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Not done anything with it yet but will almost certainly just straighten it for now and replace it next time it bends. I wont be welding anything to it either.
or u could just leave it alone as it'd be a better option.
until you save up the moolah for a proper heavy duty setup.
bending it back will possibly make it worse for the next time you're drivin on the road at 100 kays... think about it...
i would never sugest that anyone cuts and welds a steering arm. (although i have done it to get out of the bush including welding spanners to arms to hold them together)
i have welded angle to many steering arms , draglinks and control arms
just a few years ago you couldnt buy 'off the shelf arms' so you had to engineer things and make them yourself. i also grew up in a time when you learnt how to weld at school.
i wouldnt suggest you welded an arm if you didnt know what you are doing . if you cant weld you could as said earlier in this thread weaken the arm if not done correctly.if you dont know what you are doing go and buy a aftermarket one.
staightening this mildly bent arm will not weaken it enough to break it. it will bend easier next time around and i would also suggest you check the tie rod ends as that is probably the place it will fail if its going to.
and Giant i gave up smoking weed over 15years ago maybee you should take it up to calm down a little bit
I left the steering arm as it was beacuse I couldn't really be arsed to change or straighten it and it still drove fine. I haven't done much wheeling since but went to the high country last weekend - no major knocks or impacts etc but a few rough but easy tracks.
Anyhow, steering got worse and worse and found it difficult to turn the wheel from centre. The drag link has bent like a banana and the steering damper was actually rubbing on the bash plate above it!
It made the rest of the trip and drove ok on the road but has seemed to bend more and more whilst running it around during the week.
I now only have one turn of the wheel to the left and about 6 to the right and the steering wheel changes position every time you drive it!
So if yours is bent - sort it before it leaves you in the shit!
Ive now ordered a heavy duty arm from Superior Engineering (for LESS than a local wrecker wanted for a 2nd hand one inc delivery!!!!)
The hardest thing about owning a jeep is telling your parents you're g a y!!
Not Really. The only solution I could see would be high clearance steering and a cleverly designed bashplate. But probably too much of a hassle/$$$ etc. for your particular application, nevertheless something to think about. Then again you could also integrate a bashplate into your current design that may help a little but hi-steer would be easier to protect...
I personally think you are unlucky to have hit that though. Normally, or so I have found (IMHO), the thing to get hit is the Tie Rod. But then again anything can happen when wheelin. But definately look at getting either a HD replacement Tie Rod as well or sleeve the one you have - they bend easy too.
We had monster trucks at wauchope recently and our 4x4 club got asked to do some demos, on some tracks at the showground binskins made. There was a bloke in an 80s with 6" coils and strengthened adjustable panhards. He must have belted the front panhard on a rock as it SNAPPED clean in half around the bend (sort of similar to a gq front). It sort of scared me a little as I have HD adjustable ones FR and have never had an impact with them - I also don't know what they are made of but to see it snap clean in half makes the mind boggle...
[quote="MSCHIF"]SPUA its like shaving a barbie dolls head, amusing but pointless.[/quote]
Cossie wrote:So if yours is bent - sort it before it leaves you in the shit!
I concur!
First time I bent mine, it was touching the diff center. Took it out, straightened it with the assistance of a rather large gum tree
Second time it bent the opposite direction, shearing off the eyelet on the steering damper (and ruining that) - while in the middle of nowhere.. waiting 4+ hours for your mate to show up with replacement arm/damper is most annoying.
krimnl wrote:dont throw out the old one . staighten the sucker up and weld some angle along it . throw it in the kit for a spare .
good idea... use it as a backup to get yourself home. But its not like you're goin to break a 4340 cro-moly steer arm that easily thou.. but backups are a good idea.
Hey Cossie,
At least with the aftermarket arm you can repalce a tierod if it breaks, where with the standard you have to replace the whole arm. Your more than likely to save money in the long run too.
The others in this thread have the damper connected to the chassis, where as mine is connected to the err panard . (everyone seems to call steering parts by different names)
Are the aftermarket steering arms suitable for both types of damper setup ?
I'm also going to replace the damper, as mines a bit shagged.
Is it a simple case of unbolt the old and bolt in the new, or should I pay somebody who knows what they're doing.. I dont particularly want to screw it up..
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98 GU.. front locker, cheezy sliders, 33's, winch etc.. .... long shopping list.
