Rusty s Off-Road Products 7161 Steele Station Road Rainbow City, AL 35906 Phone: (256) 442-0607 FAX: (256) 442-0017 Web Site: www.rustysoffroad.com Over The Knuckle Steering PART #: RS-SC300-UV APPLICATION: XJ,TJ,ZJ INTRODUCTION Rusty s recommends that this installation should be preformed by a certified automotive technician or a person with a professional mechanical knowledge. Installing this kit with out this expertise may jeopardize the handling and safety of the vehicle. Read instructions several times before starting. Be sure you have all needed parts and know where they install. Read each step completely as you go. Exhaust modifications may be necessary. You will need an inclinometer or similar tool to check rear driveline angles; this will help take a lot of the guess work out. A front end alignment is a must. Prior to drilling or cutting, check behind the surface being worked on for any wires, lines, or hoses that could be damaged. After any drilling or cutting, de burr and grind smooth any surfaces, be sure to paint or undercoat afterwards. PARTS LIST Be sure you have all needed parts and know where they install. Read each step completely as you go. INSTALLATION NOTE: Save all factory components and hardware for reuse, unless noted. 1) Rusty s Offroad recommends this installation should be done with the vehicle at ride height. 2) This can be done by chalking the rear tires, raising the front of the vehicle and placing jack stands under the right and left side of the front axle. 3) Remove the Tires/Wheels (front) and then place jack stands under the driver and passenger side frame rails toward the front of the vehicle. A small gap between the frame rail and jack stand will insure that the vehicles weight is on the front axle. This is to secure the vehicle in case of an accident. The vehicle s weight should still be on the front axle.
4) Measure the toe (center of tie-rod to center of tie-rod end.) Knuckle to knuckle and write the measurement down for later reference. 5) Remove the steering stabilizer at both ends of its mounting points. 6) Remove the castle nuts at the pitman arm right and left knuckle. The use of a pickle fork will make tie rod end removal easier. The steering should be removed at this point. 7) Remove the lower (axle end) bolts of the sway bar links. With the lower bolts removed, lift the way bar as high as possible to get it out of the way during the rest of the installation. 8) The pitman arm and left and right knuckle should now be drilled to 5/8 (.625.) This step should be done with a high quality precision drill bit used as a high torque low RPM drill will work best. Drill very slow to insure that the hole is true and straight. A high speed drill will result in an oversized hole or a broken wrist or hand. 9) Remove the trac bar at the axle and at the frame mounting points. Please move to step 12 if you have a TJ. If you have a XJ or ZJ step 10 and 11 will apply to you. 10) Remove the trac bar mount at the frame mount. There will be 4 bolts that fix this mount to the frame. Do not discard these bolts and nuts.(xj and ZJ Only) 11) Locate the Rusty s Heavy Duty Trac Bar Frame Mount. This can now be installed and torque using the factory hardware to 85ft lbs. (Rusty s Offroad recommends vehicles that are used in competition or extreme crawling conditions drill the 4 holes in the frame to 9/16 and replace the factory hardware with grade 8 9/16 bolts with nyloc nuts as this bracket will be under a tremendous amount of stress. (XJ and ZJ Only) 12) Locate the HD replacement trac bar mount; this would set with the vertical 90 degree on the inside of the factory trac bar mount (frame side.) The 1/2x 3 bolts will insert from the inside of the HD Bracket and run up through the existing hole of the tie rod end mounting point. This will have the sideof the bracket standing up on the inside of the factory mount. The ½ bolt can be tightened. (Do not torque.) With the bracket pulled in place the side mounting point can now be center punched and drilled 7/16 through the factory mount. The bolt can now be placed and slightly tightened. Torque the ½ bolt to 85 ft lbs, the 7/16 bolt can now be torque to 65ft lbs. (TJ only) 13) The factory sway bar mounts at the axle should now be removed. When cutting or sawing the brackets for removal, make sure not to cut the axle tube or damage the coil spring pad. 14) The trac bar mount and steering stabilizer mount at the axle end should now be removed. The removal should be done with a cutting wheel or plasma cutter, make sure these are precision cuts to prevent damage to the axle tube passenger side coil spring pad. Remove the outer portion of these two mounts. The mounts should be cut and removed first to gain better access to the parts of the mount closer to the axle tube. The axle tube and coil pad should now be ground smooth (Rusty s Offroad recommends using 40 grit 2 die grinder or 40 grit 4.5 flap wheel.) To remove the remaining slag grind 2 toward the top of the axle tube as well as the bottom to clean surface of any paint or rust. 15) Locate the HD adjustable trac bar and HD axle end trac bar mount. **Note before going any further it is very important to center the axle under the vehicle. This can be done by measuring in a side to side method. Put one point of tape measure at the upper ball joint zerk fitting and measure to a certain point of the opposing frame rail. This should be done from both driver and passenger s side. Mark the point on the frame rails to insure these points on the frame rail are the same. Upon completion of cross measuring done, you should have equal measurements. If the
measurement is not equal, use a small ratchet strap to pull the axle in the direction you received with the smallest measurement. Check twice to insure the axle is centered of the body of the vehicle. ** 16) Mount the adjustable trac bar at the frame end but do not tighten. Just install bolt and start the nut. 17) Mount the adjustable trac bar to the new HD axle mount. Just install the bolt and start the nut, do not tighten. At this point lower the HD bracket to the axle tube. This bracket should set close or against the passenger side coil spring pad. The adjustment of the adjustable trac bar will allow you to move this bracket to the correct location. Do not exceed 1 ½ of thread exposed or showing including jam nut of the adjustable trac bar. If the bar exceeds this spec. Align the bracket to the desired location and then move bracket toward the passenger side upper control arm mount (axle end.) This will shorten the trac bar length to keep it at a safe adjustment range. The small amount you may have move the bracket location will not change the perfect geometry more than 1 degree. 18) Once adjustable trac bar is set to the correct length and bracket is set in the desired location (left to right.) The bracket should be set vertically level, from the side, it should be vertically in line with the coil spring. The weight of the vehicle must be on the suspension to insure the axle end trac bar mount sets vertically upright. (Dana 30 & Dana 44 and other axles may vary) 19) With the bracket set vertically upright, check the fitment of the bracket to the axle tube. It is designed for the Jeep Dana 30/44 axle tube, aftermarket or larger axles may require grinding of the bracket for better fitment. 20) With the bracket located and level it should now be tack welded in several locations (front and back.) Remove the adjustable trac bar from the mount. The bracket is now ready to be welded by a certified welder, as should any structural mount. Rusty s Offroad recommends using 0.35 wire with a amp range of 150-200 amps. Weld all excisable area s of the trac bar axle brackets. This bracket should now cool before any further installation. 21) Once cooled off, the trac bar axle bracket should be painted along with all other areas that are stripped of paint (Please allow for dry time.) 22) The axle end of the adjustable trac bar can now be mounted and tightened to the new HD axle trac bar mount. To follow the frame mounting point of the adjustable trac bar can now be tightened.
23) At the adjustable end of the adjustable trac bar, locate the jam nut, apply a few drops of red Loc-tite to the threads. Tighten the jam nut. 24) Locate the HD tie rod and draglink. Mount the draglink to the pitman arm locate the 5/8x3 ¼ bolt and a 2 1/8 inch thick high angle safety washers. The high angle safety washer should be placed on each side of the heim joint with the tapered or narrow end facing the heim joint. Insert the bolt through the washer, heim, washer, and pitman arm then torque to 180ft lbs. Bring the loose end of the draglink toward the front of the vehicle to access mounting the tie rod. 25) Place the HD tie rod on the top of the driver and passenger knuckle. Using the 5/8x3 ¼ bolt, insert the bolt through the heim and knuckle at the driver s side of the vehicle. Start the nut, locate the 5/8x4.5 bolt place one 1/8 thick high angle safety washer onto the bolt with the taper or narrowed end of the washer facing away from the bolt head. Insert the bolt through the loose end of the draglink and bring over toward the passenger side knuckle. Place a ¼ thick high angle safety washer on the bottom side of the heim joint located on the draglink. This should be placed with the ¼ thick high angle safety washer taper or narrow end facing up at the draglink heim joint. Then place the other ¼ thick high angle safety washer to oppose the ¼ thick spacer that sits against the draglink. This will put every high angle safety washer taper or narrowed end facing each heim joint. Insert the bolt through the knuckle and star the nut. Torque the 5/8 bolts at both knuckles to 180ft lbs. 26) This point all 5/8 bolts mounting hardware should be torque to spec. Reference back to the measurement that was taken earlier of the toe or tie-rod cross measurement. Adjust the wheel to wheel tie-rod to the measurement to that measurement. (Place the tape in the middle of the bolts to achieve the same point of a zerk fitting when measuring.) Once set at correct length, the jam nuts on the tie rod should be tightened to lock the nuts down. Add loc-tite before tightening the jam nuts as this will prevent the jam nuts from loosing. 27) With the toe set, the draglink can now be adjusted to the correct length. (The draglink will adjust the steering wheel, so adjust until the steering wheel is centered.) Once adjusted add red loc-tite to threads and tighten jam nuts at each end. 28) The sway bat link mounting point can now be located. There are labeled passenger and driver side. Mount your existing sway bar link or sway bar disconnect on the inside of the new weld-on link mounts. This will put the weld-on mounts on the outside and the sway bar links toward the center of the axle. Locate the straight ends of the weld on link mounts to the inside of the inner C knuckle above the axle joint. Once located in place, grind any paint or rust, to prep for welding. Once area s has been cleaned locate the link mounts back in place. Insure that the link mount comes well above the draglink on the passenger s side. A minimum of 2 is needed to sufficiently clear the draglink. 29) With the correct clearance set on the passenger side tack the link mount in place. Using an angle finder, place on the passenger side link mount to identify the angle and transfer to the driver side to insure that both brackets are at the same angle and height. Tack in place on the drivers side and
measure the distance from the axle tube to the further insure the left and right side link mounts are in the same location. Weld the upper and lower sides of the link mounts. Rusty s Offroad recommends using.035 wire with a amp range of 150-200 amps. Fully weld each side, let cool. Paint all exposed areas once cooled. Allow time for paint to dry. The sway bar links or disconnects can be bolted in place.**note During this step the sway bar links or disconnects may have to be shortened. The new link mounts raise the mounting location and the sway bar links or disconnects will vary in length and adjustability. All manufactures links may have to be shortened. This will vary for each brand of disconnect, most can be cut at the lower end shortened and welded back. ** 30) With the installation coming to competition the last step will be installing the steering stabilizer (for on-road driven vehicles.) Locate the bolt at the frame mount that mounts the adjustable trac bar. Locate the steering stabilizer 1 ½ inches above the bolt specified, place the stabilizer and mark the hole for drilling. This hole should be drilled to ½ inch. Mount the stabilizer to the frame mount and tighten. Make sure the tires/wheels are pointed straight ahead and steering is straight. Locate the steering stabilizer mount plate and u-bolt this will be located on the draglink. The plate will set on the back side of the tube and set close to vertical. This would put the gold u-bolt clamps on the outside of the tube. The steering stabilizer should be set to half stroke, then begin to set to tighten the clamps. The bracket may have to be rotated slightly out of the vertical level to tighten your clamps. 31) The tires and wheels can be reinstalled and torque to manufacture specs. The jack stand can now be removed safely and the vehicle set at ride height on the ground. 32) We recommend going back to all mounting points, bolts, and clamps to check for tightening. Once checked, turn the vehicle left and right to check clearance on the steering stabilizer, it should not hit anything. If it does hit at any point you may have to rotate the steering stabilizer plate in the opposing direction of contact. It is the owners responsibility to inspect all Rusty s products for proper torque specs to prevent loosening of components. Seat belts and shoulder harnesses should be worn at all times. Re-check all bolts and nuts after the first 300 miles and after any off-road usage during the first 300 miles. Although all of our products are made from the highest quality materials possible, they are not a substitute for Safe and Careful driving. In other words, have good safe on-road / off-road sense. Know the terrain, the speed limitations, and any obstacles that may lie ahead. Please remember to preserve our right to enjoy public land through the proper use of off-road vehicles. Thank you for choosing Rusty s Off Road Products. For questions or suggestions, contact our Tech Department 256-442-0607