Dana 60 high steer with assist

14507 Views 28 Replies 11 Participants Last post by zrxw13, Apr 7, 2010

snowracer

Discussion Starter · Feb 6, 2010

Well i have been lurking around here for a while so i now that im a member i think it is time to share some of the mods i have done.

This is my high steer set up that i did on my truck.
Dana 60 king pin.

I was running a cross over steering and it worked well but i was having problems with my knuckle to knuckle link hitting the leaf springs on up travel.

My old set was a ORD cross over kit that used Chevy tie rods.
And the knuckle to knuckle link was 1.5" dom with 3/4 x 3/4 heim joints (the mounting holes in the knuckle were f'd up so that why i went heim joints)

This is the best picture i have of the old set up

When i did my high steer set up i wanted to use as much of the old stuff as i could so some parts are the old set up made to work.

4" drop pitman drilled out for a 3/4 bolt

New Ballistic Fab arms and diff cover (the plan was to mount the ram off the cover but i will get to that i a bit)

For steering links i used my old dom link with QAI heim joint and cut i down to fit the high steer arms. Made a new link up to the pitman out of dom and used Evolution Machine heim joints.

QA1 joint next to the monster Evolution joint

And new link all made up

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1 - 20 of 29 Posts

snowracer

Discussion Starter · #2 · Feb 6, 2010

With my Links made up it was time for mock up in the truck and this is were i started to run into promblems

The knuckle to knuckle link was close to the engine cross member when at full lock.

The easy fix was to cut the cross member, i added a chuck of flat bar to the bottom to add some strengh.

With that done i mounted up the links and make my own spacers

And the finished product

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snowracer

Discussion Starter · #3 · Feb 6, 2010

Now the original plan was to mount the ram off the diff cover so i welded the mounts all up and put it all together for mock up and soon learned that i welded the on bracket on the cover backward. Because they were backwards the ram would hit the pass side leaf springs when i turned. Now this may not seem like a big problem just cut the mount off and fix them. But i had been fighting with the cover all morning and just put the gear oil in and really did not want to pull the cover off agian.

So on with plan B

Make a mount off the top of the cover so the ram is behind the diff

Now the hose i used do not have the right angle fitting on them for this set up. They were made for the ram to be mounted of the front of the cover, but they will do till i get time to make new ones.

And that is it, my high steer with hyd assit for a dana 60

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crash-harris

· #4 · Feb 6, 2010

Pics of the rest of the truck? If I happen to get a D60 I'll prob. go high steer (even though I'll run coils) so I can stuff the ram in there like that, I like the idea.

snowracer

Discussion Starter · #5 · Feb 6, 2010

crash-harris said:
Pics of the rest of the truck? If I happen to get a D60 I'll prob. go high steer (even though I'll run coils) so I can stuff the ram in there like that, I like the idea.

Ya now that its done i like it better up behind the steering. If i put on the front like i was going to do i would have had to built a guard for the ram.

snowracer

Discussion Starter · #6 · Feb 6, 2010

Here are some more pictures of my steering stuff that i did not cover in the first write up

Cardone P/S pump

With home made extension for more oil

P/S cooler

Steering box that i taped

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chris_capps

· #7 · Feb 7, 2010

kinda off topic, what leaf springs are you running?

snowracer

Discussion Starter · #8 · Feb 7, 2010

chris_capps said:
kinda off topic, what leaf springs are you running?

Im running 6" skyjacker with a sky shackle reversial. Oh and my truck is a 7.3 idi

edit: I have taken the bottom leaf out on the front to drop it down and flex better

seemoremud

· #9 · Feb 7, 2010

So your ram is mounted to a seperate bracket, that shares the top 3 diff cover bolts, with no other mounting location? I've always wondered how the cover bolts hold up to having the ram-assist mounted to them, or having the ram mounted the way you originally were going to. Just seems like a hydraulic cylinder pushing and pulling big tires on a fullsize vehicle would be too much for it. How long has yours been done? Holding up well?

snowracer

Discussion Starter · #10 · Feb 7, 2010

seemoremud said:
So your ram is mounted to a seperate bracket, that shares the top 3 diff cover bolts, with no other mounting location? I've always wondered how the cover bolts hold up to having the ram-assist mounted to them, or having the ram mounted the way you originally were going to. Just seems like a hydraulic cylinder pushing and pulling big tires on a fullsize vehicle would be too much for it. How long has yours been done? Holding up well?

Yes for right now it is only the 3 bolts that hold the bracket on. Next time i pull the diff cover off i am going to weld the bracket to the cover.

I did the high steer and ram over xmas and have been out once since and beat on it hard. All has held up and looks good.

snowracer

Discussion Starter · #11 · Feb 7, 2010

Did some work today that is steering related so i will post it up with this.

Put in a new Grant steering wheel

Old wheel

And i took some pictures as i did the swap but i skipped a few steps because i dont have a horn so i left that part out. When i get around to putting a horn back in the truck i will put a botton on the dash for it.

And to finish it up i put the steering knob back on. I love that thing it is great for wheeling. I can hang out the side and look down the trail and still have a good grip on the wheel. Oh and its great for doing dounts :toothless

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crash-harris

· #12 · Feb 8, 2010

What in the hell is that on your shifter? :toothless Looks almost like a topper from a semi with the electronic thumb switch to select between high/low ranges.

And what's that on/where the pass. side kick panel should be?

snowracer

Discussion Starter · #13 · Feb 8, 2010

crash-harris said:
What in the hell is that on your shifter? :toothless Looks almost like a topper from a semi with the electronic thumb switch to select between high/low ranges.

And what's that on/where the pass. side kick panel should be?

Hahaha ya my shifter is off a big rig, im going to be switching it for a hurst T handle with button soon.

On the pass kick panal is the block for my componet speakers. I had no room to put them in the doors when i made my own door panels.

Frank ZX

· #14 · Feb 9, 2010

:rockon

Dawgfan

· #15 · Feb 10, 2010

snowracer said:
Hahaha ya my shifter is off a big rig, im going to be switching it for a hurst T handle with button soon.

On the pass kick panal is the block for my componet speakers. I had no room to put them in the doors when i made my own door panels.

Don't you dare get rid of the big rig shifter, that rocks!! I want one :thumbup

snowracer

Discussion Starter · #16 · Feb 10, 2010

Dawgfan said:
Don't you dare get rid of the big rig shifter, that rocks!! I want one :thumbup

Ya it is cool but i need a change. Plus im going to a Hurst T handle with button that will be hooked up to my water meth kit. And it will match my pistol grip shifters on my t case levers.

snowracer

Discussion Starter · #17 · Apr 3, 2010

seemoremud said:
So your ram is mounted to a seperate bracket, that shares the top 3 diff cover bolts, with no other mounting location? I've always wondered how the cover bolts hold up to having the ram-assist mounted to them, or having the ram mounted the way you originally were going to. Just seems like a hydraulic cylinder pushing and pulling big tires on a fullsize vehicle would be too much for it. How long has yours been done? Holding up well?

ok update time

i have done nothing on the steering on the truck other then change out the bolts that hold the ram bracket on because they were too long. other then that it was held up great and im really happy with it all. down the road when i have some money i will change out the pump for a PSC one cause the cadrdone one works but doesnt like it.

i have been out pushing the truck to the max and it has been holding up great.

here are some wheeling pics to show what im talking about

the only thing that im not sure about is the new steering wheel, it is smaller then the oem one. when wheeling i like it cause it gives me more room but when driving on the road it is takeing some getting used to.

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huggyb1972

· #18 · Apr 4, 2010

snowracer said:
Here are some more pictures of my steering stuff that i did not cover in the first write up

Cardone P/S pump

With home made extension for more oil

P/S cooler

Steering box that i taped

I was wondering how that was done. Now which port goes to the blind end of the ram or have I got it right in thinking the ports you drilled in the steering box drive the ram? By the way nice(badass) truck.

snowracer

Discussion Starter · #19 · Apr 4, 2010

thanks man and yes the holes in the box are for the lines to the ram. i would have to look to see what one goes to what side of the ram (will do tomorrow)

Dan Theman

· #20 · Apr 4, 2010

snowracer said:
thanks man and yes the holes in the box are for the lines to the ram. i would have to look to see what one goes to what side of the ram (will do tomorrow)

Did you buy your rear spring hangers, or make them? To bad you don't have rocks there. Looks like a pretty capable rig.

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