High steer with ultimate dana 60.

jeeper52

LOSER
Hi guys i have the UD 60 front axle on my jeep and im wanting to do high steer to get a little more clearance for my tie rod and psc ram. The axle came stock with the high steer arm already mounted for the drag link. Can i just drill out the top of the high steer arm with a reamer and mount the drag link on the top and then do the same with the tierod drilling out the knuckle mounts to then flip the tie rod? If so does anyone know what size reamer to use? The draglink and tie rod are made by Synergy. Here is where they sitting now
 

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highoctane

Caught the Bug
When I looked at my UD60 axles in the crate, I did see that they have the flat top on the driver side knuckle to accommodate a high steer arm. I looked at the possibility of buying a set of the blank (un-drilled) Dynatrac high steer arms and having them drilled and installed, so that I can run the Evo D60 high steer kit on the UD60 from axle. Seems the Dynatrac arms would work, but it would be a custom job and require the measuring and drilling of the arms and driver side knuckle, and a custom length tie rod and drag link to make work, since the UD60 axles are 69" and the typical high steer kit used on something like a Dynatrac axle would not work, since they are 68.5" wide. Wouldn't be easy, but wouldn't be hard either with the right skills or shop doing the work. So I imagine it wouldn't be hard to do what you are looking to do.
 
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Grubbicon

New member
Might be a challenge to find but you can probably find a machine shop to machine your other knuckle to accept a high steer arm. I have no clue what those knuckles look like though. You can run the draglink on top and the tierod on the bottom. Thats what I have planned for my build.
 

jeeper52

LOSER
When I looked at my UD60 axles in the crate, I did see that they have the flat top on the driver side knuckle to accommodate a high steer arm. I looked at the possibility of buying a set of the blank (un-drilled) Dynatrac high steer arms and having them drilled and installed, so that I can run the Evo D60 high steer kit on the UD60 from axle. Seems the Dynatrac arms would work, but it would be a custom job and require the measuring and drilling of the arms and driver side knuckle, and a custom length tie rod and drag link to make work, since the UD60 axles are 69" and the typical high steer kit used on something like a Dynatrac axle would not work, since they are 68.5" wide. Wouldn't be easy, but wouldn't be hard either with the right skills or shop doing the work. So I imagine it wouldn't be hard to do what you are looking to do.

Is it a bad idea to flip the tierod and run it on the top instead on the bottom of the mount? Also if i flip the drag link to the top of the steering mount would it hit my frame at full bump?
 

Grubbicon

New member
Is it a bad idea to flip the tierod and run it on the top instead on the bottom of the mount? Also if i flip the drag link to the top of the steering mount would it hit my frame at full bump?

It is possible that the drag link could contact the frame, but it is fairly common to notch the frame so they dont contact each other.
 

highoctane

Caught the Bug
Is it a bad idea to flip the tierod and run it on the top instead on the bottom of the mount? Also if i flip the drag link to the top of the steering mount would it hit my frame at full bump?

By doing that without raising the track bar mount on the axle, you'll have the track bar and drag link at two different angles, which will give you bump steer. Only way to see if a flipped drag link would contact the frame would be to cycle the suspension to full up and measure the distance from the frame to the top of the passenger side high steer rod. If that distance is greater than the thickness of your drag link joint/rod end, you should be fine. If not, you'll have to notch the frame.
 
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jeeper52

LOSER
By doing that without raising the track bar mount on the axle, you'll have the track bar and drag link at two different angles, which will give you bump steer. Only way to see if a flipped drag link would contact the frame, would be to cycle the suspension to full up and measure the distance from the frame to the top of the passenger side high steer rod. If that distance is greater than the thickness of your drag link, you should be fine. If not, you'll have to notch the frame.

Yeah that makes since. I do have an adjustable track bar mount so i can raise if need be. Are there any draw backs or issues that i may run into flipping the tie rod to the top?
 

WJCO

Meme King
At least for the WJ with the OEM D30, there are some kits and instructions out there. You have to drill out the knuckle and install some inserts. I believe the inserts just have a reverse taper for the tie rod ends. Not sure if they make them for the D60. I have considered it myself, but am still a little leary of drilling into the knuckle. Steering it kind of important, I would hate to f it up.
 

highoctane

Caught the Bug
Yeah that makes since. I do have an adjustable track bar mount so i can raise if need be. Are there any draw backs or issues that i may run into flipping the tie rod to the top?

As for flipping the tie rod, it might work if there is enough room without the tie rod end contacting the drag link end or drag link end stud/nut. I've seen the tie rod flipped to the top on a UD60 axle, but it was not a standard tie rod, it was a custom straight tie rod with 7/8 heim joints.
 

jeeper52

LOSER
As for flipping the tie rod, it might work if there is enough room without the tie rod end contacting the drag link end or drag link end stud/nut. I've seen the tie rod flipped to the top on a UD60 axle, but it was not a standard tie rod, it was a custom straight tie rod with 7/8 heim joints.

Thanks for all the info. Just incase, where would one go to get a custom tie rod?
 

jeeper52

LOSER
Actually after giving it another look my track bar is already on the highest mount on the axle. Does this mean in order to avoid bump steer would i need to cut off the trac bar mount and weld on a new one with taller mounting locations?
 

jeeper52

LOSER
Highoctane is this what you were talking about earlier when you mentioned the high steer arms? Found these on artecs website
 

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highoctane

Caught the Bug
Highoctane is this what you were talking about earlier when you mentioned the high steer arms? Found these on artecs website

That actually looks like a Reid Racing kingpin D60 high steer knuckle. Though it says Ultimate 60 high steer arms, it is not for the Mopar/Spicer UD60. The high steer setup I'd like to do looks like this.

Screen Shot 2016-01-21 at 11.22.43 PM.jpg Screen Shot 2016-01-21 at 11.21.37 PM.jpg

The tie rod and drag link are ran in double shear on the high steer arm, and the hydraulic assist steering ram connects to the lower mount on the passenger side. It moves the tie rod up much higher than stock, and also makes the drag link and track bar have less of an angle. This is the setup Offroad Evolution puts on it's Dynatrac PR60 front axle builds, and what I thought about trying to make work on the UD60.
 
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jeeper52

LOSER
Yeah i like that much better. The skid is a good idea protecting the ram cyclinder. What track bar would you run with that setup?
 

highoctane

Caught the Bug
Yeah i like that much better. The skid is a good idea protecting the ram cyclinder. What track bar would you run with that setup?

Offroad Evolution makes that steering ram skid. It also comes with a new track bar mount that allows the use of the stock track bar, which is what Offroad Evo uses on a lot of, if not most of it's builds with this steering kit. It's plenty strong enough, since it is forged steel.
 
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jeeper52

LOSER
Offroad Evolution makes that steering ram skid. It also comes with a new track bar mount that allows the use of the stock track bar, which is what Offroad Evo uses on a lot of, if not most of it's builds with this steering kit. It's plenty strong enough, since it is forged steel.


Ok so to be clear do you buy different knuckles or would i send mine out to be drilled for the high steer arms?
 

highoctane

Caught the Bug
Ok so to be clear do you buy different knuckles or would i send mine out to be drilled for the high steer arms?

The knuckles on the UD60 front axle should work fine. They are flat top knuckles and the passenger side knuckle already has a high steer arm. You'd need to have the driver side knuckle drilled and tapped for a high steer arm, and have a new set of blank high steer arms drilled to fit both knuckles.
 
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