Cross Steer! Unisteer’s revolutionary change for steering on early solid axle Fords! Winner of the SEMA 2003 best new product award. Cross steer redefined the way that early Fords steer. After having sold thousands of these, most people report positive steering feel with no sloppiness and a significant reduction in steering effort, even at low speed! You have nothing to do except swap out that Vega box and everything to gain!
The Cross Steer is essentially a small half rack and pinion that bolts into place exactly where the Vega style steering box would bolt on. The system still uses a draglink between both wheels. The Cross Steer was specifically designed for solid axle cars and trucks of this era with a mono leaf spring suspension. Since the Cross Steer pivots only off the one side, it matches up perfectly with the stock suspension of the solid axle Fords. Sorry, it will not work on Chevys which had dual leaf springs.
Note: You must have split wishbones (at least 12 inches) or hairpins for the Cross Steer to properly work.
The gear comes mounted to an angled bracket that has the same three hole pattern for mounting the Vega box. This small rack & pinion is made of all automotive grade components and can handle a vehicle up to 3500 lbs!
If you are building a new vehicle, the regular Cross Steer is the best option and you can run your steering linkage down to the gear. We can even send you a Cross Steer with a plain steel bracket that you could weld to your frame and paint to match. If you still have a Vega Box, check out our retrofit that has a shaft kit. This shaft kit consists of a coupler and a shaft with a splined end which is the same size as the Vega spline so you can reuse your existing steering linkage. The switch over can be done in only an hour or two!
Tech Info:
Pinion Type/Size: 9/16"-26 Spline
Amount of Travel: 6"
Turns Lock to Lock: 3.75 Turns
Inner End Threads: Tube & Adapter 11/16"-18
Kit Includes:
Rack and Pinion
Mounting Bracket
Mounting Hardware