Buy Now: https://www.eastwestoffroad.com/product/dana-44-high-steer-crossover-knuckles-and-arms-kit
If you are fabricating a serious rock crawler or converting your rig to a Spring Over Axle (SOA) setup, a complete Dana 44 High Steer Kit is the most critical investment you can make for your front-end geometry. Relying on stock steering components when running massive tires on tough trails is a recipe for broken parts and dangerous handling. To ensure your steering input translates into precise tire movement without binding or violent feedback, you need heavy-duty, precision-machined crossover components.
Let’s break down exactly why off-road fabricators and hardcore Jeep and Chevy builders refuse to run stock steering setups, and why this complete American-made package outshines the competition.
The Geometry Challenge on Lifted and SOA Rigs
When you significantly lift a 4x4—especially during a Spring Over Axle (SOA) conversion on a YJ or classic Chevy—the factory drag link angle becomes dangerously steep. This steep angle causes the steering linkage to fight the suspension's natural up-and-down movement.
Defeating Bump Steer on the Trail
This geometry conflict creates bump steer, where the vehicle violently darts left or right every time the axle articulates over a rock or dips into a rut. By installing a high steer and crossover setup, you physically relocate the steering linkage above the leaf springs. This puts the drag link parallel to the axle, eliminating bump steer entirely. It restores your steering leverage, allowing you to turn aired-down 37-inch tires with ease, even when bound up in the rocks.
Built for Abuse: Inside the East West Off Road System
The hardcore 4x4 market demands parts that won't fail miles away from the trailhead. While some builders try to piece together steering arms and hardware from various vendors, the complete high steer package from East West Off Road provides everything you need in one perfectly matched, heavy-duty kit.
Heavy-Duty Flat Top Knuckles
Machining an old cast knuckle is a gamble. This kit includes a brand-new, robust set of driver and passenger side flat top knuckles manufactured right here in the USA. Built as a formidable Reid Racing alternative, these knuckles are cast with extra material in critical stress zones. They feature a bottom-down taper design to maximize clearance, ensuring your heavy-duty steering joints won't contact the differential cover or leaf springs under full flex.
1.25-Inch Billet Steering Arms
Forged and cast arms can fracture under the sudden shock loads of rock bouncing. To guarantee survival on the trail, this system utilizes massive 1.25-inch thick billet steering arms. Machined from solid domestic billet blocks, these arms provide unmatched density and strength, which is why they are backed by a lifetime warranty. They feature a 4-hole design for superior clamping force and are precision-machined to accept standard heavy-duty 7/8-inch Chevy 3/4-ton tie rod ends.
High-Tensile Hardware Kit
A steering arm is only as secure as the hardware clamping it to the knuckle. This package includes a full set of eight high-tensile 9/16-18 studs. When combined with the provided conical washers and lock nuts, this stud system creates a rock-solid, immovable connection. The conical washers are the secret to this strength—they center the arm and absorb the extreme shearing forces generated when your front locker is engaged on high-traction slickrock.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Is this kit compatible with Spring Over Axle (SOA) conversions? A: Yes, relocating the steering linkage to the top of the knuckle via a high steer kit is highly recommended, and often required, to clear the leaf springs on SOA builds.
Q: Does the kit include knuckles for both sides of the axle? A: Yes, you receive a perfectly matched pair of driver and passenger side flat top knuckles manufactured by EWO.
Q: Why choose billet arms over forged steering arms? A: Billet arms are CNC machined from a solid block of domestic metal, offering superior grain structure and resistance to fracturing compared to forged or cast alternatives. This is why they include a lifetime warranty.
Q: What tie rod taper is machined into the billet arms? A: The billet arms are precision-tapered to accept industry-standard, heavy-duty 7/8-inch Chevy 3/4-Ton tie rod ends.
Q: Does the kit come with the required cone washers? A: Absolutely. The kit includes 8 high-tensile 9/16-18 studs, 8 conical washers, and 8 lock nuts for a fully secure installation.