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lowest dropped pitman arm available?

2001XJ

2001XJ

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Canton, MI
Anyone have a link? I have seen anywhere from 4-6" of drop. Is there an 8" drop? I want to try and get my draglink as low as possible. I am sure there is a point where it would put a lot of stress on the pitman arm making it too long/too big of a drop...
 
Tons of stress on the sector shaft and steering box ears/ bolts. There's a reason they don't exist.

Why do you need such a drop anyway? Most people opt to raise their steering for better angles for obvious reasons.
 
XJ's don't need a drop pitman arm until they have 6-8" of lift. At 6-8" of lift, you will probably also be installing over the knuckle high steering.
 
Tim_MN said:
XJ's don't need a drop pitman arm until they have 6-8" of lift. At 6-8" of lift, you will probably also be installing over the knuckle high steering.
Click to expand...

Thats why I am asking. I have just under 7" of lift and the WJ knuckle swap installed. I need to get my angles lower:

XJsteeringfrontangle.jpg
 
ktm racer 419 said:
Tons of stress on the sector shaft and steering box ears/ bolts. There's a reason they don't exist.

Why do you need such a drop anyway? Most people opt to raise their steering for better angles for obvious reasons.
Click to expand...

I have an upgraded steering box with frame reinforcement and steering box brace. How would raising my angles give me better angles? They are too steep now, thats why I need the drop pitman arm:

XJsteeringfrontangle.jpg
 
Pretty sure he means raising the knuckle side of the steering and leveling out the drag link and doing the same with the track bar.

Since you've already done that, I'd recommend lowering your Jeep.
 
sunburned said:
Pretty sure he means raising the knuckle side of the steering and leveling out the drag link and doing the same with the track bar.

Since you've already done that, I'd recommend lowering your Jeep.
Click to expand...

Yup, thats what I meant.

That drag link angle looks steeper than I would expect to see for 7" and wj knuckles. Are you sure you are at 7"? Stock pitman arm and steering box of the same dimensions as stock I assume?
 
Last edited:
2001XJ said:
XJsteeringfrontangle.jpg
Click to expand...


Here is a pic of my Jeep from almost the same angle with the same bumper. I'm running a heim below the stock pitman arm with a double shear mount. You can see the heim at that end is about even height with the RE track bar mount. Yours looks much higher.

I'm betting you aren't running the stock pitman arm. I can see your sector shaft nut, but the pitman arm isn't sticking down below it. Maybe you have a waggy arm?

IMAG0295.jpg
 
ktm racer 419 said:
Yup, thats what I meant.

That drag link angle looks steeper than I would expect to see for 7" and wj knuckles. Are you sure you are at 7"? Stock pitman arm and steering box of the same dimensions as stock I assume?
Click to expand...

Yes I am at 6.5-7". No, I am using a flat pitman arm from a chevy astrovan NOT the stock one.
 
sunburned said:
Here is a pic of my Jeep from almost the same angle with the same bumper. I'm running a heim below the stock pitman arm with a double shear mount. You can see the heim at that end is about even height with the RE track bar mount. Yours looks much higher.

I'm betting you aren't running the stock pitman arm. I can see your sector shaft nut, but the pitman arm isn't sticking down below it. Maybe you have a waggy arm?

IMAG0295.jpg
Click to expand...

To get my draglink to be parallel with my trackbar I had to go with the flat pitman arm. That being said, what track bar mount (framside) ae you running? I guess the RE one I am running just doesn't go low enough. If I got one that allowed the trackbar to drop lower at the framside as well as went back to stok or maybe a 2-4" drop pitman arm maybe that would solve the problem?
 
2001XJ said:
Yes I am at 6.5-7". No, I am using a flat pitman arm from a chevy astrovan NOT the stock one.
Click to expand...

theres the issue.

try a stock pitman arm. you would have to change the angle of your trackbar with a huge drop pitman arm anyway, so i can't imagine you were trying to totally avoid that.
 
ktm racer 419 said:
theres the issue.

try a stock pitman arm. you would have to change the angle of your trackbar with a huge drop pitman arm anyway, so i can't imagine you were trying to totally avoid that.
Click to expand...

I mentioned before, I had to go with a flat pitman arm to line up the draglink with the trackbar since the trackbar dictated the angle due to the RE bracket im using. So I guess I'm gonna have to find a different trackbar bracket also cuz if I lower the draglink with a stock pitman arm, its gonna be a different angle than the trackbar

Im assuming there was a typo on your part... since the pitman arm is attached to the draglink not trackbar
 
2001XJ said:
I mentioned before, I had to go with a flat pitman arm to line up the draglink with the trackbar since the trackbar dictated the angle due to the RE bracket im using. So I guess I'm gonna have to find a different trackbar bracket also cuz if I lower the draglink with a stock pitman arm, its gonna be a different angle than the trackbar

Im assuming there was a typo on your part... since the pitman arm is attached to the draglink not trackbar
Click to expand...

no typo. I meant you had to change the angle of your trackbar to avoid bumpsteer with a dropped pitman arm.

If your trackbar angle is terrible why would you try to match it with a terrible drag link angle?

It would make more sense to lessen the angle of your trackbar to match your good drag link angle.
 
Do you have the JKS bracket for the trackbar on the axle end? If so, a few people I know use to run a ZJ pitman arm (good for about a 1" drop over stock), RE trackbar bracket, and used the top mounting hole on the JKS piece. Angles matched nicely and everything worked great.
 
ktm racer 419 said:
no typo. I meant you had to change the angle of your trackbar to avoid bumpsteer with a dropped pitman arm.

If your trackbar angle is terrible why would you try to match it with a terrible drag link angle?

It would make more sense to lessen the angle of your trackbar to match your good drag link angle.
Click to expand...

I was trying to go with what was easiest at that point (and didn't have a reference of what would possibly be a problem or not since everything was different due to knuckle and steering upgrade) instead of sourcing a lower trackbar bracket and had a pitman arm already. It was either simply install the pitman arm and match the angle with the trackbar or adjust mess around with a new trackbar bracket and/or pitman arm. I have only had this on for about 3 weeks now and its not bad but I want to fix it. Looks like I am going to end up having to do what I was trying to avoid anyway.
 
foxwar71 said:
Do you have the JKS bracket for the trackbar on the axle end? If so, a few people I know use to run a ZJ pitman arm (good for about a 1" drop over stock), RE trackbar bracket, and used the top mounting hole on the JKS piece. Angles matched nicely and everything worked great.
Click to expand...


I am using the JKS and RE brackets already. The RE bracket doesnt seem to drop the frame end of the trackbar low enough, maybe it will be low enough once I put a ZJ or slightly lower drop pitman arm on and see where they both end ups.
 
No matter what amount of drop pitman arm, stock to 8" you are going to have to relocate your track bar mount in order to avoid bumpsteer.
 
ktm racer 419 said:
No matter what amount of drop pitman arm, stock to 8" you are going to have to relocate your track bar mount in order to avoid bumpsteer.
Click to expand...

well this guy and I have the exact same setup, ruff stuff 1-ton, wj knuckles jks trackbar axle mount, re trackbar frame mount...EVERYTHING. only difference is he has his trackbar at the axle end located one hole higher and has a stock YJ pitman arm. He has no bumpsteer. I am hoping all I have to do is add the yj pitman arm and raise my trackbar one notch and it fixes it. especially since he and I are using the EXACT same stuff. Heres pics

HIS MINE

1tonOTK_zpsb10a3bf4.jpg
XJsteeringfrontangle.jpg
 
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