crossover steering questions

[mudhog]

do you still have the reamer?

 

[chopped&bobbed77burb]

do you still have the reamer?

Yes I still have the reamer .

 

[mudhog]

well i got it installed last night ( a big thanks to Ron powermad for helping me do it in the rain) it is a little close with the 2.5in lift but it fits just fine and will be ok till i put in the 4in lift thanks for the info guys

 

[southernspeed]

Have you driven it yet? How does it feel to you and did yours pull it around over the springs at all?

 

[mudhog]

yes a did drive it around the block and it dose make the springs pop

Have you driven it yet? How does it feel to you and did yours pull it around over the springs at all?

 

[southernspeed]

yes a did drive it around the block and it dose make the springs pop

hmmm... post up if you find out why or a way to stop/limit it at all. I haven't driven mine yet as I'm still doing the rear end but when i turned it around in the street in was pretty weird!

 

[chopped&bobbed77burb]

Have you driven it yet? How does it feel to you and did yours pull it around over the springs at all?

I have a little movement with mine but I'm also not running a sway bar . I have 6" dodge springs (reverse eye) and only using the first 2 main springs and then 5 chevy rears to complete the pack . I think most of the movement is going to be from the shackles flexing side to side . I'm debating building a pan had bar with quick disconect pins so I can run with out it in areas where I need all the flex I can get . The cross over set up steer's really quick over the original set up but it's not any thing like my MR2 . the burb does creak like a sinking battle ship when I'm going over the rock's and stuff . mostly when really working the suspension .

 

[southernspeed]

Yeah, I'm seriously thinking about a panhard too as I have to drive to where I'm gonna wheel. I get a few miles on it first, let it settle down and then see what the score is.

 

[boxxerace]

Wow, reading the 5th page and brought me to realization that I am not the only one with flex, popping and "flex" steer because of crossover. (dana 60 FYI).

Jumping out of the running vehicle and manually turning the steering shaft by hand from the fenderwell, I can see frame flex (welded frame repair and brace), crossmember flex from the brace and rear shackle flex, side-to-side.

While, I can do some additional welding and bracing for the front of the frame, the rear shackles are a little harder to deal with. I did notice that the brackets that the upper shackle bolt goes through, mounted inside the frame has a space between the frame and the bracket. My theory is that the hot-rivets were not pressed properly, or they have been stressed and elongated some, allowing play in the bracket.

I am grinding off one rivet and replacing it with a grade 8 bolt to see if I can clamp the bracket down closer to the frame. If so, I will do so on all 8 rivets. It could be that the brackets edge is milled to not sit on the frame flush (stress risers?)

Have any of you found a good answer to deal with the problem? Panhard as Chopped and Bobbed suggested?

 

[jayweb]

so - am I correct in assuming that crossover steering is not a good idea for a street driven vehicle? is it that unstable? mines not a DD, but it will be driven to and from the trails.

 

[chopped&bobbed77burb]

so - am I correct in assuming that crossover steering is not a good idea for a street driven vehicle? is it that unstable? mines not a DD, but it will be driven to and from the trails.

I drive mine to the trail and sometimes around the local hood for a trip up to the parts store or whatever . I still get a slight bit of death wobble up to aboot 25mph sometimes and I do have a steering dampner in the stock location and I did shim the kingpins springs . I also have new 42's up front and when I had the worn out 42's I didn't have a problem . I would run cross over on a street driven rig . I think the stress of big tires really makes it worse . When I had the 36" bias Iroks I never had a issue with wobbles . I don't think a panhard bar would hurt but I would only do it if you are not running a swaybar . It would seem to me that a swaybar would limit your side to side movement but would limit your flex and also make your ride alot stiffer .

 

[boxxerace]

so - am I correct in assuming that crossover steering is not a good idea for a street driven vehicle? is it that unstable? mines not a DD, but it will be driven to and from the trails.

From my experience, Crossover is quite a bit more safe (for a lifted or large tired) truck. It helps remove much of the bumpsteer and wierd things that happen with the lamo stock drag link. I am in much more control than I ever was with a stock setup. What (we) are experiencing is flex in areas never designed for the forces that crossover steering puts on it. Well, Chevy frames were certainly not designed for 40" tires to be turned on dry pavement or rock, nevermind crossover.

Just to be clear, crossover is WAY better. WAYYYY Better across the board. I think I might do hydro assist to help lessen the forces placed into the draglink. This and beef up the frame and bits some.

Just envision going over bumps or dips in the road (like sewage drain dips) and having your steering wheel AND tire stay straight. Enough said.

Go Crossover.

 

[stallion85]

yes a did drive it around the block and it dose make the springs pop

Mudhog,

I have been wheeling mine with 2.5" lift for the past 2 years with NO problems! And I have been wheeling pretty hard. It seems that the draglink fits right in the channel of the engine crossmember at full flex. It does however come into contact with the crossmember just a hair and you can see a little rub mark on the drag link. The popping noise, I found was fixed by re-torquing my springplates and shackles and then it went away.

Now here are the problems that I have run into that kind of limit me with the 2.5" lift.

The tie rod rubs on the bottom of the springs.

I wanted to put some 0 rates in the front and move the axle forward and clear the tie rod. If I did that the drag link would come in contact with the top of the springs

Now, I have heard ORD can make a 1/2 0 rate, but you lose the option of moving your axle forward.

My options now would be (for axle movement forward) ORD high clearance engine crossmember and a steering arm spacer under the knuckle

In closing, if I had to do it all over again? I would have put 4" springs under neath as to save headache later down the road. It already sounds like that is where you are heading.

I hope this helps you out a bit. Let me know if you have any more questions??



Jeff

 

[stallion85]

Here is a pic of x over on a 2.5" lift wheeling that supposedly can't be done...lol

 

[MTBLAZER89]

I wanted to put some 0 rates in the front and move the axle forward and clear the tie rod. If I did that the drag link would come in contact with the top of the springs

Now, I have heard ORD can make a 1/2 0 rate, but you lose the option of moving your axle forward.

My options now would be (for axle movement forward) ORD high clearance engine crossmember and a steering arm spacer under the knuckle

You could redrill the perch to move it forward about an inch, but then you will still run into the crossmember issue. I have 4" springs and a zero rate moved forward 1". I have a little rub mark on my draglink still with 5" of lift. i think it is just the axle relocation. Plus the downside to the zero rates as yu mentioned is the spacer under the steering arm. Sky does make the new tall arm, but they didn't have that when i bought my arm. i don't care for the spacer. It worries me. All that stuff is on a 10b/44 so it doesn't really apply to mudhog, but good info for the archives anyway

Soon i won't have to worry bout the spacer

 

[stallion85]

You could redrill the perch to move it forward about an inch, but then you will still run into the crossmember issue. I have 4" springs and a zero rate moved forward 1". I have a little rub mark on my draglink still with 5" of lift. i think it is just the axle relocation. Plus the downside to the zero rates as yu mentioned is the spacer under the steering arm. Sky does make the new tall arm, but they didn't have that when i bought my arm. i don't care for the spacer. It worries me. All that stuff is on a 10b/44 so it doesn't really apply to mudhog, but good info for the archives anyway

Soon i won't have to worry bout the spacer

Ooops, didn't realize he had a D60 Poison Spyder also sells the spacer for the x over arm, my bud just put one on his D44 for high steer...

 

[southernspeed]

I don't think a panhard bar would hurt but I would only do it if you are not running a swaybar . It would seem to me that a swaybar would limit your side to side movement but would limit your flex and also make your ride alot stiffer .

As far as I'm aware, with a 10blt anyways, you can run the swaybar as there isn't room for it pass by the drag link.
Anyone wanna buy an ORD swaybar disco kit?