I also wanted to say I saw an idea on pirate where a guy half-sleeved the frame area under his pitman arm TRE so he could push his steering box way up. Basically he took like 2-3" ID pipe, cut a section and cut it in half to make a recessaed area under his frame. i think I might do that also. Gives you more drivers side compressed clearance for steering.

I bought a toy steering box for $45 and a full high steer kit for the toy front from trail-gear for $369 shipped. Did the math and found it was cheaper to get the full toy steering plus box rather than redrill the zu pitman and cut and re tap the toy-designed draglink for the zu box that sits inside the frame. I'm going to mount the box last up and forward after the axle is hung like the toy crowd does. Just letting you know what I am going to do since we are both trying to keep the lift down but without SUA.

got the shackle hanger deal tacked all together. just needs some more gusseting here and there and it will be ready. the spring hangers are gonna end up right in front of the tranny crossmember and the axle should only go forward 3 or 4 inches. steering shouldn't be much of a problem after all <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

as far as the 3.4 is concerned, I've driven it around town and on the highway (mind you its pretty flat around here). I can leave it in 5th and push the gas and it will actually ACCELERATE! this is running 35's on the 4.56's. around town it scoots, and with 5.38's I'm confident I will be able to do all the stupid stuff I can think of with it.

I doubt I will go to a much more powerful engine in a trail rig anytime soon. if/when I do, I will definately not limit my choices to what will bolt to the mua5. I think too much power on the trail makes things break that much easier, but v8's are cool and going fast is fun and hard to resist. we'll see what happens <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Damn I was hopeing you were going to say it sucked, that way It'd force me to get the 4.9L <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> Now you've got me reconcidering the 4.9L <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

well, with the caddy engine, you get to sport the emblem on the hood <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/mrt.gif" alt="" />

<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/mrt.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/mrt.gif" alt="" />

We need pics of this progress paul

Check it for fit first before you go to much effort -- dunno if your oil pan will permit up-travel enough to get you to the frame rail, especially with high-steer.

Good prices on the Toy stuff -- it is cheaper by nearly a factor of three compared to when I was setting up my steering! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/baby.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/baby.gif" alt="" /> Running the steering outside the frame may buy you room for your motor, as well... the Isuzu box crowds low-mounted driver-side accessories.

Randii

I'll try to find my camera today and get some pics

Here's where I am at right now

front shackle hanger tacked together. gotta plate it all up and do some gusseting and stuff.


front hanger again. it's designed to that the shackle will hit the hanger before it inverts.


cut the body mount dealies to make room. the hanger will sit against the front of the frame there.


getting ready to tack it into place (fun upside down welding!) luckily I was about a 1/4" off and got to pop it back off! yay! get to do it again! yayyyy! pay no attention to the stylish designer underwear lol


this is the little jig thingy to keep the spring hangers the correct distance apart.


the spring hangers will end up right in front of the tranny xmember here


so there we go. doing the old one step forward, one back, one sideways, one diagonally backwards and trying again right now, but slow progress is better than no progress.

I want to make some kinda C-shaped shackles so that if they run into something they will just slide off instead of hanging up and bending a spring.

more to come over the next few weeks <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/drunk.gif" alt="" />

To update this, I will no longer be SASing the 90 3.4 troop. Switching over to the old 88 4banger. Once I get the $$$ from the 90 I can give Matt a call and get all the junk I need (drag link, rear gears, maybe brakelines, etc). Shouldn't take more than a weekend to get her done once I have all of it.

I'll be making my front shaft out of square tube using the stock front d44 yoke and toyota stuff at the other end. rear shaft I'll just cut my ends off, measure up some thicker wall round tube and weld it up. gonna try balancing them with atf inside the shafts themselves and see how that works.

I got a set of fairly worn 36" tsl's for cheap, and I'll be getting a grooving iron and a tire siper to get enough life and grip out of them to last until I can get something else.

Right now I could use some help locating a set of 16's for the tires. I have a set of 15x8 2" backspaced steelies and I would love to trade for maybe a set of 16" 'flakes. If you are interested hit me with a PM <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Hopefully some headway will be made before month's end <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />