Here you see pictures of All
Pro's new, updated Hy-Steer crossover steering with FJ-60 draglink
and FJ-80 tie rod. These new steering arms are an all cast
design made from 4130 Chromoly. New tie rods and drag links
are available with FJ-60, FJ-80 ends in addition to the Chromoly
rod ends that they have always used. For some applications
where more clearance is needed or large spring packs are used it
may be necessary to use the rod end kit as it allows more
flexibility in how it can be installed.
The original kit was working well when I
removed it and unlike cheap rod ends the Chromoly ends All Pro uses
were still in good condition and none of them had any looseness to
them. The new kit performs similar to old kit. Now you
can order the Hy-Steer kit with your choice of three different tie
rod/drag link configurations.
Have you ever bent or broken
your tie rod on a rock? It's a fairly common problem with
solid axle Toyota trucks used on rocky trails. Now All Pro
Off Road has a solution for Pickups, 4Runners and FJ-40s called the
"Hy Steer" crossover kit. This kit offers the advantages of
crossover steering and at the same time moves the tie rod above the
leaf springs, greatly increasing ground clearance under the tie
rod. It is virtually impossible to damage the Chromoly tie
rod that comes with the kit when mounted so high up in the
suspension.
Installation
Installation took about 2 1/2
hours on my solid axle
converted 4Runner. I received the kit on a Friday
afternoon at about 3 PM. By 4 PM I had left work early and
was home to install the new steering arm kit and finish packing for
a trip to Pismo Beach the following day. By 8:00 PM I had the
steering kit installed and the truck packed to go!
The first thing I did was jack up one side of
the truck by using a floor jack under the leaf spring to take the
load off the knuckle bearings. I removed the wheel and and steering
arm, replacing it with the new steering arm. Then I replaced
the other steering arm the same way. I also removed the old
tie rod and drag link.
Using a tie rod end puller I removed the pitman arm from the
steering box and installed the new pitman arm, but did not tighten
the nut until later. It took a little work to get the old arm
off. The tie rod puller I was using is the one I keep in my
on board tool box. I like to make do with the tools I carry
with me on the trail so I was determined to make this tool do the
job. I put the puller on the pitman arm and turned the
adjusting bolt but the arm did not come loose. I then tapped
lightly with a hammer a few times. Then tightened the puller
a little more. This worked the arm loose after a few
tries.
Next I installed the
Chromoly tie rod using the provided rod ends. These rod ends are
very stiff when new and can't be moved by hand. These are not
the cheap units you get at the local hardware store that have play
in them. The tie rod and draglink came threaded on both ends,
one side with left handed threads and the other with right handed
threads. This makes for easy adjustment of the toe setting, just
turn the rod to the proper length and tighten the jam
nuts.
I
installed the tie rod using the provided grade 9 bolts and crimp
nuts. On the right side the rod end goes into the rear of the
two holes. The drag link goes into the front hole later. I
started by screwing in both tie rod ends as far as they would
go. Then I measured the toe in setting. I put my tape
measure on the leading edge of the tires and locked the tape in
place. Then I took the tape and placed it in the rear to see how
much wider it was. By turning the tie rod I was able to set
the toe in at about 1/8". I found that half turns of the tie
rod made a measurable difference in toe. It should be noted
that for proper strength, rod ends should be threaded at least half
way in to the rod.
Next I
installed the drag link. It's the same as the tie rod but a
few inches shorter. The drag link goes into the front hole on
the right steering arm. There is a small spacer that needs to
be installed between the rod end and the steering arm. The
kit came with 2 different spacers. The taller one works best to
reduce bump steer on larger lifts. The smaller one
helps reduce interference problems with the frame and drag
link on trucks with less lift. I installed the taller one
first but during ramp testing, I noticed the drag link just
touching the frame. I removed the large spacer and replaced
it with the smaller one. This eliminated the clearance
problem.
The exact spacer depends on engine type, frame type, lift, pitman
arm, axle position, and suspension travel. A little
experimenting may be necessary to get it just right. All Pro
is happy to make spacers any size for proper
fit.
Now I
could set the draglink and pitman arm. I turned the draglink
rod ends as far in as they would go and then backed them out one
full turn each. With the front end up in the air (jack under
the axle) I turned the wheel lock to lock to see where the center
of the steering box was. I then pointed the wheels straight
and turned the steering wheel until it was also in the
middle. I then I put the pitman arm on the steering box and
tightened the nut. This gets the wheel close to on
center. For the final adjustment I turned the draglink rod
and tightened the jam nuts.
I had the opportunity to test the Hy-Steer
kit the following day at Pismo Beach. During the drive up I
found it to have a similar road feel on the highway as the original
crossover steering system but with less play in the wheel due to a
new design rod end that All Pro is using. These rod ends have
absolutely no play in them at all. The Hy-Steer system also
uses different length steering and pitman arms (also found on the
original crossover kit) and this effectively makes it easier to
steer than the original IFS. This feature also has the added benefit of
reducing stress on the steering box. It is also very helpful
when driving back into town with 35" tires aired down to 9
psi.
At
faster speeds on the sand dunes the lack of steering play is a
noticeable improvement. My IFS steering had always felt a
little loose and I could hear a bit of chatter in the steering when
driving over bumpy sections. I tested the truck at high
speeds and also did a few jumps and I found It worked very well
with the new steering. I though that when converting to a
solid front axle I would loose the ability to fly through the sand
dunes with the same speed as I had with the IFS. I found the
dramatic increase in wheel travel useful when driving at speed
across the bumpy sections of sand.
This is the best steering system
I have ever seen for Toyota trucks. It moves the tie rod way
up and out of the way of rocks. At the same time, it allows the
front suspension to travel to it''s full potential without binding
or running the risk of a broken steering arm, as can happen with
the factory steering. I am very pleased with the way this kit
works. It deserves an "A" grade for quality and
design.
Original Crossover Steering
Hy-Steer Crossover Steering
Applications
This kit fits all 4 cylinder
solid axle trucks without any interference. On factory V6 trucks
converted to solid axle the IFS style oil pan my cause interference
with the tie rod. On these V6 truck it may be necessary to move the
axle forward on the springs by 1.25" - 1.5". This is a common
modification on crossover steering trucks that provides more
firewall clearance for larger tires. The All Pro Hy-Steer kit costs
$699 (
as of Oct/99) for solid axle pickups
and 4Runners. The kit replaces both steering arms, drag link,
tie rod and pitman arm. It is necessary to have some form of
crossover steering system installed to use this kit. All pro
sells used steering boxes and the necessary mounting hardware to
convert to crossover steering.
The Land Cruiser FJ-40 kit is similar and
cost a bit less than the pick-up/4Runner kit. It should be noted
that in order for the Hy-Steer kit to be installed on these
vehicles, a Saginaw power
steering
conversion and front axle spring
over conversion are necessary.
Written By: Chris Geiger March
1999
Contact
Information
All Pro Off
Road
25171 North Palm, Building
B3
Hemet CA, 92543
909-658-7077
Jon Bundrant
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