Because of the short draglink used in stock push/pull steering it is greatly affected by changes in driving surfaces. This creates an unstable feeling in the steering. With the longer draglink that is used in crossover/high steer you will have a more precise feel.
Full lock to lock steering off road
With stock push/pull steering you are unable to turn the wheel all the way when the suspension is flexed. Crossover/high steer corrects this problem
Less wear on spring bushings
With stock push/pull steering all the pressure is placed on the driver’s side spring making wear components fatigue faster. By switching to crossover/high steer the load gets spread between both springs increasing longevity of components.
Best way to correct steering after lift
Instead of using drop parts or blocks, crossover/high steer is a more precise and correct way to adjust your steering for lift height.
Great for keeping the tie rod away from rocks
High steer is designed for the rock crawler that is always bashing their tie rod on rocks. So if your rig is constantly bending tie rods on rocks, high steer is for you.
What is needed for crossover steering?
Steering gear box
The steering gear box needs to be moved to the 2wd position on the frame
At least 4 inches of lift
4 inches of lift is the lowest height we can do crossover/high steer.
Axle is in stock location
To use high steer your axle has to be in the stock location. If the axle is moved the tie rod will crash into the drag link
Why use our crossover steering kit?
No cutting, welding, or fab work required!
These crossover/high steer systems are designed specifically for the kingpin Dana 60 Dodge Trucks and SUVs. Our draglinks are already cut to the correct length and directly threaded (not welded). If needed the draglink is bent to help tie rod end angle and to clear the engine/crossmember. Our draglinks use heavy wall 1020 DOM tubing and the best possible construction techniques.
We use heavy duty metal on metal ends
Our tie rod ends are a metal-on-metal design with a preload spring on the bearing race (sort of like the upper kingpin on a Dana 60), that helps keep the joint tight even as the parts wear. Many joints are built with a plastic race that don't hold up well, see the picture below. Additionally, the plastic ends don't appear to have a heat treat, our band saw flew right through them. Notice the appearance of the metal-on-metal end (at right), it was very difficult to cut due to the heat treat.
We use the shortest tie rod ends possible (not OE draglink ends) because that can be crucial for engine crossmember clearance, often the offset bend needs to start as soon as possible. Our tie rod ends are a metal-on-metal design for the ultimate in durability, see details on that here.
Our tie rod ends are manufactured specifically for us. Factory GM draglink ends have good angle capacity, but have long shanks that can cause clearance issues. Factory GM tie rod ends are nice and short, but have very little angle capacity. Our ends are built with the best of both worlds, this is crucial in some applications as many times the bend in the draglink has to start as soon as possible to clear the engine crossmember, the extra shank on draglink ends makes that impossible.
Our ends utilize a durable Kevlar boot that will give you many years of dependable service.
Billet steering arms
The Offroad Design D60 steering arm end is cut on an angle to correct for the Kingpin axis inclination angle and keep the angle on the rod end minimized for best life of the joint and more vertical wheel travel without steering bind. We've attempted crossover steering systems using arms that aren't built with the angled end and the rod end was maxed out at ride height! No droop available at all. This is an essential feature for a properly built fully functional system. 5 tapered holes to work with stock or aftermarket knuckles.
ARP Studs
We use ARP Studs with our kits to give you the ultimate in durability and strength
Our D60 arms retain the stock spring. Great for the daily driver who doesn't want to be adjusting pre-load all the time. We also carry spring eliminator kits here: Kingpin spring eliminator kit
What about my sway bar?
The factory sway bar CAN NOT be used with crossover/high steer.
Information for 8"+ lifted trucks
We don't recommend High steer for trucks that are greater than 7" of lift. At this lift height, tall blocks are needed to keep angles low. This puts a lot of stress on the top of the knuckles that can lead to failure.
What is the difference between high steer and crossover steering?
Crossover steering and high steer accomplish the same goal as far as the draglink goes. The both run a drag link from the pitman arm on the drivers side to the knuckle on the passengers side to get better geometry. Where they differ is the orientation of the the tie rod (the link that connects the passenger and driver knuckles together). Crossover steering keeps the tie rod in the stock location. High steer moves the tie rod to the top of the knuckle. High steer is mainly used on rock crawler rigs to protect the tie rod from getting bent on rocks. With crossover steering you can move the axle forward and also have a lower lift height. With high steer you have to keep the axle in the stock location and have at least 4 inches of lift
