steering box relocation

[rustywagoneers_com]

anyone been through this one yet?

will be doing major mods to the black / gray 85 over the winter.

would like to move front axle forward, probably on radius arms kinda like some of the XJ long-arm kits out there...
in order to do this, the steering box will need to move as well.
I am considering simply cutting the front section of frame off, and moving it forward by the same amount as the WB stretch. this will likely be about 4 inches, or however much the frame horns / bumper mounts extend past the front crossmember, as i do not want any additional 'frame' length.

anyway, just wondering if anyone has 'gone there' yet.

peace
Dave

[FSJ Guy]

Sounds tough, as the steering box is jammed up pretty close to the front frame crossmember. I can take pix if you like, as I have a parts rig that still has the steering box, but not much else left on it.

[rustywagoneers_com]

hey, thanks for the input.

i am intimately familiar with the frame and components in that area, i currently have 4 FSJ's and have had a dozen or so... the 'tightness' up there is why i am considering cutting the frame between the box mount area and the motor mounts and simply extending that part of the frame by maybe 4 inches.

peace
Dave

[Frank in Norway]

Or you could turn the pitman arm around. Then you won't have to relocate the box.

[rustywagoneers_com]

only problem with that is that right is left and left is right, in that case...

:)

peace
Dave

[BRUTUS]

only problem with that is that right is left and left is right, in that case...

:)

peace
Dave

It would take a bit of getting used to but it could be done. :D

[Elliott]

If you use a box from a '75 or earlier it has a mounting plate that would be easier to relocate on a flat surface:
http://www.fullsizejeeps.com/jeeps/files/Misc-Pictures/75powersteeringbox.JPG

[Desert Beast]

you could go full hydro.

:thumbsup:

[rustywagoneers_com]

yeah, i probably should... but that will have to wait (i think)
until it is kingpin 60 time...

peace
Dave

thanks for the suggestion elliot.. i will have to see if i have any of those..

[JeepsAndGuns]

only problem with that is that right is left and left is right, in that case...

:)

peace
Dave

I have just what you need. Its a steeing box off a old 77 f*rd van. its a sagnaw box just like on your waggy, but its the larger J20 size. It would bolt straight to your frame mount and heres the beauty part of it, the pitman arm is turned the other way and the box is geared to make it work.

Story on this was I grabed it off a old van my dad parted out after looking and measureing it, thinking it would be a good upgrade for my cherokee because it has the 3.5in piston (like the J20) but I never paied attention that the pitman arm was turned around the wrong way. I was going to put it on untill someone mentioned it would turn wrong. I went out and inspected it and yep, if I was to put it on with my pitman arm, left would be right and right would be left....lol:eek:

[crazydog]

probably on radius arms kinda like some of the XJ long-arm kits out there...

As soon as I saw "radius arms", I thought of this one.

http://www.ifsja.org/forums/vb/showthread.php?t=45700

http://www.ifsja.org/forums/vb/showthread.php?t=50858

Are you thinking something like this?

[rustywagoneers_com]

perhaps...

i will likely use the ford brackets,

thinking Mercedes Benz 300D front coils (super long) and they hold up a MB OM617 engine, and those aren't light

since i will likely be using the axles out from under the comancheneer, it will be a HD 44, high-steer already on it... brackets made to bolt to the leaf spring perches, that will have bushings (sorta like land rover / gelandewagen bushing arrangement... and probably the ford radius bushing and brackets at the rear..

probably will cut up ford radius arms to build off of...

peace
Dave

[rustywagoneers_com]

I have just what you need. Its a steeing box off a old 77 f*rd van. its a sagnaw box just like on your waggy, but its the larger J20 size. It would bolt straight to your frame mount and heres the beauty part of it, the pitman arm is turned the other way and the box is geared to make it work.

Story on this was I grabed it off a old van my dad parted out after looking and measureing it, thinking it would be a good upgrade for my cherokee because it has the 3.5in piston (like the J20) but I never paied attention that the pitman arm was turned around the wrong way. I was going to put it on untill someone mentioned it would turn wrong. I went out and inspected it and yep, if I was to put it on with my pitman arm, left would be right and right would be left....lol:eek:

hey there, sounds like just what the doctor ordered... how much, and rough idea to ship to 68633?

i am very interested.


peace
Dave

[FSJ Guy]

Ah ha! I see. Stretching the frame would be an option, so long as it can be made as strong/stronger than the original. There's a lot of stresses going on up there!

[Tad]

Dave,
I looked at this (moving the box) doing the Wag-It's Time mod's, but my front frame S-Box area was/is to fubared to mess with.

Just tossing this out from a 3 beer-brain fart point of view.

What about custom (sort of like hi-steer) arms that are located to the back of the knuckles?
Never considered it till now, but don't some of the D-60 folks do this setup or something similar?

[rustywagoneers_com]

you are right, tad... i think there are even arms like this for 44's... pass side is ahead and behind (drag link up front, tie rod in back)
but there is no reason you couldn't run both behind on the stock waggy style t-linkage...
i know there is a setup like that which is supposed to clear unmodified / unspacered H1's

hmmm... interesting...

peace
Dave

[Frank in Norway]

It would take a bit of getting used to but it could be done. :D

Of course you'll need the correct steering box to go with the forward facing pitman :)

[JeepsAndGuns]

hey there, sounds like just what the doctor ordered... how much, and rough idea to ship to 68633?

i am very interested.


peace
Dave

Its in storeage right now, I will dig it out this weekend and bring it back to the house and get ya some pics. Dont know how mutch shipping would be but I am guessing it will be high because that thing is heavy.


I have always thought about putting a normal jeep pitman arm on it and putting it on a jeep for like a festival or something set up in a field with a bunch of cones and get people to try and drive it without hitting the cones. It would be "fun" to say the least seeing as how left would be right and right would be left...lol Dang, I almost want to keep it now just to do that one day...lol... but if you think it will work for what you need I would be happy to sell it to you.

[rustywagoneers_com]

Its in storeage right now, I will dig it out this weekend and bring it back to the house and get ya some pics. Dont know how mutch shipping would be but I am guessing it will be high because that thing is heavy.


I have always thought about putting a normal jeep pitman arm on it and putting it on a jeep for like a festival or something set up in a field with a bunch of cones and get people to try and drive it without hitting the cones. It would be "fun" to say the least seeing as how left would be right and right would be left...lol Dang, I almost want to keep it now just to do that one day...lol... but if you think it will work for what you need I would be happy to sell it to you.

well, get me the weight when you can, and think about how much you want, PM the weight and your zip code, i seriously think this will be the best way to get the job done...

peace
Dave

[JeepsAndGuns]

I will drop ya a PM when I get it back to the house. Looks like I wont be able to make it to where is stored untill sunday, but I will get it for you then.

[rustywagoneers_com]

sweeeeeeeeet.

will likely have to run the GM driver's side tie-rod end over on the pass side, and ream it (a la Tad) to take the Jeep drag link, otherwise we have the reverse interference condition, like he had (or would have had) on the 70.... as long as the travel stops before the housing/spring hits the pitman / drag link it should be ok.. i better get some measuring done before i go and put you through a bunch of shoulder pain...


peace
Dave

[bigun]

Dang looks like dave has another project going!!

[JeepsAndGuns]

Ok, found the box and got it back to the house.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v606/JeepsAndGuns/steering001.jpg

The pitman arm is about 6 inches long from center of steering shaft to center of tre hole. It bolts on just the same as your stock box (with 4 bolts) and the input is the same size too. It hase flare hose fittings too. Measure out 6 inches from your box and see if thats gonna put the pitman arm where you need it.

[Elliott]

I'm not getting why you'd need another steering box then the one you have... when you can just move your pitman 180* (the splines should line up as far as I know) and run your drag link to the opposite knuckle.

[JeepsAndGuns]

Thats an idea, never thought of it that way. But doing that would give him a super short drag link. You gotta think, the box is on the drivers frame rail, if you flip the arm around then he will have to hook it to the drivers side knuckle, I just dont know if that would work very good, if even at all.

[Elliott]

That's the way the GM D60 is set up, with a short drag link to the driver's knuckle. In fact there is an odd chance I still have the drag link around here and I'll look for it. Not sure that is the ideal for articulation...

[JeepsAndGuns]

Oh, I see what your talking about now. Your talking about the stock chvey and ford "push pull" type steering. I thought you were talking about fliping the pitman arm 180* like it is on the box I have. and useing the stock type steering, juts the other way around...lol
I thought the chevy guys go through hell to get rid of that setup to use the more normal crossover setup?

[Elliott]

I thought the chevy guys go through hell to get rid of that setup to use the more normal crossover setup?

I couldn't tell you about them belly draggers, you could be right.:D