I have searched. A lot. So hopefully someone here has figured this problem out already or knows of a helpful link.

I am swapping a full-width '79 Waggy 44 by outboarding the springs on my '78 CJ-7. The steering arms are standard, not high-steer, which is fine since I'm staying spring under with around 5 inches of lift.

The problem I'm facing is the steering arms are longer than the D30 arms, which puts the tie-rod beneath my steering box and will strike the pitman arm under full compression. I am planning to use the factory Waggy draglink and tierod (I'll have to shorten the drag link). I also plan to use a waggy pitman arm to retain full factory steering radius.

The only solution I see is moving the steering box forward, at least a couple of inches, which will entail cutting out the front crossmember and building a custom pressure line. Not to mention the fabrication of building a sufficiently stout mounting bracket.

What have you guys done? Pictures? Is there some alternative I'm missing?

The problem I'm facing is the steering arms are longer than the D30 arms, which puts the tie-rod beneath my steering box



aren't all tie rods beneath the steering box? way beneath?

can you possibly run a flatter and even shorter pitman arm to clear the tierod at full stuff/? maybe try it and see if you will be losing as much of the turning radius as you suspect? would save a lot of fab work moving the box.

i had a similar prob with my setup as do many other guys. moving the box is a common solution along with different arms.

You may want to look at the heavy duty steering box bracket from M.O.R.E.
It moves the steering box forward 1 1/4".

http://www.mountainoffroad.com/Catalog/SteerBrace/heavy-duty-steering-box-mount.htm

I know your pain. The best solution I found is to move the steering box forward. There is almost no way around it. You can try using an Astro van pitman arm too, which may work with the ammount of lift you have, it's totally flat and not too short, but you have to ream it to fit the larger tie rod ends.

Stock Waggy arms are straight as well.

What I have done in the past is to flip the drag link (Rod to the pitman arm) to the top of the knuckle arm and leave the the tie rod below. Just weld or braze (I always braze) the tapered hole shut for the tie rod end and re drill/re taper it from the top. This also helps alot with bumpsteer. If you don't have the taper bit to match your tie rod end taper I know You can send your knuckle to Currie and they will do it for ya.......Or any of the good custom axle places should be able to do it. You normally have to do a few things to fix the problem if it is that bad as in.. Use your dana 30 outer knuckles on the 44 as the arms are shorter, move the steering box forward ( M.O.R.E. kit mentioned above is good for an 1-1/4), and the drag link flip. Just remember if you have the shackles in the front as the suspension compreses the axle moves forward and makes it worse.

Thanks for the replies. I guess I could keep the '30 arms... I do plan to use the flat waggy pitman arm. I don't think the MORE bracket will move me far enough, but I'll measure.

Regarding the idea of flipping the draglink to the top of the arms, this axle has the tie rod already mounted to the top, with the drag link mounted in an eye on the tie rod. I could always ream and flip to lower the tie rod, but would loose several inches of ground clearance, which I'd like to avoid.

Does anyone have pictures of their stretched steering box mounts? I could use some ideas. To me, it looks like my steering shaft will get REALLY close to the bottom of the radiator (not to mention the front bumper) as I move the box forward.

On my build I'm spring under, with a narrowed J truck wide D44 to match the Waggy rear. I ended up leaving the tie rod in the stock position, and going to crossover steering for the drag link. On full compression the tie rod is actually in front of the drag link. I haven't driven it yet but it looks like it will work, and I know of a couple of guys who have done the same thing and it works great for them.

Here's a couple of pics.

Stock Waggy arms are straight as well.

Not quite, you can see in the pic above that they have a slight drop in them. If you can, going high steer would be a great option, unfortunately I've only ever delt with this with 2.5" lifts so high steer actually puts the drag link into the frame.


Does anyone have pictures of their stretched steering box mounts? I could use some ideas. To me, it looks like my steering shaft will get REALLY close to the bottom of the radiator (not to mention the front bumper) as I move the box forward.

I don't have any pictures, but I've seen it done by using a pillow block type bearing on the frame, into a ujoint, then straight to the steering box, making it a 2 piece shaft.

Thanks for the ideas and pictures. I'd have to swap knuckles to go high steer, which is still a possibility. I am also thinking about using a pillow block for the steering shaft if it becomes necessary, but I hope it won't.

Those pictures made me wish I'd narrowed a J-truck 44 for the extra tire-to-spring clearance. I didn't understand that when I was deciding which route to go.

I did what you described above. Cut out the cross member, plated the frame where the member was, plate all around it and make a winch mount. Inside the front and top plates is a piece of 2x2 .250 box. The plates made and welded in are inside and out on both rails going back around 7 inches. I ended up moving the box forward just under 2 inches.
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=702&pictureid=6286
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=702&pictureid=6285
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=702&pictureid=6287
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=702&pictureid=6288

That's weird. I'm looking at the pictures in this thread and, on my Waggy 44 SUA front, the tie rod clears the end of the pitman arm without problem. Maybe because mine's a YJ??? I didn't think they were that much different.

Specifically, I'm running an RE 4.5 XD kit with 1-25" heavy duty Conn-Ferr lift shackles, a 4-inch (YJ length) drop pitman arm, and 100% stock 1987 Waggy steering parts (tie rod, draglink, low-steer).

My tie rod appears to sit closer to the front diff cover, but that might just be because it has an ox locker and the cover sticks out a bit farther? I dunno. That, and the tie rod seems to have a larger clearance bend in it where it goes around the end of the pitman arm when flexed...

You might want to check under different year waggys and see if maybe the Tie rods are slightly different.


HTH,
Jake