Got a question for everyone running 39's or bigger (or have in the past). How does your steering feel? I know there is a lot to do with it - tire dimen./str. box/etc., etc. but I am planning on 18/39-15 or 18/39-16.5 MT Baja's (on Excursion) and would like to know how y'all set your front end up? I want something strong yet very streetable. Any advice would really help.

 

well your excursion (dana50 or 60?) should be plenty stout enough to run 39" Lickey *****on Bajas since it will not leave the pavement... but your steering will not be so grand anymore. no tire manufacturer that i am aware of will guarantee a tire to be "round" over 33 or maybe even 35" in height. which means balancing headaches, and lots of road noise and vibration... maybe a single stabilizer up front, but don't get all gay like some of these guys i see running like, 4+ stabilizers... either way you will probably see why 39's are best left to trail rigs... i'd get 35s for it and leave it alone man.

 

Since Adam didn't address your question let me give it a shot.... M/T Baja Belteds are outstanding sand tires (i.e. Off-Road). I've owned several sets of 39s and never had a problem with them. They balance out very well with little weight and are not nearly as loud as most any tire of their size.

Many SD/Excursions have steering effort issues when changing to larger tires, even with 35s. To be able to clear the 39s you are going to need to run at least 10" of lift which to do properly requires the use of CrossOver steering. This relocates the drag link over the spring and attaches directly to the right side steering knuckle instead of the tie rod. This greatly improves steering response. This way the drag link is pushing horizontally instead of at a steep angle.

Beyond that, the hot set up is Hydraulic Assist. This requires the addition of a small hydraulic ram mounted to the housing and a modified steering box. (no "gay" stabilizers) With this set up instead of using the hydraulic pressure from you power steering pump to help turn a worm gear, the pressure is transferred directly to the tie rod. What you end up with in one finger steering effort lock to lock. Both of these systems are sold by Off Road Unlimited and coincidentally there is an article in this months Off-Road Magazine on both products.

Check my sig for the ideal set up for your X. Hope this helps.
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Overkill, 2000 X 4x4 Limited,V10, Black Monochrome, The Edge 12.5" Lift, The Edge Adjustable Track Bar, The Edge Monster Truck Traction Bars, The Edge Dual Shock Hoops, Bilstein 7100 Shocks (Custom Valved), ORU 7100 Dress-up Kits, ORU CrossOver Steering & Hydraulic Assist, High Angle Drivelines, 18/39-16.5 M/T Baja Belteds, 16.5x14 Weld Mountain Crushers, Crystal Head Lights & Corners, Trenz Billet Grill, ORI PreRunner Bar, Hella 3000s, Billet Gas Cap, Kodiak Power Steps (4), Con-Fer Dif Covers, Go Rhino Trusses, 5.13 Gears, Superchip, Borla Exhaust, Volant Filter, BBK TB Spacer, Custom Dark Graphite Carpet & Headliner, Custom Black Leather Seats, Custom Molded Carbon Fiber Interior Trim, Trenz Billet Door Sills, Weathertech Mats & Liner, Eclipse 7301 Multi-Media, McIntosh MC4000M, Focal Utopia 165W3 (2), Illusion Audio nd12 (4), Stinger Caps & Wires, Q-Logic Kicks, Custom False Spare Tire/Sub Enclosure

 

Thanks for the info. This I already know of and plan on using (hydralic strng./cross-over strng.). I was primarily wondering about any other things I could possibly do. I know a bunch of rockcrawlers sometimes throw on those big ol' f450 knuckles - does that help any with steering control or is it just meant for crawl'n (figure just for crawl'n)? I plan on also using an AGR pump. Haven't checked if they offer a steering box for Excur. yet, probably need to look into that. I agree on those MT's. Had a set of 35's on last truck. They rode well and lasted long too. Put like 40k miles on 'em before I sold the truck. Thanks again for the input.

 

hey overkill post some pics just from your signature your truck looks bada

 

yes post pics - how does your rig ride strng/billsteins/lift?

 

I'm running 39x18 M/T's on my 1986 F-350 CC LB and the tires handle great on and off-road. They're quieter than Swampers and balance good. Steering could be better, might look into hydraulic ram as mentioned.

1986 F-350 Crewcab Longbed
w/ 1992 7.3L turbo diesel
6" Skyjacker lift
Dana 60F/70R
Detroit lockers 4.88 gearing

 

well apparently i didn't get to all your questions... hydro assist would be an excellent set up as well as cross over steering. if you are going to wheel it, might look into high steer as well. i just thought you were asking if it would ride any different. and yes OVERKILL.... multiple stabilizers are gay.

 

If you've got the money I would check with M/T to see if they are making tires for a 17" rim. I know BFG is and there 37's are supposed to balance out just as good as a 35" on 15" rim, less sidewall to deal with.

I think the idea with the rock crawlers and the 450 knuckles is the ability not to shear off as easy as others.


Brian

 

I'm running 39" Baja Claws. With the drag link and track bar at the stock angles and locations, steering was not too good. Turning radius was poor, there was a dead spot in the center, and overall the steering felt very slow. The crossover steering basically makes the steering feel like driving a stock truck. It handles well on the street and off-road, and the turning radius is back to normal. The dead spot is gone too. In my opinion it's the best way to go if you are planning on driving on the street.

The AGR is a hydraulic assist unit, and it looks pretty good. It's not a full hydraulic setup, but you wouldn't want a pure hydraulic one anyway. Full hydraulic would give no steering wheel feedback, and if the pump broke, you would have no steering. At 70mph on the freeway, that's bad.

For a steering damper I'm using a Bilstein 7100 that's custom valved 50/50. Steering stabilizers are not "gay," they serve a purpose. Most people don't have a clue about how they work, so they install them because they look cool. They need to be valved correctly for your driving style, and they make a huge difference when using mechanical steering linkage. And yes, you only need one.

Your steering knuckles are plenty strong.
There are no performance steering boxes available for the F-series trucks, so all you can get anyway is one that's rebuilt exceptionally well. The sector shafts may be the weak link, and may crack or break under severe use. In fact the NHTSA was recently investigating reports of sector shaft defects on Superduty trucks. A hydraulic assist like the AGR setup would reduce stress on the steering box, a good thing. I'm looking into hydraulic assist, and may decide to go that way soon.

 

SSB, Since you won't be rock crawling with those wide 39s there is no real need to go to bigger axles or knuckles unless you plan on really launching the truck off dunes etc... The key is wheel travel. Soft spring such as those by The Edge allow for considerable wheel travel which keep you from breaking parts and provide a great ride on the street. I utilized 8" lift Edge springs with their 4.5" hangers to minimize spring arch and achieve the best possible ride quality. Kreg Donahoe (owner of Edge) really knows his stuff. He did a great deal of on & off-road testing with Bilstein to develop his suspension systems and special built 5100 shocks. He also used that knowledge to custom valve my 7100s.

Before you go with the AGR system, talk to ORU. They use a Lee system that has been race proven and if your truck is a PS there are additional issues with that as well.

Adam, FYI... CrossOver steering is High Steer (a crawler term)

Anyway guys, detailed pictures will be up soon.
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Overkill, 2000 X 4x4 Limited,V10, Black Monochrome, The Edge 12.5" Lift, The Edge Adjustable Track Bar, The Edge Monster Truck Traction Bars, The Edge Dual Shock Hoops, Bilstein 7100 Shocks (Custom Valved), ORU 7100 Dress-up Kits, ORU CrossOver Steering & Hydraulic Assist, High Angle Drivelines, 18/39-16.5 M/T Baja Belteds, 16.5x14 Weld Mountain Crushers, Crystal Head Lights & Corners, Trenz Billet Grill, ORI PreRunner Bar, Hella 3000s, Billet Gas Cap, Kodiak Power Steps (4), Con-Fer Dif Covers, Go Rhino Trusses, 5.13 Gears, Superchip, Borla Exhaust, Volant Filter, BBK TB Spacer, Custom Dark Graphite Carpet & Headliner, Custom Black Leather Seats, Custom Molded Carbon Fiber Interior Trim, Trenz Billet Door Sills, Weathertech Mats & Liner, Eclipse 7301 Multi-Media, McIntosh MC4000M, Focal Utopia 165W3 (2), Illusion Audio nd12 (4), Stinger Caps & Wires, Q-Logic Kicks, Custom False Spare Tire/Sub Enclosure

 

Is there a website that showcases Edge products? Did a search and couldn't find anything. Thanks for the info.

 

www.donahoeracing.com

 

Edited by administration for content



Texas A&M Off-Road
`95 F150 4x4 5.0
33" BFG KMs

 

bigredford04, when you go out and launch trucks 30ft in the air for a living, the you can talk to me about 4wheeling. Please don't add credence to the overwhelming number of A&M jokes. I have many friends who graduated from there and you are doing them a disservice.