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I just encountered a major set back in the Luv lifting process. I installed the front differential last night and tried to hook up the steering linkage. The idler arm and drag link won't clear the front diff. housing. Anybody have an idea for a idler arm and pitman arm that are either shorter or drop down lower than the stock 80 Luv 4X4? It seems a shame to give up on a project now after I've done so much work already.

RAT-N-LUV did a kick butt conversion on his LUV. He has pictures here someplace.

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Let me me know if you find them. I kind of jury rigged it for now, but would like to find a better solution.

Gordon

Hey man, I don't know if this'll help you at all but I figured I might give you a heads up...

When I was doing my power steering conversion, I got the parts off of the wrong year Trooper the first time I was at the junkyard. Basically, the steering gearbox, center link, mounting points, etc were the same as my LUV but the idler and pitman arms from the Trooper were stubbier. I think if you need the idler and pitman arms to be shorter for clearance, but everything else to be normal LUV-like, then you may be in luck. If you can get the idler arm and its mount, pitman arm and gearbox, and misc other parts off of an 86-89ish Trooper, you might be able to solve your problem. Hope that helps, let me know.

I'm having trouble figuring how this one looks. You cut the frame behind the front suspension and mounted the front section lower, thus lifting the truck. So, how did the diff move in relation to the steering linkage at all and create any problem?

Oh wait, I just looked through all your pictures. You cut ahead of the A-arm mounts as well so only the suspension/diff sits lower didn't you? Steering linkage all sits in about stock positions but the diff and suspension moved. You could drop the idler arm and steering gearbox on some plate steel sitting a couple inches lower to help clearance there. It also seems to me with that much angle on the steering linkage that a hard landing in the front will result in a serious "toe out" condition. The wheels will point out to either side of the truck and try real hard to each head in their seperate ways.

Thanks Beetle! I'm definately going to look into the Trooper thing. I know my Used parts guy has an 88 Trooper because he hooked me up with the flexible steering shaft from one.

800XL, I know that you mentioned something about the wheels being towed out on a hard landing and I agree, they will have a tendancy to be towed out when the suspension is compressed, but you are going to get some of that with just about any suspension. My biggest concern is the way I have it rigged right now, one side is at a different angle than the other and this will most likly result in a "bump steer" condition and cause the truck to wander upon landing. I don't think it will actually come apart though.