Currie steering technical note

[mrblaine]

Some versions of the draglink are made in such a way that the steering knuckle TRE doesn't accept large amounts of grease.

Using a more powerful grease gun will only bow the swaged on cap over the spring that preloads the ball joint and ruin the draglink.

For those that don't know how a TRE is made, there is a cup that the ball on the end of the tapered pin rides in. On top of the cup is a spring that pushes down on the cup and then that is held in place with that flat piece you see on top of the body with the grease fitting threaded into it.

Using too much pressure on what would appear to be a stubborn grease fitting is not a good idea. It bulges the cap and removes the preload.

John said just to give it whatever grease it will easily take and then drive it. If it makes you more comfortable to grease it more often, it won't hurt a thing.

[Tim]

thanks, i noticed that with mine too. at some point i nicked the boot and i now put some grease in there with a needle to make me feel better.

[Kiwi]

Originally posted by mrblaine
Some versions of the draglink are made in such a way that the steering knuckle TRE doesn't accept large amounts of grease.

Just the draplink tie rod end? My DS tie rod end is exhibiting similar symptoms. It doesn't seem to want to take grease similar to what you described.

[papromike]

hell ALL of my TRE's on my currie steering do that.. I put so much pressure on of them the grease zirk blew out of the ball..

Not good, Not good..

[mrblaine]

Originally posted by papromike
hell ALL of my TRE's on my currie steering do that.. I put so much pressure on of them the grease zirk blew out of the ball..

Not good, Not good..

They will take a small amount of grease and then go drive it. It will be fine according to John.

[mrblaine]

Originally posted by Kiwi
Just the draplink tie rod end? My DS tie rod end is exhibiting similar symptoms. It doesn't seem to want to take grease similar to what you described.

Probably the same issue. The new ones have grooves in the ball and socket to alleviate the grease acceptance issue.

[Jeff Weston]

If you post this info on JU you'll have a thousand people complaining that they are entitled to a new one.

[quadna71]

i'm finding this thread a little too late - my DS currie TRE has coned out far enough that i'm getting a solid pop when i turn from left to right. at least i think that is where the sound is coming from...hard to be sure without a second set of hands to turn the wheel. i guess in hind sight reading this thread when it came up would still be too late since i think i blew it out earlier in the spring. good to know though (and now time to start ordering parts!)

[mrblaine]

Originally Posted by quadna71

i'm finding this thread a little too late - my DS currie TRE has coned out far enough that i'm getting a solid pop when i turn from left to right. at least i think that is where the sound is coming from...hard to be sure without a second set of hands to turn the wheel. i guess in hind sight reading this thread when it came up would still be too late since i think i blew it out earlier in the spring. good to know though (and now time to start ordering parts!)

Take the end that's coned, put it in a shop press without the boot on. Support the body with a socket and use another to mash the cap with the grease fitting back flat. It will tighten up the preload on the spring and get you going good as new.

[quadna71]

thanks blaine - i'll definitely give that a shot. i already ordered a replacement for that side and the draglink as well (direct from currie) but maybe i can get the current one back into shape too.

[quadna71]

so here i am, almost 5 months later, and am finally getting around to the steering on my jeep. pulled it into the garage, dropped the wheels and the drivers TRE, then unthreaded it off. only at that moment when comparing it to the new TRE did i care to notice that they sent me the right-side TRE instead of the left. hmph. guess i'm trying out mrblaine's trick on the press after all.

pulled the boot off (set of picks worked great), pressed the concave back flat, and put the boot back on (picks not so great this time...stuck one about 1/4" into my forefinger!).

throwing it all back together, aligning it, and then i'll see if the popping sound has subsided at all. so far i've swapped in new ball joints, new bushing and heim on the trackbar, new draglink TRE, and the plastic surgery on the left TRE. the sound was seeming to come from the left side, so if it isn't a TRE the only things left are a hub or something inside my steering box itself. keeping my fingers crossed for the TRE.

warped one and the wrong one (noticed that zerk is on the side now)


before (coned)


after (flush)

[quadna71]

well, thanks for the advice...all seems well with the TRE after my test drive. unfortunately i still have that "pop" whenever i change my direction of steering from left to right. only at slow speeds when there is the most drag from the tires and only when i initially start turning the other direction. a solid "pop" is felt right up into the steering wheel but is definitely originating under the jeep and not in the column. i had my wife turning slightly left/right for about 10 minutes already and can't find anything with slack that would be causing it. guess i can keep throwing parts at it.

[mrblaine]

Originally Posted by quadna71

well, thanks for the advice...all seems well with the TRE after my test drive. unfortunately i still have that "pop" whenever i change my direction of steering from left to right. only at slow speeds when there is the most drag from the tires and only when i initially start turning the other direction. a solid "pop" is felt right up into the steering wheel but is definitely originating under the jeep and not in the column. i had my wife turning slightly left/right for about 10 minutes already and can't find anything with slack that would be causing it. guess i can keep throwing parts at it.

That solid pop is usually the trackbar or a loose control arm bolt.

[quadna71]

then it would have to be a control arm bolt - i already R2 the bushing and heim for the trackbar and even double-checked the torque on them tonight. i can't see anyplace where a control arm bolt has been slipping, but i'll check there next. thanks for the heads up.

[mrblaine]

Originally Posted by quadna71

then it would have to be a control arm bolt - i already R2 the bushing and heim for the trackbar and even double-checked the torque on them tonight. i can't see anyplace where a control arm bolt has been slipping, but i'll check there next. thanks for the heads up.

Check the bolt in the trackbar.

[quadna71]

Originally Posted by mrblaine

That solid pop is usually the trackbar or a loose control arm bolt.

Over the holiday months I had the Jeep in the garage for some parts swapping. I pulled all the heims off the control arms in favor of sealed flex joints and along the way the pop disappeared. Best I can tell is that one of the front heim joints were popping within the joint as I had already beefed the mount bolts tighter than I had any business doing. Looks like your first recommendation towards the control arm was correct!

Somewhere between all the work I'm hoping to have a better riding Jeep for my road trip this summer. So far I have new sealed control arm joints, new ball joints (again - Crown sucks), new hubs, new progressive springs, new OME shocks, and a set of street tires are in the plans. With just shy of 5K miles coming up this summer I'll be thankful for my cruise control.