GM 5.3/4L60E/Klune/Stak 300

[Jeff 98XJ WI]

Finally, I cleaned them up with a grinder and wire wheel. I sprayed a little paint on them as well. I still need to weld some gussets from the kingpin area to the caliper bracket mounting face as well as build a lower double sheer rod end mount.

Jeff

 

[Jeff 98XJ WI]

I also welded up the upper link mount on the axle housing. I used stick welding with special rod and preheated with a rosebud tip again.

Jeff

 

[Jeff 98XJ WI]

I solld my old Lincoln SP125 Plus and purchased a new Miller 211 dual voltage welder. It's only one step up from the little guy, but I hope it will do me well for awhile. Jeff

Here are the 110 and 220 plugs.

Jeff

 

[Jeff 98XJ WI]

I just thought I would throw up a picture of the parking brake and JB housing bolted to the t-case sitting in the Jeep. As it turns out, the alignment is just a touch off, but it will work fine. It's just that the bottom of the caliper is not quite horozontal. Jeff

Jeff

 

[JeepFreak21]

Dude! Don't be ! That is sexy!
Billy

 

[asp]

Dude! Don't be ! That is sexy!
Billy

x2!

 

[Jeff 98XJ WI]

I did some additional beefing on the passengers side steering knuckle recently. I added a bent piece of 3/16 from either end of the spacer down to the steering knuckle.

I then started building a double sheer mount for the rod end.

So, this should be pretty darn strong now! Jeff

 

[Jes]

So, this should be pretty darn strong now! Jeff

Six studs holding the high steer arm on? I'd say yes!

 

[cracker]

Six studs holding the high steer arm on? I'd say yes!

I only have 5 but considering the job it does holding down the garage floor, I think it is cool :jester:

Jeff, Why did you go below the highsteer arm?

 

[Jeff 98XJ WI]

If you look back in the thread, you will see that with the axle at my arbitrary full stuff, I could not clear the oil pan with the drag link with the rod end on top of the steering arm. So, I raised the steering arm 1" using the spacer that doubles as a method to attach two additional studs and put the rod end below the arm. This cleared the oil pan well and made a double shear mount easy to accomplish. The other side is going to have to be spaced below the high steer arm to clear the pitman arm at full stuff. I hope at full droop everything will be ok as well. Jeff

 

[cracker]

If you look back in the thread, you will see that with the axle at my arbitrary full stuff, I could not clear the oil pan with the drag link with the rod end on top of the steering arm. So, I raised the steering arm 1" using the spacer that doubles as a method to attach two additional studs and put the rod end below the arm. This cleared the oil pan well and made a double shear mount easy to accomplish. The other side is going to have to be spaced below the high steer arm to clear the pitman arm at full stuff. I hope at full droop everything will be ok as well. Jeff

Thanks.

This thread had been going on for a while so I forgot :doh:

Hurry up and get your chit done :cheers:

 

[Jeff 98XJ WI]

I took the drivers side steering knuckle and added a mounting boss for a fifth stud as well. I clamped the piece to the high steer arm and tacked it in position. I then removed the arm and welded the tab permanently. I then ground the top smooth, bolted the high steer arm back on and put the whole knuckle in a drill press to align and drill the hole for the fifth stud.

The hole ended up partially in the plating and partially in the welded on tab. No matter. I then aligned a tap and tapped the hole.

The stud threaded in just fine.

I then added a gusset from the tab down to the plated steering arm finishing it off.

Jeff

 

[Ghost]

I took the drivers side steering knuckle and added a mounting boss for a fifth stud as well. I clamped the piece to the high steer arm and tacked it in position. I then removed the arm and welded the tab permanently. I then ground the top smooth, bolted the high steer arm back on and put the whole knuckle in a drill press to align and drill the hole for the fifth stud.

The hole ended up partially in the plating and partially in the welded on tab. No matter. I then aligned a tap and tapped the hole.

The stud threaded in just fine.

I then added a gusset from the tab down to the plated steering arm finishing it off.

Jeff

Shipped to 29550? Looks like a nice addition.

 

[Capt. Nemo]

Just curious why the high steer arm and knuckle aren't parallel? The arm for the tierod on the cast knuckle could be used in conjunction with the high steer arm to put that bolt for the tierod in double sheer... Otherwise looks great.

 

[Ghost]

Just curious why the high steer arm and knuckle aren't parallel? The arm for the tierod on the cast knuckle could be used in conjunction with the high steer arm to put that bolt for the tierod in double sheer... Otherwise looks great.

I think, bc most are made to clear rims. So they set them in. 16.5 to be specific. Ford brakes are huge and you have to have min 16.5 rims to clear them.

 

[cracker]

I think, bc most are made to clear rims. So they set them in.

Bingo

 

[Jeff 98XJ WI]

Ok, I have the steering figured out as it is going to be. To start with, I had to change the pitman arm a little bit due to how it moved up when tightened down. I put a 3/8" spacer in it so the drag link would clear the oil pan at full stuff.

I am setting everything up at full stuff to assure clearance in the worst case scenario.

Here is the pitman arm to tie rod clearance at full right turn. I had to run a spacer on the drivers side steering arm to provide just enough clearance here.

Here's another shot from the front. You can also see the drivers side knuckle double shear.

Here's the passengers side at full right turn. You can see the double shear here too.

Here's the pitman arm to tie rod clearance at full left turn. Very tight.

Here is the pitman arm to track bar bracket clearance when straight ahead.

Here is the drag link and tie rod from the front. Notice the clearance with the oil pan and harmonic balancer.

Here the adjusting sleeve barely clears the oil pan...but it does!

Here you can see the whole steering from the front left corner.

Jeff

 

[Ghost]

Jeff have you checked it with tires? When I used the waggy arm it put the tires in my unibody frame rails and lcas on both sides. I ended up using an XJ arm till I got it all figured out since the waggy arm was rubbing my hydrolic assist lines.

 

[Jeff 98XJ WI]

Here is the drivers side knuckle from straight on. You can see the double shear.

Here it is from the top side.

Here is the track bar to oil pan and axle clearance. Very tight.

Here is the exhaust to pumpkin. Notice how the D44 pumpkin was ground for clearance.

Here is the steering from below. Notice how the pitman arm is back from the steering arms.

Here is the steering to oil pan clearance from below.

As for the tires clearing the frame...probably not. However, I did try to get as much steering angle as I could. I removed the steering stops on the knuckles and got it so the pitman arm will swing lock to lock on the WJ box. With this, I measured about 36-37 degrees of steering angle in each direction. Jeff

 

[Jeff 98XJ WI]

For measuring steering angle I worked until I was able to get full lock to lock steering on the WJ steering box. Then I turned fully one way, set a board on a piece of angle iron C clamped to the frame and aligned it with the center of the steering arm.

I then cranked the steering to the other direction and held a compass in alignement with the steering arm and measured about 72 degrees.

I cut this measurement in half to get center to right and center to left numbers for comparison to other folks. It's not 40 degrees plus that some folks brag about, but like Ghost said, I doubt the tires will even be able to clear other components at the extreme ends of the steering. Jeff