• Welcome to ClassicBroncos! - You are currently viewing the forums as a GUEST. To take advantage of all the site features, please take a moment to register. It's fast, simple and absolutely free. So please join our community today!
    If you have problems registering or can't log into your account, please contact Admin.

For those that moved the front axle forward, Stretched rigs

Madgyver

Bronco Madman
Joined
Jul 30, 2001
Messages
15,030
Did you relocate steering box?
Trackbar mount?
Front cross member may be in the way if you don't have much lift..

Looks like 2" forward could be done without relocating the steering box.

Question is that I have chevy rod ends and it looks like the steering link will hit the center link as the suspension cycles.

Post what you done and how you like it..........
 

SaddleUp

Bronco Guru
Joined
May 23, 2004
Messages
9,655
Loc.
Vancouver, WA
I moved mine about 1 1/2" simply by adjusting where I put the rear radius arm mounts. The springs are angled forward a little but otherwise it works fine.
 

PsYcHoBrOnCo

Sr. Member
Joined
Oct 3, 2005
Messages
575
Loc.
Fort Worth, Tx
I went 2 inched forward.....Well I just realized I am no help to you, I haven't gotten to the point of mounting anything else....%) I imagine I will relocate the steering box, spring buckets, track bar mount and cut off my front body mounts...
 

Attachments

  • more pics 059.jpg
    more pics 059.jpg
    147.1 KB · Views: 190

Tito

CB Fire Starter
Joined
Jan 29, 2006
Messages
10,781
Loc.
Bakersfield, CA
I just went 1.5", it seemed to center the tire in the wheel well. I just mounted the radius arms a bit forward. I did tap my chevy rod on the pitman to my tie rod on Saturday (I pushed the limits of suspension) but I'm not worried about it. If I were to go any farther I would have just used the 4x4 box and left the arm forward and just moved the track bar mount. Probably have to check where you are at in relation to the front cross member, possibly need to be trimmed up.
 

Clint

Bronco Guru
Joined
Mar 16, 2004
Messages
1,035
Loc.
Grand Junction, CO
I went almost 2.5 inches forward. Move the spring mounts and the trac bar mount. The trac bar is as close to the arc on the pitman arm as I could get it and still put a bolt in it.
 

mxpaz

Bronco Guru
Joined
Jun 21, 2001
Messages
2,901
Loc.
KC
I moved mine 4" forward. I changed to Hydro steering. You can move it as far as you want.:-*
 

welndmn

Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 12, 2001
Messages
2,112
I went 5 or 6 inches.
I swapped to a scout box.
I really did not like it.
Once swapping to full hydro, I wish I went another 3 inches forward.
 

Russ

Jr. Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2007
Messages
95
Loc.
Florence Al
Just an FYI, a Chevy Astro Van steering box is a reverse rotation. The pitman arm sticks forward instead of back.
 

scsm76

Bronco Guru
Joined
Oct 6, 2005
Messages
1,433
Loc.
Shaver Lake, CA
Just an FYI, a Chevy Astro Van steering box is a reverse rotation. The pitman arm sticks forward instead of back.

All the astro vans I've looked at the steering box is mounted vertically with the sector shaft horizontal pointing forward and the pitman arm facing down. If you flipped it over and mounted like a EB box it would steer backwards unless you put the pitman arm to the back. People use the astro van guts in a EB boxes for quicker ratio and they can be put in Scout boxes to allow the pitman to face to the back.
If you want a forward facing pitman arm the Scout or 4X4 F150 box would work well.
 
OP
OP
Madgyver

Madgyver

Bronco Madman
Joined
Jul 30, 2001
Messages
15,030
Does anyone have pics of a relocated (moved forward) steering box?

More than a couple of inches forward and it will going into the front body mount. I'll tube the front inners so the mount will be either cut or notched.

Looking for what others have done.... please post pics if you have them...
 

evil69

fawkin classy
Joined
Nov 7, 2003
Messages
1,950
Loc.
Athens, GA
Is it going to be a crawler only Mad? If so, go full hydro.

And I am sure, you can't go too far with moving the steering box forward, unless you notch the grill for the box to poke out.
 

Clint

Bronco Guru
Joined
Mar 16, 2004
Messages
1,035
Loc.
Grand Junction, CO
Did you relocate steering box?
Trackbar mount?
Front cross member may be in the way if you don't have much lift..

Looks like 2" forward could be done without relocating the steering box.

Question is that I have chevy rod ends and it looks like the steering link will hit the center link as the suspension cycles.

Post what you done and how you like it..........

I got almost 3 inches out of mine without moving the steering box. I did end up moving the trac bar frame mount. I ran this way with the chevy steering and a Dana 60.
 
OP
OP
Madgyver

Madgyver

Bronco Madman
Joined
Jul 30, 2001
Messages
15,030
Is it going to be a crawler only Mad? If so, go full hydro.

And I am sure, you can't go too far with moving the steering box forward, unless you notch the grill for the box to poke out.
It will be street legal to get groceries from the market, And to play up in the mountains or the shorelines..

I'll see how much it will go forward without getting into the grill.
If I have to cut, I will, It's function over cosmetics, but it will be clean....

Still looking for pics...
 

JeffG

Contributor
Sr. Member
Joined
May 7, 2004
Messages
513
Loc.
San Antonio, TX
Mad,

Here is what we did on mine. I ended up with 99" WB by moving the rear back 5" and the front axle forward 2".

I am running full width axles, so we cut the coil towers off and moved them forward and spaced them out to account for the wider axle wedges. To take care of the steering box, I have a '78-'79 Bronco/F150 box and we didn't do the conversion. We left the pitman arm facing forward and moved it back to the coil cup and slightly angled to get the correct geometry.

Here are a couple of pics. Let me know if you need more.

Jeff
 

Attachments

  • EndisNear 017 [800x600].jpg
    EndisNear 017 [800x600].jpg
    178.9 KB · Views: 243
  • EndisNear 024 [1024x768].jpg
    EndisNear 024 [1024x768].jpg
    180.2 KB · Views: 260
OP
OP
Madgyver

Madgyver

Bronco Madman
Joined
Jul 30, 2001
Messages
15,030
Jeff,
Thanks,
Can you post detailed pictures of the steering box and upper tracbar mount?

I can see in the 2nd pic a little of it..
 

JeffG

Contributor
Sr. Member
Joined
May 7, 2004
Messages
513
Loc.
San Antonio, TX
Here is a view from the front that I already have. I can get some better pics tomorrow morning:) ...
 

Attachments

  • EndisNear 003 [1024x768].jpg
    EndisNear 003 [1024x768].jpg
    203 KB · Views: 241

JeffG

Contributor
Sr. Member
Joined
May 7, 2004
Messages
513
Loc.
San Antonio, TX
To give a better visual, the new mounting location of the PS box is roughtly 4" further back than the original location. Where the box mounts to the frame sits just behind the front cross-member.

You can see in the pic above that the track bar now has a Johnny-Joint on the frame end with a simple bracket just below the PS box.

I can get some better pictures tomorrow.
 
Top