Drum Brake Dana 30 swap. What steering linkage components to use with Ross box?

Searched to the best of my ability and read through probably two dozen different 30 swap threads without finding for sure.

I have a '79 disc brake housing with '74 knuckles, drum brakes and axle shafts. It's setup with Yukon 5.38 gears and a Detroit TruTrac. Swapping into my M38A1 to get rid of the original "Y" tie rod setup and use a single one. Looking forward to the additional traction, steering angle, and bump steer reduction!

My main question, is what combination should I use for the drag link? I'd measure my jeep and all of it's associated hardware but it's not at the house. I have all of the original steering components plus a complete set from another '79. Is it possible to just remove the driver's side tire rod and then re-use the passenger side one? That sounds too easy to be true...

Also, is it mandatory to swap the shocks from front to rear? Could you not just run them upside down for additional clearance? What other caveats are there? I have a Black Diamond 3" lift running 33 10.5 15 BFG MT's on 15x8 steel rims with 3 3/4" backspacing.

 

i am going to need this as well. i will call herm tomorrow and see what it is i'm going to need.
are you still running the ross steering with the bellcrank? or did you do a saginaw steering upgrade? we would need that info to help you out.

 

I should have typed it again, but in title I said using Ross box. If I do a Saginaw swap it will be using Herm's reverse Ford box. I have a winch mount that bolts between my frame rails rather than over the top, and all of the mods I've done can be un-done if I ever want a full blown restoration on the A1 (Doubt it!) but some future owner may decide that's the way to go!

 

That D-30 is 3 inches wider than what you have and shocks front or rear is no issue............if you still have the stock steering nothing off the 79 will work except for the tie rod although the bellcrank may give you issues. As Oddfire mentioned need to know if you have converted to a Saginaw box? Also you said you had a disc brake housing with drum brakes? Not sure there is any difference in the housing.........I believe the difference is in the spindle.

 

sorry didn't see that in the title. i too am contemplating using herms setup on power steering. my guess would be you could use the stock tie bar (drag link) from the dana 30 that connects the two knuckles together and have a custom one made for the bellcrank to knuckle. my stock unit from a 78 is too long and the stock setup from my 27 is too short. untill i get all the pieces for the power steering swap that is what i'm going to do is make some custom pieces.

 

i was also wondering why you went from disc back to drum?

 

Keep in mind that reverse Ford steering gear that Herm uses gets mounted in the engine compartment.............nice setup ............but that area can get real congested real quick with the Radiator ,exhaust, motor and power steering pump all looking for the same space. Not to say it can't be done!

 

I know about the reverse mount box, but putting it inside engine compartment keeps stock look of the frame rails. Important to me and maybe no-one else! As noted above, I don't want to modify the frame rails if I ever want to go back to all original. Most likely I will stay with manual steering even if I go to Herm's kit.

I have 3 or 4 disc brake assemblies I have picked up over the years and got a stripped one along with a complete one at one time. I bought the drum brake parts from someone who had converted their original housing to discs. I guess I could have omitted that as it didn't matter to the question. I decided that I wanted to stay drum in the end keeping the OEM mastercylinder setup for the time being. But I did wind up with a complete Drum Brake Dana 30 for $100.

My jeep is off-road only at this point, and even the 9" drums do an OK job. Keeping the drums should make the Dana 30 swap a little less complicated at this time as well as making for much stronger brakes.

 

I swapped a dana 30 and retained the ross box, I just switched the main tie rod to the one piece that was made for the dana 30. I then took the longer of the two tie rod sleeves for the dana 27 and attached to the right knuckle then attached to bell crank. The tie rod that has the extra hole in it is now attached to my bell crank. I roughed in alignment and drives fine. This is temporary for me, until I get a drag link made but I do have all new tie rods and such.

Ideally you should actually measure the length and get a different drag link. This way you will be able to get a better turning radius.

 

Thanks Piffey. I'll bring the jeep back from the farm to do the swap. I was pretty sure that it looked like that would work when I was originally planning this swap (probably 4 years ago now! Time flies...) I just wanted to get a general idea on whether I would have to buy a bunch of different parts or if maybe just one or two combined with what I had would work.

Why would the longer drag link improve the turning radius? If the Ross box is centered and the drag link reaches the steering arm isn't the box still the limiting factor? Or the knuckle stops?

 

you know, you might have a point about the box being limiting factor. I haven't looked at my jeep sense august, so I don't remember what it was exactly. I do remember it bothers me having that one tie rod with the hole in it on the bell crank. Why I do not know.

yeah as long as you got the Y set up for tie rods on dana 27 you will be fine. Swap the parts around till you get the longest (drag link) and then alignment.

 

Cool. That was my plan. I hate to get 7/8 the way through a project and not have enough pieces! Put a bolt through the hole with a nut on it and tell people it's a reinforced drag link that was a rare option...