Super Duty Knuckles

xjmarc · Mar 9, 2020

What is the difference in the 04 and 05 knuckles? I'm seeing tons of weld on steering kits for 05+ but mines an 04.

Boz · Mar 9, 2020

The 05 up are bigger, They seem to be the new hot axle to have. The parts do not interchange.

RustyC · Mar 9, 2020

I hate to be that guy but I can because I have a 99-04 D60 as well. They just don't compare to an 05 up axle. The unit bearing are the worse part. they require machine work to fit a 35 spline outer shaft. The buggy in the pic uses 99-04 outers on a 9" center. 38 sx's full of water. They are holding up but I foresee me building a new housing and using 05 outers. The cost of donor axles in great and bolt on parts without machine work is worth the work.
As far a steering. I made my own high steer arms and tied them into the factory arm. Bolted and welded. It's working well. I've got pics buried in a build thread somewhere I will try to dig them up.

RustyC · Mar 9, 2020

Here you go.

TBItoy · Mar 10, 2020

JHF has weld ons for both. I can't see that it's too much to make your own with $10 worth of metal

cantrellzach · Mar 10, 2020

I used the JHF weld on kit on my 99-04 D60.

Weld On High Steer Kit 99-04 Full Hydro

www.jessehainesfab.com

MonnlightRacing77 · Mar 10, 2020

JHF

xjmarc · Mar 11, 2020

Has anyone heard of this one, looks like the JHF with more gusseting. https://www.offroadanonymous.com/product/weld-on-high-steer-arm-kit/

throttlejunkie · Mar 14, 2020

RustyC said:
Here you go. View attachment 117141

What did you use for shafts and joints on this

RustyC · Mar 14, 2020

throttlejunkie said:
What did you use for shafts and joints on this

2 long side 99-04 shafts cut and splined by Hudlow Axle in Chattanooga.

Markrobinson · Mar 15, 2020

xjmarc said:
Has anyone heard of this one, looks like the JHF with more gusseting. https://www.offroadanonymous.com/product/weld-on-high-steer-arm-kit/

I saw somewhere on Facebook recently where a guy had some similar to those ORA ones and his long gusset weld kept cracking.

Apparently the JHF style doesn't have a tendency to crack because there's isn't a long weld heating a thick and thin area of the knuckle and cooling at different rates.

I built some similar but not nearly as substantial as the ORA style and mine are hair line cracked. With mine, I bored the knuckle hole out to 1" and ran a 1" piece of DOM through it and gusseted that In single sheer. It's held up, but I need to grind the weld out and see if it cracks again.