CARLI 2021+ FORD BRONCO STEERING TIE-ROD SYSTEM

The Carli Suspension Steering Tie-Rod System is a complete steering upgrade engineered to address one of the most common weak points on the 2021–2025 Ford Bronco: the factory tie rods.

Larger tires, additional suspension travel, and hard off-road use can place significantly more load on the Bronco's steering system. Rather than simply increasing the diameter of the factory-style tie rod, Carli redesigned the system from the steering rack to the knuckle with heat-treated 4140 tie rods, fully rebuildable inner joints, billet aluminum outer tie-rod housings, FK bearings, and double-shear knuckle supports.

The result is an extremely robust steering system designed to complement the increased capability of a properly built Bronco while maintaining precise steering characteristics throughout the suspension's travel.

Built for Larger Tires & Hard Off-Road Use

The factory Bronco tie rods can become a weak point as tire size and off-road demands increase. Carli developed its steering system specifically to provide substantially more strength while also improving the steering geometry through the Bronco's extended suspension travel.

The Carli system produces less than half the toe change of the factory tie rod through the extended travel range, helping keep the front tires more consistently aligned as the suspension cycles through compression and droop.

That means you're not only upgrading strength—you're improving the way the steering system interacts with a high-performance suspension.

Heat-Treated 4140 Tie Rods

At the center of the system are tie rods machined from heat-treated 4140 steel.

Carli then applies the same molybdenum-based coating used on its heavy-duty ball joints. This coating works with the grease inside the inner joint to provide a durable, low-friction wear surface designed for long-term use in demanding environments.

The result is a substantial upgrade over the smaller factory components, particularly for Broncos running larger-than-stock tires.

Greasable & Fully Rebuildable Inner Tie-Rod Ends

Rather than using a disposable factory-style inner tie rod, Carli designed its inner joint to be greasable, adjustable, and rebuildable.

The joint uses bronze wear surfaces on both sides of the tie-rod ball. Machined grease grooves and an internal grease passage allow lubricant to reach the wear surfaces through an easily accessible Zerk fitting.

As the system accumulates mileage and the internal components wear, the joint can be serviced and adjusted to remove developing play rather than requiring replacement of the complete assembly.

This creates a steering system designed around long-term serviceability—not just initial strength.

Billet Aluminum Outer Tie-Rod Housings

The outer tie-rod housings are machined from solid 6061 billet aluminum and finished with the same hard-anodized treatment Carli uses on its Bronco Billet Upper Control Arms.

The outer housing threads onto the 4140 tie rod and is secured with two 12-point pinch bolts. These bolts thread into replaceable press-fit steel inserts, allowing Carli to maintain the strength of a steel threaded connection while retaining the lightweight billet aluminum housing.

This design also provides a straightforward method of adjusting front toe during alignment.

3/4" Teflon-Lined FK Bearing

Inside each outer tie-rod housing is a 3/4" Teflon-lined FK spherical bearing.

Rather than leaving the heim joint exposed as a conventional spherical rod end, Carli incorporates it into its Captured Urethane Bearing—or CUB—assembly. Proprietary urethane races encapsulate the FK bearing to help isolate vibration while extending the service life of the spherical joint.

The bearing assembly is preloaded into the billet housing and retained under tension with a safety washer and snap ring.

This gives the system the articulation required for increased suspension travel while maintaining the refinement expected from a Bronco that may still spend significant time on the street.

Double-Shear Knuckle Support

Carli takes the outer tie-rod connection one step further with a billet-machined double-shear knuckle bracket.

Instead of supporting the outer tie-rod connection from only one side, the Carli bracket captures the rod end and supports it on both sides of the steering knuckle connection.

The system uses 17-4 stainless steel misalignment spacers to correctly position the FK bearing while maximizing its available operating angle throughout suspension travel.

For Broncos running high-performance suspension and oversized tires, this provides a significantly more substantial connection between the steering system and steering knuckle.

Reduced Toe Change Through Suspension Travel

Strength isn't the only reason to upgrade the Bronco's steering system.

As an independent front suspension cycles, changes in the relationship between the steering linkage and suspension control arms can cause the tires to toe in or out—a characteristic commonly referred to as bump steer.

Carli engineered the geometry of its tie-rod system to produce less than half the toe change of the factory steering system through the extended suspension travel range.

This is especially important when pairing the steering system with components such as the Carli-Spec King Coilover System, where increased travel makes steering geometry increasingly important.