Steering design thoughts/questions

Ok, so I'm working on redoing my steering. Heims all around and a tierod going side to side and draglink going from steering arm to the passenger knuckle. Now.... the question is: should I go straight from the steering arm to the knuckle or give it a bit of a bend. I definately don't have any clearance issues that I can see.

Oh yeah, I'm using an RE HD trackbar and if I can avoid it I dont feel like doing anything to it. Lengthwise right now the straight down draglink would be nearly 2" shorter if I take all bends into acount, but more or less same if I look at the distance from the pitman arm to the knuckle.

Oh yeah, I'm using a ZJ pitman arm (3/4" more drop). I'm considering going to a stock one but I think I like the angle on the heim better with the ZJ one.

Thoughts?

sounds like the same setup I run

heres mine:




P.S. geometry sucks blah blah, make track bar axle mount higher, blah blah

razdrvr said:

sounds like the same setup I run

Click to expand...

how do you like it?

ChrisRFewell said:

P.S. geometry sucks blah blah, make track bar axle mount higher, blah blah

Click to expand...

Can you elaborate?



Btw, while this is not a daily driver, I drive to the events (for example: SoCal to Moab and back) so driveability is... a big plus

It's great for me, trail use mostly. Drive to some close trails. I only get DW when wheels are very muddy. It has been on the freeway @80+.

You want your trac bar and drag link to be parallel with each other, I think that is what Chris's problem is.

-Alex

looks like the ones they just posted are like the Bulletproof setup...

emr1101 said:

looks like the ones they just posted are like the Bulletproof setup...

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i use my tie rod as a tow point....









JK:moon:



but seriously i could:eyes:

Ba-Riedo said:

You want your trac bar and drag link to be parallel with each other, I think that is what Chris's problem is.

-Alex

Click to expand...

that is exactly what im saying....i kinda missed that whe putting it together...

track bar and draglink need to be parallel to stop bumpsteer. mine is not.

Kejtar said:

Can you elaborate?



Btw, while this is not a daily driver, I drive to the events (for example: SoCal to Moab and back) so driveability is... a big plus

Click to expand...

1 more thing..mine is a daily driver and i do not have bad bumpsteer but, it is not perfect

Not a daily driver? You drive that thing down the freeway for hours!!! Be careful or buy a Trailer.

Why would you put a bend in it if you didn't have to?

Maybe I'm not understanding the question...

ChrisRFewell said:

1 more thing..mine is a daily driver and i do not have bad bumpsteer but, it is not perfect

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how is bumpsteer different from DW? Im not 100% sure what bump steer is. is it when you have a dead spot in the steering?

emr1101 said:

how is bumpsteer different from DW? Im not 100% sure what bump steer is. is it when you have a dead spot in the steering?

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Bump steer is when you're turning your wheel and you feel a bump and it suddendly turns a hair more suddendly and then smooths out again.

Kejtar said:

Ok, so I'm working on redoing my steering. Heims all around and a tierod going side to side and draglink going from steering arm to the passenger knuckle. Now.... the question is: should I go straight from the steering arm to the knuckle or give it a bit of a bend. I definately don't have any clearance issues that I can see.

Oh yeah, I'm using an RE HD trackbar and if I can avoid it I dont feel like doing anything to it. Lengthwise right now the straight down draglink would be nearly 2" shorter if I take all bends into acount, but more or less same if I look at the distance from the pitman arm to the knuckle.

Oh yeah, I'm using a ZJ pitman arm (3/4" more drop). I'm considering going to a stock one but I think I like the angle on the heim better with the ZJ one.

Thoughts?

Click to expand...

Remi,
I see the "bend or not bend" less of an issue as making sure that your trackbar and draglink operate on the same plane, which will eliminate bumpsteer. Moving the axle end of the trackbar up is necessary to match the draglink angle and I feel a much better option than trying to lower the draglink on the upper end via dropped pitman arms.

I see no reason why you couldn't do slight bends in each end of the draglink to improve the heim operating angle.

Remi, for my set up a slight bend would of been benifical as the heim operating angles at the pitman arm were maxed out at full droop. I ended up using 5/8 high-misalignment spacers there. This solved the problem but with a slight bend i would of been able to stay with the 3/4" bolt.( although i havent had any isses with the 5/8 bolt anyways)

Straight draglink and tierod.
Parallel draglink and trackbar, the bends in the trackbar dont matter.

Sierra Drifter said:

Straight draglink and tierod.
Parallel draglink and trackbar, the bends in the trackbar dont matter.

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He's talking about bending the drag link, not the track bar.

Remi, are you putting the tie rod under or over the knuckle?

I have a slight bend in my drag link at the end to help it not bottom out the TRE at the pitman arm (I bought the 20mm 1.5 tap for it). You could do it either end to help if you need to. However, if you use a 3/4" rod end with high misalignment spacers and a 5/8" bolt you shouldn't need a bend to get enough joint movement. Poly Performance sells DOM by the foot in .281 wall and 11/16" ID so you can tap it out to 3/4" 16 thread for the rod ends. Whether you put the tie rod over or under the knuckle you won't bend that stuff (well, you maybe could ).

Remember to use grade 8 bolts (I know you will) and torque them to their capacity. I believe a grade 8 5/8" fine thread bolt will torque to 225 ft lbs.

Personally, I don't like under the knuckle tie rods on simple crossover steering, as the tie rod is now slightly lower than it was stock. If you're going to mount the drag link on top of the knuckle, you really should move the axle end of the track bar up, so you might as well do it right and put the tie rod on top of the knuckle. It's not hard to use the JKS brackets to move up the track bar and sway bar link mounts, but it does require welding. However, if you don't have access to a welder and really want to keep it simple, use some real stout tubing for the tie rod.