im gearing up to do rears up front and i cannot tell if my steering box has been moved forward or just plated and reenforced. can anyone tell me from this picture?


definate plating and welds, four inches from the front crossmember. i have no one around to compare it to, and cant seem to dig up any stock measurements- so any help is appreciated.

thanks

hunter.

Of course with the IFS steering box, there is no such thing as a stock measurement, as the '85 had a push-pull box in stock form. Looks like yours is moved up to hit the front body mount, so about as far as you can go w/o cutting that mount:


http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTricks/CrossoverSteering/index.shtml

so the steering box has been moved forward.

so with those measurements, theoretically i am ok to run rears up front without a 2.5" drop hanger? and that would leave enough room for steering to not hit itself?

or should i suck it up and throw on a hanger to clear the 37's im planning to run?

thanks.

The steering box was mounted as far forward as the front body mount allows. Unless it was somehow installed at some other location before, it has not been moved. That was not the box that came on the truck from the factory.

There are two issues:

One is whether the tie rod and drag link will hit each other or not if the axle is moved 2" forward (with the rear springs up front). How to tell? Grab a tape measure, like the one in your picture, and measure the horizontal separation of the tie rod and drag link under full compression. If the separation > 2", you are fine to move the axle forward 2". If separation < 2", the the tie rod and drag link will hit.

Second is where the springs will compress to the point they contact the pitman arm on the steering box. That will all depend on how you build the springs, how you set up the bumpstops, etc. Try it and see, if the springs hit the pitman arm, put a dropped front hanger on to fix the problem.

Or just put the dropped hanger on to start with. You'll get that much more lift without making the springs stiffer, you'll get a better caster/pinion angle if you are running a longer than stock shackle and if you have clearance, move the axle farther forward to allow the tires to clear the firewall in back.

so i went out again when the digi was feeling more agreeable and the sun was out and measured.

measured the front springs @ 47", 22" and 25" roughly-so it sits about 2" forward, as seen here:


another pic of the steering box (ifs, 4" from body mount with a reenforcing plate)


marlin hysteer on road:


steering on ditch flex compressed:


im definately getting >2" of horizontal flex between the TRE and the link under compression-and that is due to the axle being forward?

therefore, ill pick up or fab a drop hanger (any opinions on which?) springs, shackles, new hardware and bolts and theoretically im good to go?

thanks for your help roger, i can always rely on you for ready info <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" /> this should make the swap quicker and ease some of my curiousities about what the p/o had in there previously.


hunter.

Probably some aftermarket springs on there. The stock rears are 20.5" up front, so you'll be 1.5" farther forward. Looks pretty tight at the pitman arm now. I had loads of room when I ran some aftermarket lift springs up front, but when I put the rears on, the pitman started hitting the springs. Easy enough to make a dropped hanger:

http://www.4crawler.com/4x4/CheapTricks/CrossoverSteering/index.shtml#SpringHangerDrop

Or you can buy one from a number of places.