Rednroll

Thanks!

I've been doing a lot of other reading on replacing ball joints, and figured I'ld might as well replace one of my wheel hub bearings while I'm at it, since one has been replaced while the other is original factory, and then put some new front brake pads on also. So been busy shopping around for parts, tools, and know how, where I didn't have a chance to go look into this further.

resharp001

It sure is an intriguing route to go.

Rednroll

Yeah it is, but does Aluminum not bend or less likely to bend compared to chromoly?

No rust and lighter weight was all I've heard about aluminum.

resharp001

Chromoly is stronger in general, but once bent, stays bent. The aluminum going to weigh less, take more effort to bend, and comes right back to form. Couple vids as examples:



There are also some vids out there that document the additional force required to bend that 7075 -


I'd think it would be a good option for you....both in cost and function. What I am curious about would be how that would be with hydro assist? Maybe Dirtman or Bora Bora will chime back in. I'm curious if the fact that it's more flexy would hinder using in a hydro application.

Rednroll

Interesting. Makes me wonder why my aluminum beer cans don't bend back into shape after I crush them on my forehead with nowhere near to 1200psi.

resharp001

https://dallas.craigslist.org/dal/pt...603342609.html

That posting showed up in DFW craigslist ads today (even though it's in Arizona). Just thought it was funny......for several hundred dollars more than Bora Bora spent, these guys will screw the TREs in to the aluminum bar for you and ship it as 1 piece rather than you having to screw the two ends in yourself. What a deal!

BoraBora

Hahah yes, my guys at Stinky Fab! Great videos though, really show you what aluminum can take. The 1.5" OD 7075-T6 solid rod is plenty beef for a tie rod Rednroll, strength wise it's not as strong as heat treated chromoly...but it has more 'memory' allowing it to spring back rather than permanently bend. Aluminum is more prone to fatigue, but with solid rod I'm not concerned whatsoever. You just need to make sure that the jam nuts on the TRE's are TIGHT against the rod. If the jam nuts work loose, you can strip the threads out. I didn't use any thread locker on the jam nuts, but since the aluminum is softer...if you crank the jam nuts they should be fine. Just something worth noting.

On the topic of hydro assist, I had the same concern initially. I spoke with multiple people who are successfully running hydro assist with aluminum steering; No one has had any problems so far. One guy suggested placing the ram closer to the TRE on the rod, and mounting the other end to the axle tube/truss/or diff cover (instead of the track bar mount in a traditional setup). I'm keeping that suggestion in my pocket, as I'm sure I'll need to play around/make multiple tacks and guesses when installing the ram anyways. The bar does instill confidence though, as it's really stout and solid. I don't think it'll be anything like a 'wet noodle' with hydro assist, especially if you experiment with your ram mounting.

Unfortunately no welding for me for the next 6 months while I let my burn scars heal so no UV radiation, or hydro until late fall.

Hahaha, classic.

resharp001

Highlighted this thread today. Curious how that TR is holding up? Still happy? Did you end up doing a DL as well?

BoraBora

TR has been holding up great. I've put 10k miles on it now, and the ends still look great and have taken minimal grease. I haven't done the DL yet as my stock one is still alive (), but I recommended it to a good buddy of mine, and his looks great. Required reaming the pitman arm a bit, but it clears everything fine.

Planning on switching to the WTOR steering box this summer, so I'll do another update on the TR + Hydro combo.

Monte417