Offroad-Express

I'm planing on putting X over steering on the lux, I've been offered a surf box for $300 are they that hard to get that this is the price or is it the rip off I think it is
I haven't looked into it yet as I'm still work'n on the chasi
Oh when I do get to the steering I'll be making my own high steer X over set up, I'm also doing another set for a mate to help offset some of the cost of tools (mill bits & tapered reamer etc) no labour costs (but some piss money)
I plan to make them from solid stock mild steel (no welds - no cert worrys) and with the usall dose of over engineering
They will have the same geometry as the standard stearing arms
If anybody else is interested let me know and I'll work out a cost

Cheers Reece

I'd be very keen Reece so count me in as a definite if the price is right.
As for the IFS steering box, $300 is a huge rip off, I bought mine of Supralux for $60.
These boxes are every where and arn't worth that much.
Let me know about these steering arms as I need a set asap.

Cheers Thomas

I thought that was the case... thanks for that Tom
How long is asap?
Next question is, with your coil conversion if the tie rod moves up is it going to bind on the springs or radius arm mounts, the new setup will use the standard tie rod.
If need be I can make the steering arms longer if you need the clearance but this will mean the drag link mount will move out giving faster stearing & inceased stress on the steering box!

I should have a price by wed

Cheers Reece

Hi

Standard length arms will be fine. The way I was thinking about doing them myself was to make them flat which would still offer an inprovement over standard, then I was going to put the standard tie rod on top insted of under the arms.
If you made me a set like this it would be fine might even save me abit of money
If it all works out then I would really like to have then by mid-late August.
Keep in touch and let me know whats happening.

Cheers
Thomas

I'm in for a set too, for the SAS swap. same theory as Tom, ball joints on top. Hi steer gotta be the way.

I've got a bit of time off this week waiting for work so you might get em soon....
I'll be heading to the wreaker tomorrow so I'll see about getting some cheap ball joints
Tom if you could give me the angle of your drag arm down to the level of the new arm, I'll seat the ball joint at that angle, this will be the only machining yours will need (read cheap )
Smurf are you running leaf springs like me or are you going the whole hog like tom with coil ??

Cheers Reece

will be going to leaf springs thanks Reece

Might be a bit late in the night for that one, I'll have to work it out tomorrow.
I was wondering, what would be the chances of you making me an adapter to connect the drag link to the pitman arm ball joint? Snake racing etc make these provided that I leave a leg at the door
What I was thinking was this...... If you could make the arms and the adaptor (same thread as the 80 series ball joint but with a reverse thread) then once I work out the draglink length I could make the draglink on the lathe.
Sound like a plan? If you can't then thats no problem.
Thanks Reece

Cheers Thomas

Thats cool smurf, tell me are you doing like me and putting a set of rear leafs in the front, it moves the axle forward, helps my bigger tires clear the firewall, if so I'll do you a straight copy of my setup

Tom I'm a bit confused about this adapter... from what I've seen the fitting on the pitman is a taper seat ball joint ... a standard tie-rod ball joint, doses yours have a ball like the push pull arm on the standard steering? If so I can build something for this
My intention was to run a left & right hand ball joint screwed to the drag link, and to put a slight bend in the top, to level out the drag - pitman balljoint to stop any chance of bind and on the steering arm machine and mount the balljoint at an angle, eliminating bind

Anyway I've hit a wee snag, I was planing on using the tie-rods from old 2WD hilux's as a source for ball joints... but I've found they have a machined thread (read non-standard 17mm) no one makes a left and right hand threading tap to fit!
So its back to the wreakers yards
There are no crusers in any of the wreakers here so if you can give me the demension's (Diameter and thread pitch) for that one tom
When I've sorced some cheap balljoints I'll let you know a price

Cheers Reece

Okay the pitman arm on mine has the tapered ball joint. The ball joint part is pressed into the pitman arm with the tapered thread going through the drag link. Yours should be the same.
It's no problem for me to sort out the drag link.
So if you could just make the steering arms to suit the standard beam axle tie rod (on top)
and a tapered hole to suit the 80 series ball joint for the drag link that would be great.
The angle you wanted to seat the ball joint is 38 degrees.

Thanks heaps
Thomas

hi i to will be fitting x over steering to my surf but i have been told that all you need to do is fit an extra steering arm up side down but have the tapper machined the other way is this correct or am i getting it wrong thanks .

Its just another way to do it. The ones Reece is making us is the same as Mikes ones.

Mikes, right if you bolt a drivers side arm on top, upside down it sits with the taper facing the right way.... all you have to do is some grinding to get them to fit nice oh and take off the other end.... if you plan on getting it certified just bolt them down don't weld them, if you do you'll need to have a welding ticket and they will need to be X-Rayed

I might have the ball joint thing sus, how does $15.00 sound for 2 brand new balljoints for the drag link, I'm getting some couried down to try out

Oh mike if you read this before I call ya, could you email me your address so I can send you my bellhousing

Cheers Reece

Good deal Reece, I'll have two.
Where do I put the money.
Have you got enough information to do my steering arms?
Cheers
Thomas

Reece,
I am going to be using rear leafs up front, but still haven't sorted how far forward to move the diff. I am going to be using rear leafs from a 97 Hilux which about 56 inches long which will mean moving the whole lot forward as the centre pin is too far back. How far forward have you moved your front diff? I can just set up my suspension to place the front diff in the same location as yours then there should be no problems. (Hopefully)

Hmmmm I haven't decided yet, I'm still piecing together the jigsaw puzzle (latest setback my $200 motor was a dud, on to motor number 2 fingers crossed) & I'm still pulling rust out of the chassi
Once I've got all that sorted I'll start assembling the old girl again ... since I'm only planing on running 33's and I'm lifting the body a bit, I don't think I'll have to move it too far

the easy'st option for you I'll make the arms send them down, mount them and with them centered and the pitman arm centered measure the distance ... they will have about 30mm of adjustablity so you'll have some room to move
I'm still waiting on qoutes at the moment, I've been told wed at the latest

Cheers Reece

I've done a 60mm body lift already, and the plan is for 33's also. With the front suspension I should gain about 75mm in height from factory leaf set up so there should be a heap of room there.

Howd you get on Smurf with the 60mm body lift? I was told that 50mm was the maximum if the vehicle is going to be on the road.

Is that a 50mm max for certification reasons? There are guys here in Nelson with 80mm plus of lift in their Luxs and Cruisers. I put in the blocks about a year ago at the same time as I did a suspension lift. The guy who soes my warrants is a keen 4WDer himself who "hasn't noticed" the blocks. Will get it all sorted at certification when the new suspension and motor is done. But I think that will be a while off. Just trying to get all the parts sorted before I start chopping and changing

Smurf
Driver/Navigator


Joined: Mar 04, 2003
Posts: 35
Location: Nelson
Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2004 7:10 pm

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Is that a 50mm max for certification reasons?

Thats what I was told. I've only gone 45mm. Wouldn't you start to have problems with stress on the body etc with such a high body lift?

I've got a mate localy who has blocked his double cab up 100mm as well as 100mm longer shackles and boxed down his spring mounts, all of this on standard springs!
Mind you he has admitted that its a posa wagon he's more worried about the look than how it goes & he is convinced it is certifiable

In my case I look at all that wieght that gets lifted up higher , I'm only lifting as high as I need to, to clear the inner gards then out comes the jigsaw to make me all the clearance I need

I'm with Tom , there must be some stress on the cab where it sits on the spacers, with the bottom sitting on the rubber mounts it must flex something nasty!
I'd suggest putting some webs from the body to the blocks or weld a plate into the body to spread the load

Anyway got an idea (from Mike) for you guys that might make things a bit cheaper can you easily get hold of a tierod for a hilux (with balljoints) this is one of the full width ones from solid axle hilux, with a $30 modification you should be able to use it as your Draglink

Let me know how you get on

Cheers Reece

I've finaly got a price for ya on the arms, $180 for the leafsrpung and $160 for the straight ones for you Tom
Please note guys this is an exchange for your old ones, i'm using the king pin key (round bit on the bottom of your old arms) for your new arms.
I'm still waiting on some prices on the draglink, trying to find a cheap lath guy stumbled accross a good deal on a new lath thats got me really tempted
Anyway as soon as I get that sorted I'll have a cost on the drag link

Let me know if your still keen

Cheers Reece

I'm with Tom , there must be some stress on the cab where it sits on the spacers, with the bottom sitting on the rubber mounts it must flex something nasty!
I'd suggest putting some webs from the body to the blocks or weld a plate into the body to spread the load

I had problems with the Surf breaking the front left mount on the body with no lift

Hey Reece, where are we to send the standard arms too?
And if it is only another $20 for the high lift arms then I might have a set of those too if thats alright.

Cheers
Thomas

After talking to Mike (SupraSurf) I've decided to shorten them about 20mm and raise them 20mm more (still the same steering geometry as standard), the reason behind this is when the axle is moved forward (rear spring swop) it can cause a cross-up with the tierod and drag link so this should help, also the extra lift will give us a bit more room to play with the leaf spring pack

Oh and there is some bad news they will cost a bit more... sorry I got charged an extra 1/2 hr of labour to cut the extra thick steel, and my tool shop stuffed up the price on tool steel ... at this stage its looking at around $20 more

If your still keen let me know Sorry about that

Oh and the drag link setup I think I've sorted it for those who have access to a spare hilux tierod, if I can get access to a lathe I'll be away all it will be is a fitting that threads in the tierod and has a hole to take the ball joint pin from the standard surf pitman arm... let you know more later

Oh well back to the lemon

Cheers Reece