JKOwners Forum banner

Fusion4x4 2.5 Ton HD Steering Write Up

13K views 26 replies 12 participants last post by  coilrod  
#1 · (Edited)
Before pulling the trigger on a set of Dana Ultimate 60s, I spent a lot of time researching the junkyard route and probably read every thread on here. Invest2m4 and I exchanged a lot of PMs back and forth and after I decided which route I was going to take, our conversation shifted somewhat to steering.

I was intrigued about 2.5 ton ends but flabbergasted by the current price offerings until Invest2m4 introduced me to Fusion 4x4 which he is a part of. I figured I would give it a try and since the company is new figured it might be useful to do a quick write up.

The packaging is pretty robust. Instructions are included and it even comes with a tube of anti seize for the cartridges. If you do not have it already, you will need a 2” socket and a strap wrench as the aluminum doesn’t come with wrench flats. Word of advice, do not buy a 12 point 2” socket. It will not work.

Tie rod comes with spacers that are designed to limit the amount of joint movement.



Drag link doesn’t use the travel limiting spacers.



Speaking of the cartridges, they are freaking huge and require no reaming. Here are a few pics for perspective with the last dollar I have after buying these axles 





And here is the tie rod installed. Everything is just finger tight for now and drag link will be installed when the axles actually go in. Just waiting on a few more parts.

(The boots dont get installed on the tie rod ends. Mistake on my part)







Clearance is going to be tight for the hydro assist but the 1.75” diameter tie rod clears perfectly. I don't have a picture but there are no clearance issues with a 17x9 wheel with 4.5 BS.



I have to specifically call out Fushion4x4’s customer service which I think is critical to any company especially small new ones. The kits uses right and left hand thread jam nuts. My tie rod accidentally shipped with two left hand thread nuts. I was able to reach them on a Saturday and had a new nut in my hands by Wednesday. On top of that, the guys I spoke with are very knowledgeable and love to talk Jeep. :beer:
 
#2 ·
Awesome! Glad to see this, I ordered the exact same kit Friday of last week! Have to agree, the guys over there were great to talk to, were very accommodating to some shipping " challenges" i have right now while I'm in the process of closing on a new address, and their price on this kit is way better than the only other company I have found that is offering the same products!! Mine should be here this week, cant wait to see it in person!
 
#3 ·
Wow, thanks for the great write-up ALASHA. We can't wait to see everyone punish this product on the trails.

We spent a year trying different ideas out and this is the only setup that does everything we wanted.

- NO drilling and NO reaming
- Fits stock 17" wheels
- Rod end cartridges are replaceable
- The drag link can work in the standard under knuckle position or be flipped by inserting the cartridge in the opposite direction
- Tie rod design limits movement (big when it comes to hydro assist)

Lastly, we wanted to build the strongest tie rod and drag link on the market for the JK and do it at a price that makes sense. It is something that needs to be seen in person to understand just how much beef there is.

We're working on some promotions for JKO members and hope to have those up soon along with some of our other new product releases.

Thanks again for the support!
 
#4 ·
#8 ·
If you position the ram so that the clamp at full passenger (compressed) is maybe an inch passenger of the diff, you should have no issues. As soon as you start to turn driver, the clamp will quickly move away from the axle due to how deep the knuckles are in the steering arc. Then you have a good 6" of travel before it gets close to the axle again and you will be passed the tall part of the diff.

Reversing the ram is another option, just don't forget to switch the ram lines around (unless you don't like your steering box!).
 
#10 ·
It is a 1-1/4" solid forging. Stronger than any JK tie rod end available. And far stronger than something like a synergy tie rod where there is a bend in a hollow tube. If you have ever watched someone in rocks with a Synergy and hydro, it flexes around the bends. There is nothing wrong with that, to be clear. The weakest design is a bend in a tube or bar. That is why you don't see a rock bouncer or ultra4 with bends in control arms.

Here is a picture of a GM one ton end next to the drag link end.

 
#13 ·
Looking forward to seeing what the jko discount is going to be! I'm tired of my synergy tierod ends getting loose and the boots ripping with my hydro assist after only running them for a few months...
 
#14 ·
Tie rod looks massive! Been working with them for a little bit now on a set of axles, service has been absolutely great!
 
#15 ·
Ok , yes it is massive , but the bend still has me wondering and yes you have that huge cartridge but you have the same size tapper from the BJ have you just moved the weak link ? Not trying to bash the product here just trying to get the right info . With tons wouldn't you want a high steer set up with a straight bar ?
 
#16 ·
It is a 1-1/4" solid forging. That is stronger than just about any JK control arm on the market with a bend in it, and I suspect you are running control arms with bends in them? Another way to say it, there is not a stronger tie rod end design. The dog leg is stronger than just having a curve like others you see. Something like a Synergy is not even close in terms of strength. Not that the Synergy is bad, just using a popular comparison. Think about it this way, we could bend solid bar into the same shape and use a GM 1 ton end, but that is not as strong. Forgings don't have the weakness that bent tube or bar will have.

As for taper, the size of the taper is not correlated to strength. The JK taper is used on the Ram trucks. It is a manufacturer preference. If you want, we do offer it with three other cartridge options: small GM taper (what everyone calls GM 1 tons), large GM taper (a lot larger), and a .750 straight stud. We can put the massive GM large end on if someone really wants it. Price is the same. The weakness in a rod end happens below the stud and that is where the massive cartridge makes a difference.

Unfortunately, late model 60s have a diff cast that results in more of the ring gear extending from the front. The result is that you can't run a straight tie rod and clear a diff cover - trust us, we have tried everything on the 60s. Even offset GM ends won't cut it. Could you run it off high steer arms? Yes, but then you are talking about custom 60s using Reid knuckles. There would also be a lot of modifications needed on a JK for a setup like that.
 
#20 ·
If you want flats, we can add them. We don't as they are not needed and create a weak spot in the bar. In fact, I find it easier to tighten the jam nuts without them. It also takes away from the appearance. You'll notice that most aluminum tie rod options on the market do not have wrench flats. If someone did want them, we'd recommend adding them inside of where the ends are machined and only to have a flat on the top and bottom. If you are talking about machining the end to six sided, I'd have to pause on that. We will only send out product we believe is safe. Tie rods need to take a tremendous amount of abuse and we have to consider that along with the unique properties of aluminum.

Again, if you want to request flats, we are happy to add at no charge.

As for price, the other comparable options are $1250 and $1400 (no flats for $1400). Relatively speaking, we are very aggressive on price, especially with the 10% off for JKO members.