Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
Got rid of the slop in some of my steering, also got rid of a "pop". Pop turned out to be the TRE on the pitman arm, i can move it around by hand and it clunked around. Finally ponied up the cash for a ThurenFabrication HD crossover steering setup. Its engineered with HD Hiems and some very Heavy duty DOM! I bought it off a member of another site I moderate so it didnt have the "bent" drag link to allow you to keep the sway bar, but oh well. It was brand new, he never got around to installing it and sold it due to money issues.
I dont think words can really describle just how beefy this stuff is. Hell, pictures dont do it justice. Anyway, drilling the nuckles was so easy it was scary, BUT, the pitman... SUCKED! I got with in 3/16ths of going through, and it was like I hit a race of hardened steel. I ended up using a unibit(stepbit) from the other side until it was clear enough to get the bolt through, was a complete pain in the *****.
In the process of all this crap, decided, why not try that third gen steering box I had picked up in an axle deal here on TDR. Well, its the same bolt pattern, BUT, its a little different casting, so I would have had to clearance the frame in one spot to get it to bolt up correctly. Plus, the hydrolic fittings were slightly larger than the old one. So I had to put the stock one back in, oh well.
I totally forgot that you have to cut off the sway bar link on the passanger side with Dons setup unless you get a bent drag link, so off came the swaybar. Dont really care to much, as the axle in a month or so will be gone and replaced with a 3rd gen axle. Cut off the mount, and bolted everything up.
The stock tierod was 61" OC from knuckle to knuckle, so i made it the same with the new stuff. Also, centered the wheel, hasnt been that way since I bought it.
Then, went to put on the wheels... nope, they didnt fit either!!! the 3rd gen wheels have some serious back spacing and they hit only on the passager side. It hit the nut and bolt above the hiem. I ground off ~1/4" of the the nut and bolt at an agle that matched the wheel. Cleared it fine after that with ~1/8+" gap. Then, today, a friend mentioned, you should have just turned the bolt over and put the nut on the bottom... DOH! :-laf It was late ok...
Took it for a spin... and WOW, what a difference!!! Wish I still had the swaybar as it now has a little body roll, but oh well not really that bad.
Thanks Don for such an awesome product! Now, just need a trac bar from ya now!
Anyway, here is some pics!
ignore the oily mess... .
you can see just how close it is! At full lock left the jamnut actually hits the rim, not hard at all, just rubs it a little. You can kinda see where I had to clearance the bolt/nut. With a different rim, i dont think it would be a problem
I dont think words can really describle just how beefy this stuff is. Hell, pictures dont do it justice. Anyway, drilling the nuckles was so easy it was scary, BUT, the pitman... SUCKED! I got with in 3/16ths of going through, and it was like I hit a race of hardened steel. I ended up using a unibit(stepbit) from the other side until it was clear enough to get the bolt through, was a complete pain in the *****.
In the process of all this crap, decided, why not try that third gen steering box I had picked up in an axle deal here on TDR. Well, its the same bolt pattern, BUT, its a little different casting, so I would have had to clearance the frame in one spot to get it to bolt up correctly. Plus, the hydrolic fittings were slightly larger than the old one. So I had to put the stock one back in, oh well.
I totally forgot that you have to cut off the sway bar link on the passanger side with Dons setup unless you get a bent drag link, so off came the swaybar. Dont really care to much, as the axle in a month or so will be gone and replaced with a 3rd gen axle. Cut off the mount, and bolted everything up.
The stock tierod was 61" OC from knuckle to knuckle, so i made it the same with the new stuff. Also, centered the wheel, hasnt been that way since I bought it.
Then, went to put on the wheels... nope, they didnt fit either!!! the 3rd gen wheels have some serious back spacing and they hit only on the passager side. It hit the nut and bolt above the hiem. I ground off ~1/4" of the the nut and bolt at an agle that matched the wheel. Cleared it fine after that with ~1/8+" gap. Then, today, a friend mentioned, you should have just turned the bolt over and put the nut on the bottom... DOH! :-laf It was late ok...
Took it for a spin... and WOW, what a difference!!! Wish I still had the swaybar as it now has a little body roll, but oh well not really that bad.
Thanks Don for such an awesome product! Now, just need a trac bar from ya now!
Anyway, here is some pics!
ignore the oily mess... .
you can see just how close it is! At full lock left the jamnut actually hits the rim, not hard at all, just rubs it a little. You can kinda see where I had to clearance the bolt/nut. With a different rim, i dont think it would be a problem
