Steering options for solid axle

[alba]

It seems that crossover steering is the widely accepted setup for a solid axle with an ifs pump....my question is what is the technical reason for not using the stock 4runner steering on a solid axle?

[86bobbedtoy]

really?
you might get laughed at for this.
this aint pirate so Ill help

stock steering is weak
you cant lift it much, with stock,
it is under the leaf springs, prone to damage by rocks act
ifs box is a newer design and prefered my most
when flexing your putting alot os stress on stock jarm

[86bobbedtoy]

hope your not asking about ifs steering

[superyota]

it doesn't get the travel like the crossover does and the steering binds up.  not to mention it is extremely week and with the tie rods mounted below the leafs, it will increase the chance of bending or breaking the tie rod if you hit something.  

[yotaneck13]

when your flexed with the sotck steering youll loose steering and that aint cool plus youll get horrible bump steer if you lift the truck and try to extend the linkage

[H8PVMNT]

I am still running stock steering on a solid axle truck with about 2" of lift using rear springs up front and the stock draglink is my limiting factor for down travel.  I beefed up the tie rod with some thicker tube and I'm only running 31" tires, which I consider about the limit for stock steering with lots of hard wheeling.  The steering is my limiting factor for travel so I am currently running limiting straps so I don't break the j-arm. It has survived because I'm not asking much of it.

I don't want to get any bigger with the truck but I just picked up some used old style cross over steeing so I can use all my downtravel and have a stronger, better handling setup.

I have another buddy who we did the "J ball flip" (which you can find a thread on in here) on his moderatly built solid axle 4Runner.  He can get a little more travel and it hasn't broke yet but he is still ordering hi-steer this summer because he want's more articulation...

Don't ask, just get it.  The "other options" are only a temporary compromise.  Hi-Steer is the basic foundation for a great solid axle suspension on a Toyota because it eliminates all of the issues.  Regular cross over isn't bad, but unless you get a super deal on it you might as well keep the tie rod above the axle and out of harms way with hi-steer.

[Sparkplug]

Alot of people are going crossover, seems to be the more hardcore dedicated wheelres. Lots dont like highsteer, because it gets in the way of things. You can do nrmal crossover with low steer, it just places the tie rod belowthe leaf spring.


J arms are the weak point of stock sa steering. They are not made to work at lifted angles, you can mod em a bit, but in the end, you have modded stock steering.

[Doable]

The driver side factory steering arm like to crack at the last two studs closest to the rear of the knuckle. And usually at the worst time like when you have the suspension in a bind. Big tires on a axles (assuming it's an 85 front axle)  that is 26 years old doesn't help neither in this steering arm breakage.