Custom Cross-over Steering

[Tom Mandera <tsm1@domain.elided>]

OK, Tom delves into the world of seriously custom mods again...

Another option I could do - put a Scout Dana 30 knuckle on the passenger
side of the Chevy '44.. *IF* the Chevy tie-rod will bolt up.  I can use
the Chevy spindles and Ford hubs n' rotors... and a custom length Z
drag-link.  Not the best solution, but certainly readily accomplished.

-Tom

I posted this to TechTalk:

I know Darrel Kline has finished his conversion, but I was wondering if
anyone else has done something similar.

Case - a spring over Scout II
Problem - drag link will hit the springs - use a Z-drag link but you get
bump steer...

Solution - modify the passenger side knuckle to raise the drag link
attachment point above the springs.

Can't do it with a stock SII Dana 44 knuckle.  But IH 1/2T pickup front
'44s as well as GM '44s and Wagoneer '44s all have a flat spot on the
top of the knuckle.  On a Chevy, the driver's side has 3 studs in it
that the steering arm bolts to.  The passenger side lacks the studs
since GM didn't use a cross-over setup.

There's an article on this at Off-road.com in March's TOC..

Follow me thus far?

So.. you need to acquire a custom raised steering arm for the passenger
knuckle.. and drill the knuckle and bolt the custom arm to the knuckle.

Problem - it can't be a straight arm since it'd hit the tire, so it
needs a bend in it.

It also needs a tapered hole for the drag link.

I'm going to try calling Dynatrac and TriCounty gear to see if they have
an "off-the-shelf" solution for this or if I need to locate a local
machinist.

MY particular version of this problem.. I swapped a Chevy Dana 44 front
axle under my Scout, and I need to build the passenger knuckle up and
set it up for the cross-over steering.  If I have a *custom* arm made,
I'd really like to move the drag link attachment point "inboard" by 3"
more than it otherwise would be - the Chevy axle is uncut, and thus is
about 6" wider than the Scout's stock axle.  If I have a custom arm
made, and I make it 3" "inboard", I can use a stock length drag link and
save a few bucks.. unless someone wants to tell me this would be unsafe
(longer arm)

I have a month or so to figure this out.. I'm hoping to have the Scout
ready to race by Memorial Day (unless I find that I can't use any of the
driveshafts I currently own - in which case, I'll be about out of bucks
to spend, so race day will have to wait)

-Tom