Options re swapping a 90 Steering Drop arm for Disco One

[Hybrid_From_Hell]

Hi All

I have currently the rather PITFA type steering arm ball joint that is a nightmare to change / and keep greaded.

I have now ta Steve Obtained a Disco one, which takes a Standard Ball joint, and thus its both easy to change when worn

and easy to grease. I know the arm is a straight fit to the 4 bolt steering box, and the Control arm with the swan neck will need to

be chnaged to accomodate the changes, but wondering how other have done this swap around, esp with regards to the steering damper ?

To add to the fun I run a Sump bar (rod over existing rod) for strength, before I set to it, I thought asking those how

have done this already may give me a better solution ?

Thoughts / Pics / Comments ?

Nige

[jbs]

Hi Nige I have this conversion and it's really good, I use a QT sumo type bar which allows you to screw two track rod ends into it along with using locking nuts to secure the T.R.E. and a bracket that holds the steering damper onto the front bar which is about £15 from QT, You can fab one yourself which is really easy for a man of your fabrication skills-I've had this on my 90 now for a few years and it saves me as you've described a PITFA

John

[mickeyw]

I have argued with many people on this subject, and I really am not convinced that it's worth doing. I like the swan-neck device that holds the steering damper.

I have changed the built in drop arm joint a few times in the 16 years I've owned my truck, normally because it's got full of muddy water and gone rusty, same as any other TRE can. I don't think it's as bad a job as people make it out to be, yes the drop arm doesn't always come of straight away, but I have a home made puller that does that job well.

Compared with the fight I've had in the past to unscrew a TRE from the track rod, the drop arm joint isn't any worse a job IMO.

I can see swapping the joint in-situ is bluddy awkward, so take it off and hold it in a vice every time. Clean off all the crud, wire brushing well, squirt WD40 around the circlip and leave for a few minutes. Remove circlip and all other loose parts, clean out the inside and knock out the pressed in seating with a punch.

Clean again and reassemble, using a smear of grease around the seating to help it go in smoothly. I use a suitably sized socket and vice to ensure it goes in square. Then to fit the circlip I squeeze the whole together in the vice. I use a piece of tube to cover the threaded pin that is just longer that the pin and big enough diameter to press on the arm itself and not the lip that the gaiter hooks over. Another small socket to press on the end cover and slip the circlip into place. This may sound awkward, but with practice can be done with just one pair of hands . To make the job easy next time, a quick coat of paint over the circlip and end plate does wonders.

With the Disco/RRC drop arm conversion I have seen various methods of fixing the damper to the drag link. Some as simple (and flimsy) as an exhaust clamp holding a bracket on, other more robust welded on affairs. I'm sure this could be done with 1/4" plate if you go down this route

[Bowie69]

Nige, 

When I moved the damper on my RRC, I used a piece of 50mm box, with a 30mm (I think?) hole drilled through it -this was the diameter of the drag link, I then welded an L shaped piece of metal with a hole in it for the damper on the top, this closed one end of the box. 

The other end of the box was closed with a square of 3mm steel and then using a 3.2mm grinding disc I sliced it open in the same direction as the track rod would go. I then drilled two holes for some bolts to go through to clamp it in place on the drag link.

A pic says a thousand words:

Fitting it was a case of removing one end of the drag link, sliding it down the bar, and finding the best place to clamp it and doing up the bolts. This, for me, was quite important as I didn't really want to be welding on any of my steering components due to heat potentially affecting the strength of them.

2 years in place now and nothing has moved

And yes, that is a piece of 6mm on the top, so it is even HfH friendly

[Daan]

The only problem I have with the swan neck is that if you shear the balljoint in the field, you are in a world of pain trying to fix it. I normally carry a rebuild kit for this reason, but touch wood havent had to use it yet. I havent done the change yet (but have the disco arm sitting ready to do it). My damper sits on top of the trackrod, to a hole in the radiusarm. This setup works very well and has the advantage that the damper works on both weels directly.

Daan

[bishbosh]

Sumo bar + QT bracket. Job done.