT/PS; Nice welds, I need to learn TIG. And nice head shots.
Click to expand...

Made out of solid stock just laying around the shop.
Weld are nice but I didn't do them,had the welder at work weld them up for me.
(I know my limitations...lol)
 
K

KBC

Bought an X
Location
BC
I'm going to see if I can find some bearings I might be able to press in. I heard back from Grassroots4X4 and what they do is make a sleeve that welds in to the CL and then put a spherical bearing in.
 
K

KBC

Bought an X
Location
BC
Quick question about the moog CL you used, After pushing the sleeves and spherical bearings out, were both holes for the idler arm and pitman arm the same size? I grabbed a factory CL from the junk yard and it looks like the Idler arm hole is smaller and the pitman arm has a bit of a taper to it after I pressed the ball joint/bearing out of it.
 
robcarync

robcarync

Sliders
Location
Raleigh, NC
For the record, I never got my PPengineering center link made. I think he forgot about me with the group buys. I am still in the market for a center link that I can use normal tie rods/ends with. I can weld and modify my own idler/pitman arms, but I am willing to pay for either 1) a modified center link and I will modify my own arms or 2) the bushings needed to modify a Moog center link, and I will order another Moog and modify myself. Having the properly sized bushings is holding me back here.

Other option I am considering is going Grassroots4x4...but they also use a spherical bearing instead of straight hole bushing.
 
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K

KBC

Bought an X
Location
BC
Ha yeah I'd be down for a set of bushings like I said before. Not sure when I'll have time to learn how to use the lathe :)
 
Prime

Prime

Shut up Baby, I know it!
Admin
Location
Denver Adjacent
This is an interesting place to be.

As someone without fab skills (or a place to learn them at the moment), what would it set me back to have something like this done above and beyond the cost of raw parts?
 
Frogstar7055

Frogstar7055

Wheeling
Location
Jacksonville FL
Prime said:
This is an interesting place to be.

As someone without fab skills (or a place to learn them at the moment), what would it set me back to have something like this done above and beyond the cost of raw parts?
Click to expand...


I actually figured out what it would run(what I'd charge with profit) for me to make the set up like I did (with zerk fittings for grease,should have done that) if I had access to machinery regularly to do them.
The whole thing,double shear Pitman and Idler,Idler with brass bushings,modified centerlink with brass bushings,stainless centers and zerk fittings.

$450 ready to go.

(now if only I had my own lathe)
 
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robcarync

robcarync

Sliders
Location
Raleigh, NC
Interested in options here whether it be modified center link or bushings only. Having my steering system slop free is the only thing holding me back from bumping up to 33s and getting a fresh alignment. Alternative is going grassroots for ~$230...but I personally like the idea of going with a straight bushing vs cutting the center link and welding on a sleeve with a bearing.

Haven't heard from PPengineering on my center link since March 31 so I am giving up on my wishful thinking
 
robcarync

robcarync

Sliders
Location
Raleigh, NC
Well, that is the other thought I had too, and one concern with straight through bushings. Impossible to have the pitman arm and idler arm pivoting in the exact same plane, so there would have to be some sort of binding and additional stress in the bushings. Of course, double shearing a spherical bearing essentially fixes each side of the bolt and clamps the center link, so I am not certain there is much room for flexing anyway with things double sheared.
 
K

KBC

Bought an X
Location
BC
I've been looking at all the available kits out there trying to get ideas and I'm honestly starting to think the calmini kit might be the best option for something that is a DD. The Total chaos kit doesn't have spherical bearings on the idler/pitman arm side because it uses heim joints to replace the ball joints which would take up any of that additional stress since heims can move a lot more than ball joints.
The problem with heims is that they aren't sealed like ball joints so while they work great, they require more maintenance. On a trail rig that only sees 1000 km a year no problem but on a DD with much more you are gonna have to do maintenance a lot more often than ball joints.
I've read that the calmini kit puts the CL and the tie-rod/ball joint assemblies in a much close plane of movement to each other which really helps with all the wandering and weird steering I'm currently going through.
Maybe I should just SAS. ;)
 
robcarync

robcarync

Sliders
Location
Raleigh, NC
KBC said:
Maybe I should just SAS. ;)
Click to expand...

Yeah...that is the other thing I keep thinking...LOL

My issue is I already have a Total Chaos Idler Arm Brace, Bandit4x4 idler arm bushings, heavy duty tie rod adjusters + trail spares, and brand new tie rod ends. The only piece I am missing is the center link...so a bushing modification or a GrassRoots is really my only options.
 
K

KBC

Bought an X
Location
BC
I have a lot of similar parts as well. I mght just go with the grassroots as a bandaid and live with it until I either sell or SAS.
 
K

KBC

Bought an X
Location
BC
I ordered the Grassroots CL last night. I would have liked to build something better but putting that amount of time and effort into a steering system seems like a waste if you have any inkling for a SAS. Winter is coming and I need some new tires that will do better in slippery conditions than my bald MTRs and I need an alignment. In the end I'll have the GR CL, HD tie-rod adjusters, new ball joints and the idler arm brace.
 
S

spasticnapjerk

Test Drive
Location
Honduras
Frogstar7055 said:
Forget that spherical bearing crap,you want a straight holed bushing.



The bushing has a .75 holes and a sleeve with an O.D of .748 and an I.D. of .5 for a 1/2 x 13 bolt. (grade 8 of course)



The sleeve is .015 longer than the bushing,this allows for tightening without the double shear points causing tension on the bushing.







My steering is 1000 times better now with zero play.
This is an easy mod to copy (I copied it from someone else).



If I had my own lathe I'd be knocking these out left and right.
Click to expand...
This is a longshot: frogstar do you have these pics? They're no longer on photobucket
 
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