SOA and steering?

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Satamax

Satamax

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Oct 26, 2004
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South western alps south east part of France. Righ
Hi everybody!

Just wondering, can i do a SOA without touching the steering components? I'm just wondering that, because i have a HJ61, and since i have a dual cardan joint in the front, i can do without cuting and turning! And if i can do without changing the steering components, i gonna be able to save more on the SOA! All the grinding and making the steel parts i can do, i have a lathe and milling machine. So i'm pretty tooled up!.

Best regards.

Max.
 
Short answer: Nope :D

Your Draglink (rod between steering box/pitman arm and steering arm @ wheel) will be trying to occupy the same area as your spring in the SOA orientation... Not good :D
 
From what I have learned, there are two ways that you can fix this problem. First option is you can go out and get a Hy-Steer kit from Marlin's or whatever. Disadvantage of this is that it is very expensive; around $400.

The other option is that you can send your steering arms out to a shop and have them bent up for Hy Steer. This costs around $75 for the service, and you can use all of your stock components. That is the way that I am going.

The second works just as well, but with less bling. :grinpimp: I don't care about that for my steering though, so I'm having that done. Lowtideride and Exiled both had this setup on their trucks for years, and I think that lowtideride still does. Very cool.

:beer:
 
Satamax said:
Hi Guys!

Thanks a lot for your replies! Well, i've seen another option, cut the steering arms, and reweld them at another angle! What do you think about that, real dangerous?

Best regards.

Max.
Click to expand...


yes. But if done by someone who knows what they are doing then no.
 
Last edited:
Not if you're a good welder. Some welds can be stronger than the metal welded.

:beer:
 
If you actually know how to weld then there is not a damn thing wrong with it. If, as mentioned in another thread I was just reading, "you use a mig welder like it's a glue gun", then leave your steering components alone.

I've made more double knuckle arms than I can remember. I mix and match rods to make draglinks all the time. I've made more than a few pitman arms as well (just did one yesterday as it happens).

Mark...
 
GLTHFJ60 said:
From what I have learned, there are two ways that you can fix this problem. First option is you can go out and get a Hy-Steer kit from Marlin's or whatever. Disadvantage of this is that it is very expensive; around $400.

The other option is that you can send your steering arms out to a shop and have them bent up for Hy Steer. This costs around $75 for the service, and you can use all of your stock components. That is the way that I am going.

The second works just as well, but with less bling. :grinpimp: I don't care about that for my steering though, so I'm having that done. Lowtideride and Exiled both had this setup on their trucks for years, and I think that lowtideride still does. Very cool.

:beer:
Click to expand...


You can simply install a double knuckle arm. Either one you fabicate/have fabricated or one you buy from Aqualu. Few people ever actually dmage their tierod due to the location. High steer is cool, but for the vast majority of peolle that is all that it is.


Mark...
 
Satamax said:
Hi Guys!

Thanks a lot for your replies! Well, i've seen another option, cut the steering arms, and reweld them at another angle! What do you think about that, real dangerous?

Best regards.

Max.
Click to expand...


Not trying to be harsh, but if you have to ask "What do you think about that, real dangerous?", then it is almost certainly something that yiu don't want to undertake yourself. Farm it out.


Mark...
 
Hi everybody!

Mark, don't worry, i can weld, the only thing is, i haven't done any strengh testing or strengh of materials calc in a long time, since engineering school, and if people have good or bad experience with thoses bent or rewelded steering parts, i'd like to know! Also, not being of english speaking, sometimes i have a lot of trouble understanding which part is which! What is that double knuckle arms?

Best regards.

Max.
 
I would be dubious of a buttweld on steering arms...

That sounds like a bad idea to me.

I am sure that it can be done but really....
 
Welded .. good welded ..

left-arm.JPG


doing this with no problems .. ( 37" ARB front and Rear )

punta-mama.JPG
 
Satamax said:
Hi everybody!

Mark, don't worry, i can weld, the only thing is, i haven't done any strengh testing or strengh of materials calc in a long time, since engineering school, and if people have good or bad experience with thoses bent or rewelded steering parts, i'd like to know! Also, not being of english speaking, sometimes i have a lot of trouble understanding which part is which! What is that double knuckle arms?

Best regards.

Max.
Click to expand...


A double Knuckle arm is either a pair of knuckle arms mated (machined and welded) or a single "cast as a unit" replica of the same. The modified arm is used on the right side of the axle (in a left hand drive vehicle anyway). THe additional arm angles upward and inward rather than down and out like the arm where the tierod attaches. This provides an attachment point for the relay rod/draglink which is approximately at the same point side to side as the original attashment to the tierod, but is a couppe/few inches higher. It allows the relayrod/draglink to remain above the sprins and the tierod to remain in it's original location.


Mark...
 
Mace said:
I would be dubious of a buttweld on steering arms...

That sounds like a bad idea to me.

I am sure that it can be done but really....
Click to expand...


To refer to this as a "buttweld" is misleading. A double knuckle arm is welded all the way around the perimeter of the base of the arms. And usually gusseted as well. Consider the direction and the plane of the forces ating upon it before you consider this a weak joining. In the case of a pittman arm or knuckle arm that has been cut and turned, it is not simply a matter of slapping two pieces up against each other and melting some wire across the joint.

But I encourage you NOT to undertake it at all if the stresses are not readily apparent to you and if you are not able to weld the materials so that there is no question about compromised material strength.

By the same token I encourage anyone who doesn't understand alignment geometry and diveline angles not to start a spring over conversion in the first place.

We've all seen pooprly thought out and poorly executed "modifications that people have made.

Just a matter of knowing what you'e doing.


Mark...
 
Mark, I was not talking about a double arm. I was talking about taking a arm, cutting it, then rewelding it so it is now Hysteer...

Kinda like what W does but with cutting and welding instead of heating and bending...


Properly welded double steering arms are okay in my book (not the best idea but a functional one)

As long as they are welded properly,,,
 
Heating and bending seems like a better idea. It dosen't create another place for it to break.

:beer:
 
Actually heating and bending is a lot easier to screw up and not realize it. AND... Cutting and welding done properly is as strong or stronger than the original piece. Heating and bending is almost always weaker than what you started with.

Mark...
 
what else would you have to buy with the forged steering arms offered by marlin to make them work? Do they just replace stock steering arm and you get to keep everything else. I know I could get the answer by calling Marlin, but I like Ih8mud answers better.
 
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