Higher Heights Off Road has quickly made a name for itself in the Suzuki 4x4 community. Their suspension and steering components are among the most extreme in terms of performance, and their "small" Samurai was already a contender for Four Wheeler Magazine's Top Truck Challenge. There are big plans for their new "big" Samurai, so keep your eyes open for that.

Higher Heights' new Z-Bar Eliminator Steering System has caused quite a stir among Suzuki off-roaders because it takes an entirely new approach to correcting the steering geometry problems caused by suspension lifts. As its name implies, this kit eliminates the need for the common Z-Bar, which is nothing more than a bent and gusseted drag link. While many Suzuki owners have found success with their Z-Bars, there are many reasons why Higher Heights' system is superior.

First and foremost, many states and provinces have made bent or welded steering components illegal because poor modifications to the steering can cause serious safety hazards. Until now, this has left very few options for the Suzuki owner who wants more than a small amount of lift but still wants to drive on public roads. A dropped pitman arm allows a bit of lift, but can place undue stress on the steering box. Other linkage systems are overly complicated and incomparable in strength and durability to this setup. The Higher Heights steering system is designed to completely eliminate bump steer and to return steering effort and feel back to stock, all while remaining street legal and adding a margin of safety and durability through the use of much stronger components.

Whereas the stock tie-rod turnbuckle is simply a left-hand threaded bolt stuffed into a thin-wall tube and poorly welded, the Higher Heights system uses an ultra heavy duty thick-wall tube that is tapped left and right on the ends with new ball joint ends. The drag link is constructed of the same material and is also tapped left and right for new ball joint ends. This setup allows precise steering adjustment and ensures strength. One look at the old components next to the new ones leaves no question about which is stronger.

After my SPOA conversion, I ran a Z-bar for over two years. However, with my later addition of 2-inch lifted springs, my truck's steering geometry was thrown askew. Having to compensate for the bump steer in my driving style became a daily ritual. For example, driving over a set of railroad tracks necessitated either letting go of the steering wheel for a second to allow it to turn left-right-left, or hanging onto it and unwillingly changing lanes. Neither was a very safe solution and, as such, the steering had caused me to no longer feel comfortable letting anybody else drive my truck. Additionally, I noticed a definite bow in my tie rod, a result of having bumped it against rocks on the trails. I definitely needed to fix the steering, so I picked the Higher Heights system for obvious reasons.

The first thing I noticed when I took delivery of the new components was how heavy they are. Although the overall diameter of the new tie rod and drag link are the same as stock, the gauge of the tubing is obviously much thicker. The new ball joint ends have zerk fittings, allowing for periodic re-greasing. All hardware needed for installation is included in the kit, along with the best instructions I have ever seen. Installation requires nothing but a few common tools.

Although not included in this steering kit, Higher Heights recommends the installation of a tie rod-mounted steering damper, such as the commonly used Rancho kit. The stock steering damper mounts to the pitman arm, which treats the symptom rather than the cause of steering shocks. This allows much more stress to travel through the ball joints, especially on vehicles with larger tires. A tie rod-mounted damper is much better for the steering components, and can be used in conjunction with the stock damper. Since I already had the Rancho kit, I was able to re-use it with this new steering.

Installation Procedure

Impressions

--Geoff Beasley

Additional Information

Thanks to Miles Oliver, here's a couple of bits of additional info regarding the Z-Bar Eliminator:

• Jake offers a direct replacement pitman arm for Toyota Celica Steering boxes, modified to accept a standard greasable rod end. The 'ball joint' is removed, a machined 'puck' is pressed in, welded, and then heat treated. I have this on my truck.
• Jake will also machine one of his arms for the Spring Under crowd, using either the 4" Rocky Road or the 5" Calmini lift. (I would suspect that Petroworks could do the same to keep the costs of crossing the border down.)
  
  He takes his 'arm' and machines it so that the ball joint falls/attaches 'under' instead of 'over' the arm and reduces the amount of height. With a 4-5" lift you don't have to use a dropped pitman arm to retain near parallel steering geometry, Angles would be way off with the stock Toyota pitman arm.