If I wanted to go crossover on my Dana 44 with the tie rod connections being in front of the axle like these two...

http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=7604501

http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=7604500

which steering box would I use. Or is it the same box with the power steering connections reversed? The reason I ask is the standard high steer / crossover steering uses the bolt on steering arms that point rearward. These are going forward so wouldn't it steer backwards. IE the wheels would turn right when you turned the steering wheel left? The reason I ask is I'm a cheep bastard and I can't justify machieneing my PS knuckle and buying the arms for the Dana 44 when I know I going to upgrade it eventually to a 60 but I still want better steering now. I would liek to convert to crossover using the stock tie rods int their stock location. I would be really easy to switch to a 2wd box and fab up a drag link to connect to the stock tie rods. Thanks for any input

I used a steering box off of a 78 chevy 2wd and a jeep pitman arm.

http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=7604501

this pic is of a standard chevy cross over using a 2wd box with the arm facing rearwards like it should be.

you want to use a p/s box froma 2wd truck, blazer, or burban from 70+87

that pic he is using a after market pitman arm to get it down low and ture with the box. i have the 77+ ford van arm and they dont line up exactly like they should but they are perfect if you have a 4" lift. nice and close to the frame.


http://www.putfile.com/pic.php?img=7604500
this pic is of a xj or tj and again the arm is facing rewards like it should be. this is a after market system that uses the stock box in its stock position. the drag link and tierod are after market as well as the knuckle or the bracket that bolt to the knuckle[both ways are available.

how are you going to do cross over without haveing the knuckle machined??

you need to search more and fully understand what you are trying to do and what you are looking at before you go any farther.

I understand the concept and design of crossover steering and histeer. I'm just trying to do it a little bit different. Basicly Instead of using arms and a new tie rod I want to modifly the existing tie rod to accept a drag link to a 2wd box. Still corssover steering, just not high steer. Similar to the stock Ford setup on the old F-150's. I just cant justify the time and money to convert to full crossover high steer on a Dana 44 that I'm going to junk in the near future but I still want better steering in the mean time. I've done the raised steering arm and the 3" spacer under it and the steering still sucks. I can't believe what a horrible design it is. Basicly I just need to know if the 2wd pitman arm can be indexed to any position or if it only goes on one way.

to answer your just need to know question.

the pitman arm is indexed in 1/4s there are four larger splines on it that index it. they are 1/4 of the way around the shaft from each other.

trkklr77 gave you all the info you needed. Using the TRE into the existing steering stabilizer mount might not be the best idea. You might be better off building a new tie rod, and attaching the mount for your tie rod to the top of that tube. the problem i see is where the drag link will hit the springs. but i knew that.

its your truck. do it how you want. get full coverage insurance. keep it paid up.

Thanks Grumpy Old Fart, that's all I needed to know. And no I wasn't planning on useing the stabilizer mount. I'll make a whole new tie rod and I have the ability to bend and weld to make it fit. Thanks again

I'm a little bit confused on what you are looking for. On Chevy trucks, and most other trucks also, the pitman arm (which is mounted on the box) will point to the rear, and the steering arm (connected to the knuckle) will point forward.

The term "hi-steer" is typically only used to describe when the tierod connections at the knuckles have been moved to the top of the knuckles, versus about at the mid-point as stock.

Anyway, if you want to run a draglink from the pitman arm (steering box) down to the tierod I'm not sure how much better it would be. You will still have a decent angle on the draglink as you can only have so much drop on the pitman arm before it will hit the driver's side spring/u-bolts, and you can only have the tierod end of the draglink towards the passenger side so much before it will hit the pass. side springs when turning right.

Why not spend a few bucks on hydro assist? You can use it with the 44 or the 60 when you upgrade, and it will improve your steering immediately.

You can't do the "low" crossover that you're trying to do, the leaf springs are in the way. Either you would have to put a HUGE bend in the draglink to clear the spring (which would then still rub during flex) OR move the draglink-tie-rod attachment point inboard of the leaf spring, which would shorten the draglink so much as to make it barely an improvement over stock steering, AND probably have such severe joint angle it would die frequently.

the drag link in the tierod is NOT a good idea, it will roll the tierod before it actualy starts to steer, it will probably be SLOPPIER than your current setup.


i know its hard to come up with the money to do thing the way it should be or the way you want, but you are going to regret doing your steering like the way you want.

naw, guys, its do-able, im tellin ya. :D

i mean hey... if hes got insurance that covers people that he kills, let him do it, right?

some of these guys wont learn till you poke em in the eye with a sharp stick.

Alright, alright, put your sharp sticks away. Then does anybody know a machiene shop kinda close to Yuba City CA (40 miles notrh of Sacramento) that does knuckles for a decent price?

your best price is going to be sending it to ord, i had a shop in town do mine for $100 but after wards he sad any more would be $200.

http://www.jnutter.com/page2.html OH SHIT I FORGOT ABOUT THIS !!!! john nutter,