High steer options

[Matt S.]

Vintage. not to neccesarily correct you, I agree that length differences will create a slight bumpsteer. But I disagree that a inverted "y" is going to help. I ran a inverted y after 3 stock setups and it was also in plane with the axle movement. and was same length might I add. Had such horrible bump steer and DW that I couldn't live with it. After the switch. Almost like stock to be honest with you. But this was my experience, others could be different.

But to anyone who wants to go and build something like this needs to really consider what they are going to demand out of it. I had had soooo many bad DW so many different times that I was going to make everyhting so it could not happen. With led me into a whole front end outer rebuild.

You need to do more than steering linkages. You need to consider frame rienforcement, steering box bracing, tract bar mounts (both upper and lower), plus many more things.

This is all IN MY OPINION though. I am of no expert or one that should be taken totally factual. Make sure to ask good thoughtout questions, and you WILL get exactly what you need. OK?


MATT

 

[BIG98XJ]

Damn nothing is easy is it!!!?? Yall know of any companies that makes kits other than Rustys, and M.O.R.E?? Heard lots of bad thing bout the Rustys steering, and M.O.R.E is still in the "testing stage" with their set up! Anybody??

 

[Gary E]

heres a pic of my junk, I have since rebuilt the trackbar mount. And I suggest using chevy junk instead of waggy stuff.

 

[CRASH]

I have since rebuilt the mount to be much stouter I have it all finished and will be reassembling today.

Damn, Lazy G, that's a lot of work for one week!

CRASH

 

[Gary E]

Well I do go wheeling you know

and I installed a High torque starter in the cobra it sounds pimp

Have you got my cage all cut and bent up and ready to install yet?

 

[Nay]

Let's Make This Simple

Here is what you need. Forgot about hi-steer on a D30...that's too much money and work for that axle. Do a crossover for your setup (as in the first picture...you choose whether you want the "Z" bend in the draglink or want to deal with the angles through spacers or high misalignment heims).

Parts:

1 1/8" DOM for the draglink and tierod and trackbar. Cut and tap a spare tierod while you are at it.

6 heims (spherical rod ends) with 3/4" bore and 3/4" thread. Sleeve the 3/4" bore down to 5/8" - this will give you an extra 3" of travel over a straight 3/4" heim, and you'll need it. You might want to use high misalignment heims (pricey) if you aren't going to bend the draglink and trackbar (bending weakens the link but does maximize available heim travel). Get two more heims, one lefthand thread and one right, as spares. You need six because your trackbar will also use heims (3 left and 3 right plus the two spares). QA1 heims are probably the best bet for reasonable price ($30/ea) with still good quality. Aurora are excellent, and there are others.

6 heim spacers for the pitman arm, draglink on the passenger side, and trackbar mount.

4 5/8" grade 8 bolts with metal lock nuts (you'll need to measure length once you have the other parts on hand)

Rims with a maximum of 4" backspace.

A fab shop that can build/weld you a new over-the-axle trackbar mount with 3/16" stock, unless you can do it yourself.

Drill out the knuckle tapers to 5/8" and the pitman arm, too. I never had any looseness problems, and my old D30 with this setup has had two subsequent owners.

Bolt up the tierod to the passenger side using the shorter 5/8" grade 8 bolt and lock nut. Run the longer bolt through the passenger side and place a heim spacer (unless using high misalignment heims that have the spacer built in) on top of the knuckle...draglink goes next...another spacer on top of that, and bolt the whole thing down. Attach the other end of the draglink to the pitman arm using a spacer on either side. Assuming you have your new trackbar mount....bolt it up on the axle end and then the frame end, using the spacers again on the frame end.

Now you have a very strong system that won't wear out quickly (I daily drove mine for over a year and the heims stayed nice and tight) and all you have to do to replace the tierod on the trail is loosen a couple of jam nuts and twist it off. Driveway alignments are also a snap...never go to a shop again.

You might want to fab a new steering stabilizer mount and run it to the tierod. Again, simple to do. This is all exceptionally easy to do. Don't try to cheat with the Skyjacker trackbar. That thing is such a POS. Build a new mount. A shop can do that for $60.

Otherwise, buy a D44 with flat top knuckles and really break the bank . The problem I had with the D30, and the reason I finally got rid of it, was that the 4" backspace rims with big tires just ate D30 ball joints. Others have had fewer problems, but I got sick of changing them every 3 months. I love the 44 setup.

Nay