Hi-steer with no enough lift.. thoughts on suspentions?

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Tarquin
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Hi-steer with no enough lift.. thoughts on suspentions?

Post by Tarquin »

I did i high steer conversion a while back, because i simply didn't trust the old steering system anymore.
i've had a few issues tho. i haven't got enough lift :twisted:
on full twist the pitman arm gets very close to the spring blade. i've made a bump stop to prevent it from touching.
the steering arms also just touch the sump under big axle twist.
What do you guys think, where do i go from here?
I have OME in the front at the moment, standard rear
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Re: Hi-steer with no enough lift.. thoughts on suspentions?

Post by Mud Dog »

Looking at your pics, the set up looks normal. With hi-steer there isn't much room for error (sump above and leaf packs below) - not so critical IRO the springs against tie-rod because the tie-rod moves up and down with the wheels. It's the drag-link that's most of the problem. I wonder if slightly extended shackles wouldn't sort it out, but then you'd have to do the same in the rear otherwise the truck will have a nose-up stance. Other options would be to have the tie-rod and drag-link 'shaped' a bit or modify the sump in front. :think:
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Re: Hi-steer with no enough lift.. thoughts on suspentions?

Post by Tarquin »

Thanks for the reply Andy. You are correct on all accounts and i;ve thought of shaping the draglink so it doesn't touch the sump, but it doesn't solve my pitman on spring problem... But if i lift it a bit more, then that will solve both problems and i won't have to bend the drag link.
i've been thinking of extended shackles, but i get such a mixed response about them that i haven't been prepared to take the chance yet...
any ideas on other suspension systems are most welcome :beg: :beg:
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Re: Hi-steer with no enough lift.. thoughts on suspentions?

Post by Mr_B »

Rather body lift! I had extended shackles on my SFA, with all sorted of strange handling ailments.

After 3 years of sukkeling, Allan did a body lift and removed the ext. shackles... all the strange handling/steering issues were rememdied immediately!
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Re: Hi-steer with no enough lift.. thoughts on suspentions?

Post by Mud Dog »

A body lift won't do anything to alleviate the problem Bretton .... the motor, steering box and leaf packs are all connected to the chassis so nothing will change.

Yeah, extending shackles is not something that I'm normally in favour of, exactly for the reasons given in Bretton's experience above. I also doesn't make much sense from a lift point of view because you only achieve half the shackle extension in actual lift. However, if it's a small extension like 50mm and you get 25mm lift that's just enough to overcome a fouling problem that might otherwise require great expense / hassle to overcome, then to my mind it's justified.

Modifying the sump in this case would also not be my first choice, I would rather re-shape the pitman (if really necessary), drag-link and tie-rod. If I'm not mistaken, the pitman is cast iron, so bending it should not be attempted by yourself unless you are knowledgeable about working with cast iron and have the equipment. Rather send it to an engineering works.
When your road comes to an end ...... you need a HILUX!.

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Life is like a jar of Jalapeño peppers ... what you do today, might burn your ass tomorrow.
Don't take life too seriously ..... no-one gets out alive.
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Re: Hi-steer with no enough lift.. thoughts on suspentions?

Post by Hangover »

Mud Dog wrote:A body lift won't do anything to alleviate the problem Bretton .... the motor, steering box and leaf packs are all connected to the chassis so nothing will change.

Yeah, extending shackles is not something that I'm normally in favour of, exactly for the reasons given in Bretton's experience above. I also doesn't make much sense from a lift point of view because you only achieve half the shackle extension in actual lift. However, if it's a small extension like 50mm and you get 25mm lift that's just enough to overcome a fouling problem that might otherwise require great expense / hassle to overcome, then to my mind it's justified.

Modifying the sump in this case would also not be my first choice, I would rather re-shape the pitman (if really necessary), drag-link and tie-rod. If I'm not mistaken, the pitman is cast iron, so bending it should not be attempted by yourself unless you are knowledgeable about working with cast iron and have the equipment. Rather send it to an engineering works.
Just extend the shackles by 50mm like Andy said and your problems should be gone...
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Re: Hi-steer with no enough lift.. thoughts on suspentions?

Post by Tarquin »

Thanks for all the response guys.
where is the best place to buy extended shackles?
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Re: Hi-steer with no enough lift.. thoughts on suspentions?

Post by dantjie »

Good day guys I have been looking on oom google at some pics and a few guys over the water that do a solid front axel swop puts a spacer in front at the vehicle that I think can help with your problem I think.
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Re: Hi-steer with no enough lift.. thoughts on suspentions?

Post by Mr_B »

Danie... imho that's a much better idea than extended shackles! IIRC Toybox did something like this on his SFA, that thing is a monster!

See this image:

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Re: Hi-steer with no enough lift.. thoughts on suspentions?

Post by Mud Dog »

Agree, if you can extend or space the spring hangers downward, you will get more benefit than with extending the shackles.
When your road comes to an end ...... you need a HILUX!.

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Life is like a jar of Jalapeño peppers ... what you do today, might burn your ass tomorrow.
Don't take life too seriously ..... no-one gets out alive.
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Re: Hi-steer with no enough lift.. thoughts on suspentions?

Post by Hangover »

You can just get them bend from any engineering shop. Use normal 40mm flatbar 6mm thick... Just check if you have the greasable shackles pins of OME then you will have to get them made up...
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Re: Hi-steer with no enough lift.. thoughts on suspentions?

Post by Tarquin »

Thats a very good idea, i also prefer it to extended shackles.
I wonder what springs toybox has i his lux :think: it doesn't look like he has modified the height of the hangers...
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Re: Hi-steer with no enough lift.. thoughts on suspentions?

Post by Mud Dog »

Just remember that the spring hangers are the main components holding the front axle in place, they take 90% of the stresses, so they have to be sturdily mounted whatever you do if you alter then in any way. ;-)
When your road comes to an end ...... you need a HILUX!.

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Life is like a jar of Jalapeño peppers ... what you do today, might burn your ass tomorrow.
Don't take life too seriously ..... no-one gets out alive.
It's not about waiting for storms to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain.
And be yourself ..... everyone else is taken!
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