More Tie Rod Flip Questions

I've got these insets ( https://ok4wd.com/rock-equipment-tie-rod-flip-sleeve ) for a tie rod flip project on a Dana 30. I slipped them over a new tie rod end just to kind of get a look at things before moving ahead and they only fit over the TRE a little bit and, as a result, cover up like half of the threads. This seems wrong to me but I don't know nuthin. Just wondering what others think.

I've discussed with a few folks and some say that a flanged nut is the answer though the manufacturer makes no mention of this like other TRE flip manufacturers sometimes do with their kits.

It just seems to me that the inserts should slip all the way onto the taper of the TRE end. Or at least past all but maybe the last thread for the nut. As it stands, the inserts barely leave enough room for the cotter pin. In fact, it may be an issue getting the cotter in at all.

I'd post a pic but can't get pics from my phone onto the site. The resizing thing. Guess I need to get an app for that or something.

 

On mine the flanged nut eliminates the cotter pin. I used a healthy dose of loctite as well.

 

I believe they are purposely made longer than necessary. Once you install them in the steering arm, you cut off the excess that’s sticking out.

 

I reamed my knuckle for 1 ton TREs. on the D30, ream ONE hole and use the drag link connection to the tie rod. The one ton TRE are too big to fit side by side... I made mine for with a grinder and it may not work right.

 

I'm using standard duty JEEP sized TREs. I'm going to experiment on a junk 27 knuckle to how things fit before going into the 30 knuckles.

I hadn't considered having to cut off any extra. No mention of that in the directions. But, it may how it works.

Someone else mentioned that there is enough meat on the 30 that the inserts may not be needed. Just ream the holes, insert the TRE and secure with a flanged nut. They did it and it's been fine for some time.

 

Here are some pics of the inserts slipped over the TRE.

Holding the insert at about the beginning of the taper, more or less.

The insert slipped over the TRE as far as it goes without any force. You can see it hasn't travelled very far and covers maybe half or 1/3 of the threads.

The nut installed. Not sure if you can tell but the hole for the cotter pin is partially covered.

Cutting off enough to allow full threading of the nut would only leave what, maybe half of the insert intact and so only a small amount of reaming would be necessary because only about half of the insert would be used. This doesn't really add up for me. If I think of it, I'm going to call the vendor and see if someone there can tell me what the dealio is with these things. It just doesn't make sense to me but I'm pretty dumb so......

 

Are you putting the sleeve large side first on to the TRE? This review says you ream from the top of the knuckle, in which case I think you may have slipped the sleeve on backwards: https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/0311-4wd-jeep-tie-rod-flip-kit-product-review/

“the reaming tool is used to bore out the upper side of the rod holes on the steering arm. ”

and when I mentioned cutting the sleeve, I meant cutting it AFTER installing on to the knuckle, but only if the sleeve is thicker than/sticks out from the knuckle. If the sleeve and knuckle are the same thickness, there will be no cutting involved.

 

Looks like those adapters need to be reamed to fit the tre. $190 for the reamer is kind of steep for a one time use tool. I used inserts from TMR Customs, they need the tre holes in the knuckles drilled to 3/4" and they use the stock castle nut and cotter pin.

 

The inserts don’t fit at all the other way because of the taper. The one end of the insert is paper thin so reaming them further seems wrong to me.

A flanged nut to replace the castle nut would be the answer at this point.

https://www.jeepfan.com/reviews/retieflip/flipkitinstall.pdf

 

Sorry for jumping in but with the D30, are you using the sway bar as well if so, how does that mount up?

 

No sway bars.

 

I have done these on a dana27. you need to find the instructions from the vendor which they try really hard to hide. I can't even remember where I found them now... I thought I knew what I was doing and almost ruined my expensive double hole knuckle but installing the inserts too deep. That and you also need to make sure the taper on your TRE match the taper the inserts are made for, which I also learned later were not all the same and might be why you are having the problem.