Not trying to re-invent the wheel...but why not make an easier crossover steering?

[camarossguy2]

Was looking at a jeep today, noticed they have factory crossover steering, it just conects to the tie rod bar and not the knuckle.....as seen below:

(I realize the top picture has high steering but pics are hard to find)


So why go through all the trouble of swapin out knuckle when you could just attach a new drag link directly to the tierod bar or the same mounting point as the tie rod???


Seems kinda too obvious, but seriously, why not?

 

[pauly383]

Been done http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=83501

It is allright for the factory engineers to do this , in vehicles the sheep drive , who may sue in accidents . Its also allright for 2/3rds of the lifted towrigs in most states that never leave pavement to run it .

However it is really bad , and taboo , to really do it , and talk about it on Ck5 , unless your "special" . Carrying a spare draglink , and arm for front back if you break .

The standard route is to wait and wait for used flattop knuckles , get them machined . Or to buy machined cores , or new parts mike castings . And do the crossover steering .

Either way you have a factory tre/dle in a hole

My flattops are in the garage , what the hell , no bending anything .

 

[az-k5]

Print out a picture of a fullsize GM lifted leaf spring front end and try to draw the draglink. It will look lik a big Z when you are done.

 

[mxfireman]

Thats funny pauly mine are in the garage just like yours are!!!

 

[beater_k20]

so are mine!

 

[76zimmer]

My flattops are in the garage , .

Mine are in someone else's possession

 

[gmc4cw]

1 the leafs springs get in the way of a straight draglink. if you want to convert to spring under it would work.

2 who the hell would drive the rig in the first pic? the angle on the draglink is terrible.

3 How dare you use jeep technology in a fullsize. Oh wait everyone is running cherokee steering shafts. Do what you want.

 

[thatK30guy]

Straight drag links perform better. No stress, if any, on them. Curved links can/will bend over time with more stress applied to them.

In your first picture, the link to the tie rod has been done in the aftermarket a long time ago. The problem I see with using them today on trucks used as hard as these guys abuse them is where the bend on the drag link end is at the pitman arm is more stress on that part which in turn will lead to failure sooner or later. Again, the best link/rod is a straight one, or close to it as possible.

 

[jms]

The type of x-over steering where the draglink or a relay rod connects directly to the tie rod has inherent slop built into it, goes about like this: as soon as you push on that draglink (or relay rod) that pushes on that tie rod, guess what will move first? Nope, not the tierod or the knuckle, but the drag link ends and the tie rod ends will cam over, rotating the tie rod forward. Once the TREs have reached end of their range of motion, then the tie rod will start to move sideways and move the knuckles. But the first motion of the steering wheel will not result in steering action. Same as you pull on the draglink, the DLE and the TREs will want to cam backwards, rotating the tie rod at first, etc. etc. And the slop has nothing to do with worn-out TREs because it also does it with new ones; it's just as the TREs wear out, the amount of slop increases...

If you have x-over to a steering arm on the passenger knuckle, you still have two (drag link) ends that can move - the difference is that they are on the same plane, not 90 degrees off as in the connection to the tie rod. So x-over to a steering arm with the proper angle at the DLE mounting surface is desirable...

P.S. I learned all this on my wife's FJ40, with manual steering...

 

[ssped]

That was a great analization of the issue. One I did not think about when liiking at the set up but it totally makes sense. Simplified your initial steering imput would just rotate the lower conecting rod and Talk about weak links under force you dont have to worry to much about over stressing the TRE's as you have to wory about down force and side loading turning the lower rod into a pretzel. Imagine taking a pensil, tooth pick or even a Coke can. apply force on the ends and then put side force in the middle. the center gives out.(coke can works good if you are standing on it just watch out for your finger)