8" lift guys-steering question

[Blue85]

So im looking at an 8" BDS kit for my 87 V30 crewcab, has the raised steering block and raised steering arm, according to Off Road Design, this system is junk and anything over 8" u should go to crossover steering, im not going rock crawling, maybe the odd mud bog, but mostly highway and gravel road driving. Just wondering if anyone with bigger lifts has had any steering issues doing it the old fashioned way?

[dieseldawg142]

8" on my '85 crew. steering block, dropped drag link, dropped pitman arm. never had a single issue. had crossover on my 12" lift blaze, great off road, was not crazy about it on the street. mostly street, i'd go with the push-pull.

[1968vetL-71]

I can definitely speak from experience. I've had a bunch ( prob a dozen ) pickups, blazers and suburbans with 8"-12" lifts on them i installed. Before the crossover was really the thing too do, the tall block, raised arm, dropped pitman and nasty big ol S-drag link was all that was available. Steering was adequate and then their just wasn't much too compare it too. Parts wore out quick and kinda sucked.

I just installed a new 8" lift on my 91 crew cab and went with the ORD crossover steering with the Heavy Duty tierod. What a completely different experience. It doesn't have any big truck mannerisms at all. I would never go with any other steering correction other than crossover. Im sure it helps having EVERYTHING new or rebuilt up front including the D60. I'm sure some Naysayers will pop in and say blah blah blah.... but speaking from my own experience... NO COMPARISON!
I can honestly say with the New Toyos, its incredibly quiet and smooth. I kinda miss the roaring sound of a huge swamper and some big ol bouncies in action riding shotgun from the rough ride!! ahhhh the days!!!!

[72 Copper C-10]

Originally Posted by 1968vetL-71

I can definitely speak from experience. I've had a bunch ( prob a dozen ) pickups, blazers and suburbans with 8"-12" lifts on them i installed. Before the crossover was really the thing too do, the tall block, raised arm, dropped pitman and nasty big ol S-drag link was all that was available. Steering was adequate and then their just wasn't much too compare it too. Parts wore out quick and kinda sucked.

I just installed a new 8" lift on my 91 crew cab and went with the ORD crossover steering with the Heavy Duty tierod. What a completely different experience. It doesn't have any big truck mannerisms at all. I would never go with any other steering correction other than crossover. Im sure it helps having EVERYTHING new or rebuilt up front including the D60. I'm sure some Naysayers will pop in and say blah blah blah.... but speaking from my own experience... NO COMPARISON
I can honestly say with the New Toyos, its incredibly quiet and smooth. I kinda miss the roaring sound of a huge swamper and some big ol bouncies in action riding shotgun from the rough ride!! ahhhh the days!!!!

I totally agree!! My dad absolutely loves his ORD set up for his short bed with a 4 inch lift, he said anything else doesn't compare. It definitely made the truck more drive able. I'm doing crossover steering on my truck also with a 4 inch lift and I expect to work great!

[ryanroo]

at that lift height i recommend you go crossover, but it may very well not feel as great as it could. when leaf springs get that much arch in them, they become a less effective control for the lateral movement of the axle. so when you apply steering input it will also push or pull the axle out of centerline of the chassis. you feel it as a sort of bump steer. the taller the spring, the worse the effect. that is why at those lift heights sometimes the push pull with a stack of corrections feels better. i think push pull is the better system if you can keep from stacking to many corrections. as it gets taller, the geometry that made it so effective with lower ride height goes away.

so my caveat for the recommendation of crossover is that you also go with a track bar. properly engineered to work with the crossover steering it will eliminate the wander from the spring flex and allow for true bump steer free crossover. it will also likely help the truck feel better on the road.

[andrewmp6]

I'm with ryanroo and to get a track bar sky-manufacturing.com has one.

[beardface]

As I was reading this I was thinking tall leaves with a track bar and crossover steering would prolly work pretty well. Then I get down here and Ryanroo had already said it.
Great minds think alike I guess

[Blue85]

any of you guys that went with with crossover steering, were you able to keep your sway bar?