Way back when I did my 4x4 conversion I broke like 3 studs just like that. No idea why they broke but I ended up replacing all of them because I just didn't trust them anymore.

 

Alright, turns out Y-link steering really sucks on the highway. I had to raise the truck 2 inches for the 35's and it definitely made a difference in the steering.

I knew I should have went to high steer from the beginning. Ordering my knuckle this weekend.

 

Sweet! Gonna have to rework the track bar?

 

Possibly, I'm pretty sure the drag link will be a little short, but we can make those if we need to.

 

High steer is finished and my new wheels and tires are mounted so I grabbed some pics.

 

How does it drive with the high steer?

 

So much better. Even before the aignment it drove better than the Y-link.

 

looks really clean...very nice truck

 

I see you've got a little of that lean going on lol, I never was able to get rid of that with the coils. Looks like there's still a little bit of bow to the coils even with the notched frame?

I'm not a fan of that panhard now with the higher drag link, but if there's no bump steer I guess it doesn't matter.

How's the body lean on turns with no sway bar? Mine was terrible before but I don't wanna have to put the sway bar back on this time around. I know I asked before but you're running the 5.5" RE XJ coils correct?

Diff cover looks good too, no contact with the tie rod this time?

 

Also, the wheels and tires look great!

 

Thanks

Yea, the lean is a bit annoying. My brother in law makes fuel cells for derby cars and said he could make one for me. I've been wanting to put a tank in the middle of the truck to balance it out. I think that's where most of my lean comes from. I'm not really sure where the coil bow is coming from though, I can get my fingers between the coil and frame.

Compared to the Y-link it's a lot better, the only thing that bugs me is over bumps you feel it more in the steering wheel, but it barely effects the truck. It's not trying to steer itself like you would under normal bumpsteer conditions.

The body roll is almost non-existent since the conversion, it was really bad with the y-link.

I'm using offset tie rods to clear the diff cover

Thanks. I've been itching for a different look.

 

New wheels are legit!

 

Hot damn! New wheels look great!

 

How do those tires ride? As loud as KM2 or better?

 

Much quieter than the KM2's

 

Pic I made showing the 3 major stages of the truck

 

Now that I've had some driving time with the new setup I've still got some issues to work out.
- Steering has a little play in that I'd like to get fixed, the bushing(bearing?) in the firewall doesn't hold the steering shaft firmly enough for my liking. Fixing that this week.
- Ranger lean is annoying, may be able to fix that by adjusting the drivers side bucket. Having adjustable buckets are going to pay off.
- I may have more bumpsteer than originally thought, hitting a bump at highway speed is downright scary, could be the play in the steering, or the steering box is getting too much pressure from the pump and it's surging. (not likely) Still needs more investigation.
- I really hate my rear setup. Swapped Expo springs and the damn thing sits lower, on top of that raising the truck 2" to clear the tires was not expected and so now I have a gaudy *** block to level it. Which leads to my next point.

I'm starting to look into doing a rear 4 link, most setups I've seen are cutting the bed to make room for the bed cage / coilover mounts. Have any of you seen a rear 4 link that has no bed cutting? I'd love to do a 4 link and keep all my bed space, if it comes down to and I have to it won't be the end of the world.

Thoughts?

 

Go look at Adrian's build for link ideas. He did his with very minimal cutting and has most of his bed. It's harder to do but not impossible

 

His build was the closest to what I was thinking, but he used the SI Motorsports kit. It's a little too pricey, but I also don't use my truck like he does so it's a little overkill.

I was thinking of a scaled down version of Beard's 4 link. Scaled down to fit under the bed, but that may be unrealistic.

 

A combination of the two designs could be done and be a pretty clean setup. That or spend good money on leaf springs

 

It's my unprofessional opinion that you need to start by reworking your panhard bar. I can't imagine that it'll ever steer very well with the difference in angles between it and the drag link.

What did you make the steering shaft from? Most guys are running a pillow block with a support bracket bolted to the firewall.

I don't know anything about rear 4 links but I know it'd be badass if you did it. I have a gaudy *** rear block too, but at least with the Deavers it still rides smoother than ever before. What size block do you have now?

 

for the record one block in the rear isnt a bad thing.

Also I wouldnt cut your bed at all. I did mine and regret it because my truck has 0 functionality besides going anywhere i want.

you could do a cantilever setup which would mean no bed cutting.

one other option is stuffing those coilovers under the bed and only cutting one small hole for a brace from one hoop to the other. it would probably be enough.

 

the more realistic side of me these days says keep the blocks or install some 63" chevy 2wd springs and call it good. I have good performance from my 4 link but i dont think its worth the work or cost compared to performance of leaf springs.

 

It may easier to rework the mount of the trac bar to get it closer to where the drag link is. I'm still learning about this steering, but with the high steer knuckle, I don't seem to have room for adjustment.

I'm using a carrier bearing mounted to the frame to support the shaft, that isn't the one that's moving though, it's the shaft going through the firewall. The plan is to add another carrier bearing mounted to the firewall to support it.

Here's what I have now



I didn't put much thought into the rear because I thought the Expo springs would ride better and give me a little lift. Well that didn't work out so I had to order a 5.5" block to replace my stock one to get it leveled out.

I may have to look into Deavers or Chevy leaf springs. The problem is Deaver lists it as 2.5" so that won't give me much lift. Can I get more from a Chevy 63? Keep in mind I already have Belltechs.

It's not that I have a huge problem with blocks, I can always get a 31 spline bracket to use my JD trac bars again. Or make new ones.

The only cutting of the bed I'd want is for a coilover hoop and brace. Even then, I'd make a floor to go around it. Similar to how a lot of lowered guys do their beds.

I've seen catilever setups, but have no knowledge of how to set them up. It would fit the not cutting criteria though.

I understand that. It seems that you lose a lot of functionality in the way of payload with a 4 link. It seems like the truck would be able to pull a trailer without dragging its ***.

Until I get a fullsize to daily the truck still needs to occasionally lend a hand in the way of hauling or pulling my trailer.

 

Yeah I think a support bearing close to the firewall would solve that problem. Mine is a couple inches out from the firewall and the steering shaft is supported well. I only have the one bearing.

In the rear of mine I'm running the Deaver f31's, belltech shackles, and 4" blocks, and mine is at least a couple inches higher than yours I think. The Deavers don't provide much lift, as they say 2.5", since they aren't really designed for that. I knew going into it I'd be running a block no matter what, BUT they ride great and they flex very well too. If any kind of payload capacity is a concern like you mentioned then they are out. They do not handle much weight at all, which they state pretty clearly, or at least they did back when I bought em.

The track bar clearance is a tough one with the coil sprung d30, like I've said before there's just so little room for stuff it makes it really difficult to get the ideal setup.