Fub, Get 'em loaded to our FTP site! Do Now! You take great pics.

thanks
In case I didn't say it on the trail, You did a great job of getting everyone threw the day.

Since the factory tie rods are a weak point, replacing them will move it somewhere else IMO.

And yeah, I'm pretty sure it was me that bent the HD tie rod.

Does that mean that the Moab thread I left has the FTP server Info? Oops.

exactly. The breakage will get moved up the drive train to something not so easy to fix or replace.

Now I'm going to have to hacksaw some weak points in my FT rods.

great pix fubar , cant wait to get home and see mine on something bigger than a 3 inch monitor LOL

still chillin in Moab

CP is all into that abuse thing....

no it's a choice you've made in hopes of never having a trail issue and hopefully it will pay off for you and you'll never suffer breakage upstream from your new beefier t-rods Pratice BTM, live BTM and you'll reduce the chances of anything going wrong even further.

Neo, There's a 19 inch maybe it's only 17 inch but either way there is a larger monitor in the lounge area of the Gonzo. Thanks, you've taken some great stuff as well.

Not true. The stock rods are not designed to break, they do beacuse they are weak. Stronger tie rods do not effect the drivetrain or put it any more risk. They simply strengthen a weak point.

Now, if you abuse your vehicle, then expect things to break, but the whole notion that the stock tie rods are some sort of pressure valve is false.

Just because you have stronger tie rods, it does not mean that something else will break instead. It simply means that you won't break a weak point as easily. However, if you force the steering when you are bound, etc, sure the tie rod may not break and something further along may, (that would be the center link, Pitman/idler arms or steering box, not the driveshafts), but that is the drivers choice, you don't force IFS period.

You break driveshafts or CV's from too much driveline stress, often accompanied by severe angles, you do not break driveshafts or CV's by simply having HD tie rods.

I've blown two CV's, many Pitman/idler arms, and a steering box, all because of how I drove, not because I had HD tie rods. I've never broke a tie rod, stock or HD. Steering stress and driveline stress are related with IFS, but the concept of HD tie rods breaking the driveline is just plain wrong.

If you allow an IFS front end to bounce or force the steering, you will break something. The HD tie rods remove one link, it doesn't mean you can abuse the vehicle until something else breaks. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Not saying that they are not good to have, because they have really saved alot I'm sure.

But.... if you are driving it harshly or whatever and that tie rod will not brake- something would have to give in. If not the tie rod something else along the line will give- it is just physics.

Phill, I am going to have to disagree with you and I guess it just depends on who you talk to. The Mech's that I've spoken to at various Hummer dealerships have all, every one of them said that the tie rods on the H2 have been designed to be the week link and designed to fail to prevent upstream damage of more critical parts. Thats not saying that if one goes to beffier t-rods that something IS or WILL break just that there is a greater possibility. That said opinions are like A-holes everyone has one so I will defer to your greater knowledge and experience.

Thanks for the info Phil. I've been considering the upgrade to the Fabtech's. But I'm at 3.5 years without a break of my original tie rods. I'm almost sentimental about them - no breaks in 6 Moab trips.

So, if you've upgraded to larger tires and/or a lift...then the tie-rods should definately be upgraded bcs the stress to the whole system is increased...is that right?

That's what I've been thinking. I'm ready for some new tires and will probably go with 37s. It seems to make sense to upgrade the TRs at this point.