Upgrading Heavy-Duty Steering Components on Jeep Cherokee XJ autowebnews.org

Another critical upgrade is the track bar. On a lifted XJ, the factory track bar is often too short and uses a tiny rubber bushing that allows excessive axle shift. Heavy-duty adjustable track bars with polyurethane or heim joints keep the axle perfectly centered under the chassis, preventing the dreaded “death wobble”—that violent, teeth-rattling oscillation that plagues lifted XJs. Additionally, upgrading the steering shaft from the rag-joint design to a solid U-joint shaft (often sourced from a Jeep Grand Cherokee ZJ or an aftermarket unit) eliminates vagueness in the steering wheel, translating every small movement directly to the steering box.