that is my thoughtNice!!! I’ll simply show Ford/warranty where it says” lift me BABY”
I got the RC delrin bushes for my steering rack. I didn't want to drop the coin on the billet, teflon coated inserts. I don't wheel that hard and haven't had any issues. I do carry 2 spare tie rods in the tool bag just in case. I believe in my heart that keeping the rod in the rack centered will keep the tensioner from trying to achieve escape velocity. That was an early mod and when I checked it a year or so later, I had absolutely no metal shavings observed under my boots. As I said,The tie rods are weak and can break, there is plenty of evidence of this. I'm trying to decide if the steering rack boogeyman is real or just an over-imagined ghost based on a few stories. The golden question everone wants to know is: If I upgrade the tie rods, how likely is it that my rack then breaks? I feel like if you are running 37's on a lift, and you upgrade the tie rods (with sleeves, or beefier tie rods), you should at a minimum add the bushings in the rack - sounds like you've done that (were they BB or Rough Country btw, that's a whole other debate
I'm on the fence of just leaving it all stock and carrying spare tie rods (it's not a hard swap/fix on the trail), or doing the Icons + bushings and MAYBE the 74weld cap as well??
I think that's a sensible approach. Is your bronco lifted or running larger tires? I'm on 3" lift and 37's, so I assume that's adding additional stress to the rack. I just ordered the Icon tie rods, and will keep them as spare replacements for if when one or both of the tie rods break. At that point I'll add the bushings as well, and perhaps the cap, or just do the whole HOSS 3.0 upgrade at that point.
Nice, running Ready Lift 3inch with icon tie rods. will be installing Weld 74 stage 1. I dont rock crawl. Overland/trails mostly. or might do Bronco Buster 3.0 rack with cap & bushings...
I have RPG spring perch lift installed and 37" General Grabber X3s. Yes, the increased angle on the tie rod from having to "reach down" and not straight across creates deflection and increased wear on the rack housing. The inserts reinforce the bar (sorry if I sound like a dummy) that the tie rods screw into and reduces the amount of arm that it experiences. Arm being the length of the bar from the last point of contact with another surface to reinforce it to the end where force is applied. Not an engineer but some pilot stuff applies.
Any pics?
Here is one of the 2. This guy ran 37s with tie rod braces but no rack reinforcement
