I need a steering gearbox solution.

[crimsonride]

So I'm converting my 69 C30 to 4wd and I'm running in to a whole bunch of snags.

Initially my plan was to use C20 spring hangars and leaf springs and swap it over with original hardware. ....However that won't work with my axle which is a Dana60 from the front of my donor 97 dodge 3500. The spring hangars land on the pumpkin and partly on the vacuum hub so that's not looking great.

Option 2: Dodge dana 60 and coil springs and arms....I like this idea since it will give me a nice ride but it looks like the steering gear box shaft will interfere with the coil spring towers.

So as I see it I can try to mortise the gearbox in to the frame to give myself some clearance or I can try to find a gearbox that is reversed and has the pinion outboard and the input inboard. It needs to have mounting holes on the input side. I just don't know enough about this to know what options I have.

Any suggestions?

Option 3: Keep it 2wd and get stuck in parking lots when I go snowmobiling.....but I'll still look cool.

 

[skippy]

I would just add an extra U joint in the steering shaft and route it around the coil spring

 

[J-mobzz]

I would just add an extra U joint in the steering shaft and route it around the coil spring

My thought was this. Build a custom steering shaft

 

[crimsonride]

My thought was this. Build a custom steering shaft

Yeah.....maybe a universal joint mounted to the inside of the coil bucket would work....not bad....

 

[boogie_4wheel]

Would you benefit by removing the vacuum actuator on the axle, mechanically locking the CAD, then run the leafs? Or is the spring pack landing in a horrible spot?

Then you would need manual hubs to disconnect the front driveshaft. Or do like the '03+ Dodges and let the front driveshaft spin all the time...

 

[crimsonride]

Would you benefit by removing the vacuum actuator on the axle, mechanically locking the CAD, then run the leafs? Or is the spring pack landing in a horrible spot?

Then you would need manual hubs to disconnect the front driveshaft. Or do like the '03+ Dodges and let the front driveshaft spin all the time...

I thought about that but it just seemed like a lot of work. It would almost be better to just get a whole new axle. The driver side lands mostly on the pumpkin and I just don't see a great way to fab a perch and allow for U-bolts. At that point I may as well just fab up radius arms and use the stock Dodge springs and axle hardware. I think we have it sorted. Stock dodge springs and axle hardware. I just have to fab coil towers and radius arm so I don't think it'll be too bad.

 

[crimsonride]

Hey guys....I guess I might need to revisit this.

I moved forward with swapping in the D60 to convert it to 4wd. I had a lot of frame flex so I boxed the frame and now I have to make a few cross members to stiffen things up.

So here's my problem. The spring towers I have made are directly in the path of the steering shaft. Initially I was going to just build a new shaft around the tower with a universal joint in the middle but now that I have the tower in place I can see I just won't have the room, the angles would be too tight.

Is there anyone out there more creative than myself that can come up with a solution to my dilemma?

 

[Kiel]

Inside the frame steering box.

 

[mbryson]

Run a 1” tube through the inside of the spring tower. Run the steering shaft through that?

 

[crimsonride]

I think I figured it out. Here's what I did. Same plan as before only I gusseted in a section of pipe to reduce the u-joint angles. I feel super smrt!

 

[crimsonride]

Run a 1” tube through the inside of the spring tower. Run the steering shaft through that?

Thought about that but the spring is actually in the way as well.

 

[DaveB]

I had a similar problem on my old Commando and I fixed it with a TJ steering shaft which has a joint in the middle.