1. This is the ORO U-Turn...
1. This is the ORO U-Turn steering conversion as we received it. The kit includes a pair of TIG-welded knuckle brackets, a 1.25-inch-diameter 4340 drag link with adjuster, a 1.375-inch-diameter 4130 tie-rod, and all the necessary ball joints and hardware to perform the installation. This kit eliminates steering toe changes caused by changes in suspension height.
When the factory engineers designed the Jeep TJ's OEM steering system, they were limited by several dynamic factors. Terms such as "roll steer," "parallelism," and "Haltenburger geometry" may seem perplexing to the untrained, but rest assured, these words hold much relevance to the mythology of the funky Y-link steering design that Chrysler engineering developed. The setup features a drag link that is connected to the tie-rod instead of the steering knuckle as found in crossover steering arrangements.
The Y-link was employed to provide the driver with a good sense of stability while cornering at speed. Essentially, when a stock TJ enters the corner, the front outside tire moves closer to the chassis as the suspension compresses and the Y-link design causes the tire on the outside of the curve to toe slightly outward. Conversely, the tire on the inside of the corner does the opposite, toeing slightly inward. This scenario creates understeer, which gives the driver a positive on-road feel during cornering situations.
While this effect is great for daily driving, it offers little in terms of strength and dependability for those of us who want to run larger-than-stock tires on the trail. Enter Off Road Only of St. Paul, Minnesota. ORO manufactures a true crossover steering conversion for TJs called the U-Turn kit. Check out how the good folks at Overkill Jeep Fabrication in Campbell, California, performed the conversion on our donor TJ.
2. This photo shows how...
2. This photo shows how the ORO knuckle bracket attaches to the outer portion of the factory steering knuckle. Notice that the arrangement uses three points of attachment to secure this critical part to the axle assembly. A tapered crush sleeve ensures that the Grade-8 bolt (arrow) is free of movement when the setup is anchored to the factory tie-rod mount.
3. Here, you can see...
3. Here, you can see the driver-side tie-rod assembly completed. We like that ORO uses larger ball joints with user-serviceable zerk fittings for long life.
4. The final step in...
4. The final step in the U-turn conversion process is to adjust the drag link assembly, and thanks to the clever double-threaded adjuster shown here, the process is super easy to perform. Note that the ORO U-Turn kit requires use of a factory-style pitman arm. The ORO steering damper bracket seen here utilizes an aftermarket damper that is slightly longer than stock.