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Steering options

Jump This

Jump This

Just another minion!
Location
Borrego Springs Ca.
I have checked out most of the Dana 30 steering mods and options. Since I will be going to 35" tires soon I need to upgrade.
All the info in the tech section is great, but.....how many of these people run places like JV? I know a lot do, but most don't.
Soooo....what are 'we' running as far as upgrades go?
J-20 boxes?
True hi-steer?
I'm not going to the Currie set up.....
Hydro assist is still intriguing...
Fire away..I will be ordering my upgrade by Monday.
Thanks!!
Rick R
 
Jump This said:
I have checked out most of the Dana 30 steering mods and options. Since I will be going to 35" tires soon I need to upgrade.
All the info in the tech section is great, but.....how many of these people run places like JV? I know a lot do, but most don't.
Soooo....what are 'we' running as far as upgrades go?
J-20 boxes?
True hi-steer?
I'm not going to the Currie set up.....
Hydro assist is still intriguing...
Fire away..I will be ordering my upgrade by Monday.
Thanks!!
Rick R
Click to expand...

Go HP44 with high steer. One of the BEST upgrades I have done. Hydro assist on a 30 will be a challenge. Some are going WJ conversion on the D30 but....it is still a 30.

You did mention aspirations for BOTW didn't you?
 
cracker said:
Go HP44 with high steer. One of the BEST upgrades I have done. Hydro assist on a 30 will be a challenge. Some are going WJ conversion on the D30 but....it is still a 30.

You did mention aspirations for BOTW didn't you?
Click to expand...

DAMN YOU!
Throw reality right in my face!
Yeah, building a BOTW rig is on the agenda, but it won't be
this one. I think I can find a more damaged rig to cut up and
then I would build BIG.
I'll just sit around waiting for one of you to need to sell, or buy hand-me-down upgrades. Don't you think you need a 60 in the front of your rig?
But realy, I am building up this 30 and still need to upgrade the steering.
Recommend a good hi-steer product will ya'? :D
Rick R
 
Jump This said:
Recommend a good hi-steer product will ya'? :D
Rick R
Click to expand...

I don't think there is one for a Dana30.
The best thing you could do is something like Porch Puppy's home brew setup...
picture.JPG

...or do a Tera knuckle conversion. You'll have to modify the panhard bar/mount and anti-roll bar mounts as well with either setup though. I know of no true "bolt on" option.
 
would the weld in OTK things, right hand drive draglink and a flex rod work to be a sort of "high steer"?
 
LilRedRover said:
would the weld in OTK things, right hand drive draglink and a flex rod work to be a sort of "high steer"?
Click to expand...

That does nothing to help the strength issue.
We're talking about 35s and really big rocks.
 
i'm currently doing the Tera knuckle, with WJ TREs, and I will be adding hyrdo assist to my d30.

I may only be on 33's, but I love big rocks and wheel my rig hard.

After a bunch of research, this option seemed the best for me.....it is replacing the Currie setup I have been running for over 2 years
 
Hey Rick, did you get a chance to check out my WJ junk at Big Bear? I've been happy with it...great brakes and steering. Check with Mike Rollins for calipers, car-parts.com for the knuckles and JKS for the links, brackets and spacers.

I think we're going to be at the hi desert roundup in Stoddard Valley later today and tomorrow, for a trip to Afton Canyon with Rollins tomorrow morning. If you can make it up for the run, you can take mine for a test drive.
 
Jump This said:
Don't you think you need a 60 in the front of your rig?
Click to expand...

YES!

That is my December project. I will place the 44 on my new Truggy in the mean time :D
 
Thanks for the help so far.
Porch Puppies set up is right along the lines I'm looking to...
but don't be suprised if I end up with a hydro assist to go along with it..
I also want to know what David Taylor is using.....
I'm going to be jumping into it as soon as my 30 returns from Ryans.
Rick R
 
I installed a j-20 box in my jeep not too long ago. I have not wheeled it yet, but I can say for 35's, hydro assist is definitely not needed. I've got 33's now and I really can't believe the feel of the wheel. It feels like you're turning nothing. Much different than with the stock box.
 
gearwhine said:
I installed a j-20 box in my jeep not too long ago. I have not wheeled it yet, but I can say for 35's, hydro assist is definitely not needed. I've got 33's now and I really can't believe the feel of the wheel. It feels like you're turning nothing. Much different than with the stock box.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately, our retarded mod moved this here. Rick is asking specifically a local question about steering for Johnson Valley.

Johnson Valley is all BIG rock. With 35s, I would recommend hydro assist. I can't steer worth sh!t out there on 35s, never mind my 37s.
 
Rick - another option for a high steer would be with the WJ conversion (talk to Rollins about rotors and calipers). If you get a right hand drive LEFT knuckle it has an upper arm on it (WJ's have the drag link go from box to kunckle, tie rod from a lower spot on the knuckle to knuckle. So when you use a RHD Left knuckle with a LHD Right knuckle you end up with knuckles that have tabs for linkages mounted nice and high). I'm kinda toying with the idea of doing this or going with a mid steer (Over the knuckle to non smartasses) using WJ knuckles, hefty tubing, and heims. At this point dangerous throughts of hydro assist have been creeping into my head, god like I really need another headache!

There's a certain amount of fab involved with going WJ (spacers for unit bearings and putting the track bar on top, plus misc. sway bar shit) so if you play it smart and plan for hydro assist from the earliest stages you should be able to easily work it in.
Sorry for not being too descriptive of steering sytles - for some reason I'm terrible at remembering the names of various steering setups. :dunce:

If you find a good source on the LH RHD (confusing, isn't it?) WJ knuckles let me know. I need a good reason to over complicate the next phase of my 30.

Sequoia
 
GSequoia said:
Rick - another option for a high steer would be with the WJ conversion (talk to Rollins about rotors and calipers). If you get a right hand drive LEFT knuckle it has an upper arm on it (WJ's have the drag link go from box to kunckle, tie rod from a lower spot on the knuckle to knuckle. So when you use a RHD Left knuckle with a LHD Right knuckle you end up with knuckles that have tabs for linkages mounted nice and high). I'm kinda toying with the idea of doing this or going with a mid steer (Over the knuckle to non smartasses) using WJ knuckles, hefty tubing, and heims. At this point dangerous throughts of hydro assist have been creeping into my head, god like I really need another headache!

There's a certain amount of fab involved with going WJ (spacers for unit bearings and putting the track bar on top, plus misc. sway bar shit) so if you play it smart and plan for hydro assist from the earliest stages you should be able to easily work it in.
Sorry for not being too descriptive of steering sytles - for some reason I'm terrible at remembering the names of various steering setups. :dunce:

If you find a good source on the LH RHD (confusing, isn't it?) WJ knuckles let me know. I need a good reason to over complicate the next phase of my 30.

Sequoia
Click to expand...

You can also do a half ass WJ conversion. This is what I am doing, and as Randy has mentioned, he is also. Basically the Tera knuckle is identical to the WJ knuckle. The only difference is that you don't get the big brakes, don't have to worry about spacing the hubs, redrilling rotors, etc. The Tera knuckle can be had new for $240 shipped.

I'll have the Tera knuckle, Currie HD ends, and 1.25" DOM. Randy will be running the Tera knuckle, WJ ends, and a JKS WJ conversion Tie Rod (sleeved) and Drag Link. The WJ ends are 24 mm, which is a little more beef then a 7/8" end. They also have a kick in them, Randy is using this to push his tie rod out to make some room for his hyrdo. I have no plans for hydro which is why I am using the Currie HD ends. Although if I wanted, it could be added to this setup without to much issue. We will both be running the JKS OAB, I wish a shortened RE HD, and Randy with a Shortened TnT. I hope this helps some.
 
cracker said:
Unfortunately, our retarded mod moved this here. Rick is asking specifically a local question about steering for Johnson Valley.

Johnson Valley is all BIG rock. With 35s, I would recommend hydro assist. I can't steer worth sh!t out there on 35s, never mind my 37s.
Click to expand...

If you need hydro assist to help you turn 35's on a dana 30, aren't your knuckles/ball joints going to be a major weak point? My thought is j-20 boxes can be had for 100 or less bucks, try it out, doesn't work as well as he needs, sell it again for another hundred, not much of a loss. Not that I have eperience of ripping knuckles off, but with this, it's already scaring me to start bringing extra knuckles around. Johnson Valley or not, it's still MUCH stronger than a stock box.
 
gearwhine said:
If you need hydro assist to help you turn 35's on a dana 30, aren't your knuckles/ball joints going to be a major weak point? My thought is j-20 boxes can be had for 100 or less bucks, try it out, doesn't work as well as he needs, sell it again for another hundred, not much of a loss. Not that I have eperience of ripping knuckles off, but with this, it's already scaring me to start bringing extra knuckles around. Johnson Valley or not, it's still MUCH stronger than a stock box.
Click to expand...

as long as the ram is setup properly so it won't try to push past the steering stops, you shouldn;t have any problems with breaking knuckles.

on my d30, i get exactly 6" of travel, so I am going with a 6" ram.....and if i need to add a spacer to the ram to limit it a little, i will
 
IntrepidXJ said:
as long as the ram is setup properly so it won't try to push past the steering stops, you shouldn;t have any problems with breaking knuckles.

on my d30, i get exactly 6" of travel, so I am going with a 6" ram.....and if i need to add a spacer to the ram to limit it a little, i will
Click to expand...

Wouldn't a rock act just like a steering stop, which is the reason you want hydro assist? Believe me, I'm not trying to be a dick or anything. I'm tyring to know if hydro assist is a good idea on a 30, because honestly...I don't know....but I don't THINK it's a good idea.
 
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