Patent ID: 6276476
Filing Date: 2001-08-21
Classification: B62D

Abstract:
A method for converting a left side steered vehicle to a right side steered vehicle, the vehicle having a chassis with a right side frame rail and a left side frame rail, the vehicle having an axle beam engaged to the frame rails, the axle beam joining a right side wheel with a left side wheel, the vehicle having a steering system comprised of an original installed steering gear engaged to the left side frame rail, the steering gear having a rotatable pitman arm operated through a pitman arm operating shaft, the pitman arm directed outboard of both the original steering gear and the left side frame rail with the pitman arm operating shaft directed outboard relative to the left side frame rail, the pitman arm pivotably engaged to a drag link that is engaged to a steering arm, the steering arm pivotably engaged to a spindle of the left side wheel for steering the left side wheel, the original steering gear operable by a driver steering wheel through an intermediate steering shaft, comprising the steps of:disengaging and removing steering wheel and intermediate shaft from the original steering gear;disengaging the drag link and the steering arm from the pitman arm and the spindle of the left side wheel;removing the original steering gear and pitman arm from the left side frame rail;removing a pitman arm from a left side steer designed steering gear;engaging an adapter bracket to the left side steer designed steering gear;engaging the pitman arm to a pitman arm operating shaft on the left side designed steering gear, the adapter bracket allowing full movement of the pitman arm through a pitman arm operating slot;engaging the adapter bracket to the right side frame rail such that the pitman arm is between the left side designed steering gear and the right side frame rail with the pitman arm operating shaft directed inboard toward the right side frame rail;engaging a drag link and steering arm to the pitman arm;engaging the steering arm to a spindle for the right side wheel; andengaging the steering wheel and intermediate shaft to the left side steer designed steering gear.