Outer Limits 4x4 Board

ok sounds good will be organised asap!


PM me whoever wants one.

Just seeing who my new customers may be..and seeing how much stuff etc will be needed.

There is also this link here, http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/phpBB2/vi ... p?t=114031[/url]

But it is a flat plate, simple yeah, but im worried that it may not turn full lock to lock properly as it will sit on an angle?

What are other people using for the droparm?

Looks as if the sierra one does't fit

The flat plate would be easier/cheaper to make but then you need to fabricate a steering shaft anyway so it defeats the point of having a bolt on kit. In my searching on here i've seen some people use the standard pitman arm, if the box was positioned slightly lower than normal it should help with clearance for the standard arm?

make sure you mount the box low enough that the vitara pitman arm will clear the chassis rail as it has no drop. The sierra pitman arm wont work with the vitara p/s box as the splines dont match up. I found this out the hard way and had to import a vitar to sierra pitman arm from lowrangeoffroad.com

Ok well we need to go further into this.

This plate seems simple. With no taper...

The standard vitara chassis is kinked opposite to the directing of the box angle! So it sits standard on a big angle standard! This is at my local wreckers today.


So the turning lock to lock will be changed if the taper block is in.

Which is weird because so many people have done the taper block this way.

I wont be making them b4 this is resolved..
I will be making either plates still. The flat plates will be cheaper.
Because not much labour etc.

Holes will be made to suit for diff forward.
Holes will be made so box is low as possible without looking bodge so pitman arm can move. and/or on a angle so arm can clear chassis better.

Anyone who wants this will have to keep looking at this post!

i have a flat plate here already out of 20mm steel i think...

it pushes the box into the rad support and also angle way out.

didnt think to check clearance of the pitman arm.

check this link out also. shows the taped wedge here.

I was doing a EOI but lost track of time

http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/phpBB2/ft ... ight=wedge

Hmmm maybe the Cressida box is the way to go, as per Joe's previous post, with one of BenT's adaptors.

http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/PHP_Modul ... -asc-0.php

Key point being that the Celica/Cressida box mounts with the steering shaft parallel to the chassis, so no uni joint or wedge (and associated lock-lock issues) is required.

Maybe put my order on hold BlueSuzy Some more research is required...

If you have a later steering shaft (collapsable) it is as easy as taking the shaft off. Turn it around. Collapse the shaft abit. Bolt back on.

From what i can see

I don’t get it. If your mounting box on angle to chassis, so steering shaft becomes parallel to chassis, pitman arm would be kicked off centre, but it would be still “centred” in the box, (ie have equal amount of swing left & right).

Pull pitman arm off splined shaft & refit so its pointing straight back again, without rotating splined output shaft... The box still has the same amount of swing left & right, & drag link would bolt up as normal?

BlueSuzy wrote:If you have a later steering shaft (collapsable) it is as easy as taking the shaft off. Turn it around. Collapse the shaft abit. Bolt back on.

From what i can see

No. This puts the rag joint at the firewall. This joint is angled. Hence why there is a uni joint there. you will constantly tear rag joints without it.
Where as the normal rag joint at the box is "straight through".

To successfully fit angled vit box you would need 2 uni-joints. This is the problem, & part reason for the wedge.
(2 uni joints = modified steering shaft = engineer shaking his head)

Also radiator clearance issues tend to steer me towards a wedge over a 'sticking-out box'...

"shaking his head"
Yeah ok. I gotcha.

Has anyone used the double uni's shaft out of the vitara? are they same spline? Didnt think of it till now..

I now have the vitara stuff box,pump,bottle. So im going to have to make do..

So its going to have to be with the taper plate.

Ive sorted out how im going to move the radiator over at least 25mm if needed for space.

If i lower the box alittle or tilt the box down alittle. It will also play with the rag joint.

Also what have people done with the steering dampner?
Relocated elsewhere?

Man this is going to be a full on thread..What have i started.But bible material after Do's and don'ts of vit powersteering. And will be confirmed that Bluesuzy can be a nOoB.

I got another uni joint from low range off road seems good, but i brought it to stop breaking rag jionts

I'm running a flat plate adapter for mine Blue. I never thought of actually using the whole vit steering shaft but I did use a vit uni to make a double uni shaft out of my sierra one. So provided you can collapse/extend the vit shaft to the right length it should slot in.

BlueSuzy wrote:
Also what have people done with the steering dampner?
Relocated elsewhere?

I fitted a proper Sierra(Samurai) box which doesn't have holes in the pitman arm for the damper to bolt to.
A powersteer box dampens the steering better than a bolt on damper ever could.

Jas.

How did you use the vit uni? welded?

For more reasearch, and maybe to make it better i may have a look at a vit to check the splines and length of shaft etc.


Oh ok awesome about the dampner. Weight reduction
Just that bigger cars still have them in thats all.

the splines on the shaft are different between the sierra and vitara. Also the vitara shaft is much shorter

ZUKPOWER wrote:the splines on the shaft are different between the sierra and vitara. Also the vitara shaft is much shorter

Are you sure? The spline on the box that the shaft connects to has the same spline otherwise people wouldn't be able to fit the vit PS box with the sierra shaft. I'm just about certain that I pulled my second uni from a vitara.

BlueSuzy wrote:How did you use the vit uni? welded?

I cut the splined shaft off my sierra box. I then machined a slot in it to use as an adapter between the short part of the rag joint and the steering shaft. So I have a uni at the rag joint end and the standard uni at the other. This is all from memory. Its been a long while since I did it. I could probably get a photo on the weekend if you wanted.

Hybrid wrote:

ZUKPOWER wrote:the splines on the shaft are different between the sierra and vitara. Also the vitara shaft is much shorter

Are you sure? The spline on the box that the shaft connects to has the same spline otherwise people wouldn't be able to fit the vit PS box with the sierra shaft. I'm just about certain that I pulled my second uni from a vitara.

BlueSuzy wrote:How did you use the vit uni? welded?

I cut the splined shaft off my sierra box. I then machined a slot in it to use as an adapter between the short part of the rag joint and the steering shaft. So I have a uni at the rag joint end and the standard uni at the other. This is all from memory. Its been a long while since I did it. I could probably get a photo on the weekend if you wanted.

ah so like an adapter shaft.
how much did the box encroach/foul on the radiator support when on an angle like that?
I was looking into buying a second hand sierra shaft & uni to do this, but realised i'd have to make a flat adapter plate anyway, thought i may as well make it a wedge & get it nice & straight & not worry about adapting shafts etc...

Hey Dee,

Yeah its pretty much a little splined adapter shaft. It only took 5 mins on the bench grinder to make up. The PS box is a damn tight fit though with the radiator. I've actually cut the lower half of my radiator bracket off and welded a spar to the upper half which bolts to the head light bucket. I did run it for a year with a spacer on the bracket before this which worked a treat. I ended up having problems with fan alignment when I put the G16 in though which lead to modifying the bracket as above. I think even with the wedge style mount it will still interfere with the rad bracket. I think it will still need a spacer at least. I'll try to get some pics on the weekend if it helps you guys.

what about pitman arms?

brendan_h wrote:what about pitman arms?

? what about em.

Space box down 10 mm or so to run standad vit arm (should come with box?) so it clears chassis.
Or buy a dropped pitman arm with spline to fit vit box (vit to sierra/kick to samurai)

Vitara power steering box , mounted on wedge bracket with captive 12 mm high tensile bolts as studs fully welded to chassis. Standard sierra rag joint and shaft , un - modified. Standard vitara pitman arm , Cheers paul.

Dee wrote:

brendan_h wrote:what about pitman arms?

? what about em.

Space box down 10 mm or so to run standad vit arm (should come with box?) so it clears chassis.
Or buy a dropped pitman arm with spline to fit vit box (vit to sierra/kick to samurai)

yeah I went the second option.

I am now thinking of just using crush tubes through chassis, then find a twin uni shaft same/similar lenght, same splines etc

Vitara or other..

Don't do it, Sierra drivers all over Australia need you!

For the steering shaft I got another spline cut on the shaft so there are two universal joints on the shaft.
The drives side radiator mount had to be extended by about 30mm to clear the power steering box and on the drivers side I chopped the chassis radiator mount of and shortened it by 300 mm then re-welded it back on to the chassis

For the steering damper I made a bracket very similar to the original sj bracket that mounts to the standard vitara pitman arm. sorry about the blurry photos


modified radiator mount

Steering dampner bracket

Hopes this helps

jazuki wrote: on the passenger side I chopped the chassis radiator mount of and shortened it by 30 mm then re-welded it back on to the chassis

An easy way of doing this bit is to just redrill the mounting holes 30mm in on the radiator mount plate rather than cutting down and rewelding the chassis mount. Though a reweld on the chassis mount might look a bit neater depending on your fab skills.

Just found out i have to mod the pump bracket abit for my baleno motor

Also cutouts of passenger side radiator mount, i have an extra pulley on the motor not being used. So may as well use it. The other belt is running fan and alternator.

My radiator will be spaced over 25mm hopefully that will be enough..not too woried about alignment atm. Yet to trial box. As im driving suzy everyday..but that will come on a full w'end

are you still going to look at the wedge? or looking at a flat plate style.

Nic