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advice please: Drop pitman arm or another solution? (pics)

O

OBXJ

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Raleigh, NC
well, after 6.5" of lift up front (4.5 RE and 1.75" spacers) I'm thinking i might need to invest in a drop pitman arm to eliminate some of the bumpsteer im getting. Im also pretty sure that my linkage angles are a little out of whack.

Anyone have a recommendation on where to find a decent quality arm that wont cost me Skyjacker prices?

OR

Is there another solution that would solve some of these problems? Any advice would be appreciated.

here's a pic of the steering linkage.

DSC00733.JPG



DSC00734.JPG
 
Gravesdiggerxj said:
with that much lift you'll want a bigger drop pitman arm that just 1in. but if you want a cheap alternative a zj pitman arm has a 1 inch drop
Click to expand...

i'd go with a ZJ arm too, and another steering setup. check out the currie setup .
 
shimmy said:
i'd go with a ZJ arm too, and another steering setup. check out the currie setup .
Click to expand...

I'm please with my Currie...but I'm a bit pissed at Currie at the moment. ;) I'm in need of a draglink end but they're out of stock right now. Said they've been backordered about 5 months now, no ETA on the parts. Have a few steering setups in stock, but typically BO'd on the individual parts.

Seriously looking at something else at the moment, strictly for the availability factor. :(
 
ECKSJAY said:
I'm please with my Currie...but I'm a bit pissed at Currie at the moment. ;) I'm in need of a draglink end but they're out of stock right now. Said they've been backordered about 5 months now, no ETA on the parts. Have a few steering setups in stock, but typically BO'd on the individual parts.

Seriously looking at something else at the moment, strictly for the availability factor. :(
Click to expand...

hmm thats kinda crappy then... i went with bulletproof steering, stayed UTK, and i had to still relocate my TB. BPS is a decent setup for a decent price.
 
Draw a imaginary line thru those mounting points,you sure as hell dont want to drop the pitman arm.
Your drag link and your trackbar should be as close to parallel as possible,from your pics moving the draglink down will only make thing worse.Most here dont really understand true "bumpsteer",but on a "soliid" axle with angles that steep you will always see steering wheel movement as the suspension cycles but that is not "true" bump steer.
 
Last edited:
OBXJ said:
I'm not sure what you mean. Can you elaborate a little?
Click to expand...

you want tb and dl to be parallel with each other. use MS paint or something and draw a line from each mounting point on both the tb and dl.
 
i'll check the TRE's out in the morning. Not sure if it will help at all but the rig only has 40K miles on it (still a baby) and the lift has only been on for about 1.5 months. I bought her bone stock the first week in August.
 
I would be doing a OTK or over the knuckle flip. This is where your tie rod ends sit on top of your knuckles rather than underneath them as stock. I have a whole write up about it on my site. www.go.jeep-xj.info
OTKsteering%20079.jpg
 
:wierd:

You guys and your silly right hand drive...


I agree, a drop pitman arm isn't the solution here. The OTK steering setup mentioned is probably your best bet....but at that lift height I'd certainly recommend upgrading the stock pieces anyway.
 
A drop Pitman arm is never a solution, it means you either have to drop the track bar bracket (putting a ton of stress on the frame), or raise the axle track bar bracket (which is OK, but your tie rod is still in the weeds.

The true solution is what GoJeep describes.
 
You could try the Terra knuckle....
990.jpg
 
Crash and RCP PHX have it right. My only addition is that the over the axle trackbar bracket does shorten the trackbar.

My view is that not only do they need to be parallel, but as close to the same length as reasonably possible. When my suspension cycles, I get some movement due to the trackbar shifting the axle faster than the tierod shifts the knuckle.
 
ChiXJeff said:
My view is that not only do they need to be parallel, but as close to the same length as reasonably possible. When my suspension cycles, I get some movement due to the trackbar shifting the axle faster than the tierod shifts the knuckle.
Click to expand...

This is correct. They should remain parallel through the whole range of travel, and in order to do this they need to be the same length as well.
 
vetteboy said:
This is correct. They should remain parallel through the whole range of travel, and in order to do this they need to be the same length as well.
Click to expand...
They are not even the same length when stock! Very hard to get and makes me wonder why the factory trackbar is even moved in from under the frame bracket to start with? I looked at completely making a new frame bracket to get the trackbar a little longer but have no noticeable bumpsteer anyway but a little movement when under hard braking and then jumping on the gas straight after. Doesn't happen that often anyway and dont even notice it now.
 
The difference in length becomes less important as the static angle decreses. In other words, a flat track bar and steering, have very little to no bumpsteer, even though the difference in length may be 6 inches.
 
CRASH said:
The difference in length becomes less important as the static angle decreses. In other words, a flat track bar and steering, have very little to no bumpsteer, even though the difference in length may be 6 inches.
Click to expand...
Is that whay people are using the spacers with the high steer arms on 44's?
 
CRASH said:
The difference in length becomes less important as the static angle decreses. In other words, a flat track bar and steering, have very little to no bumpsteer, even though the difference in length may be 6 inches.
Click to expand...

Noticed that too when I plotted it all out to real size on some cardboard when working out the bracket hieghts etc. I am actually running completely stock angles now with the OTK and a ZJ pitman arm and only 4" of lift.
 
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