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Drop Pitman arm?

wilhite78

NAXJA Forum User
NAXJA Member
Location
California
Worked on the Jeep - 98 XJ w/ 4.0 - this weekend, installed front frame stiffeners and front lift, stopped short of hooking up track bar on the frame side. My buddy is advising me to get a drop pitman arm and it seems to me I would need one. The lift is the DPG Hybrid 5" lift, basically a Rubicon Express 5.5 lift with different springs. I would appreciate advice on whether or not I should get a drop pitman arm. I have done a search and seen different opinions, I'm still learning about lift geometry and steering, etc..
Thanks.
 
XJ Cherokee do not need a drop pitman arm until you exceed 6-8" of lift.
 
Thanks for the replies. One yes, one no, seems consistent with what I've found so far :jester:
Can anyone offer some explanation? I'm really just trying to learn here as well as trying to make a good decision.
 
Track bar and drag link need to be the same angle or bumpsteer will not be your friend. Lift it and put the track bar on. If the angles are not the same (joint to joint, not angle of the bar itself), fix it. Maybe drop pitman, maybe something else.
 
As stated the angles of the track and drag need to match or you will end up with bump steer to some degree. 4" is not a bad height to run a drop pit. It will make the jeep give better steering feed back and be more response of due to the decreased angle of the drag link. And it will help cut back or stop you from maxing out the tie-rod ends under full droop of the pass side.
 
What Solar said.

Lift height is irrelevant. A taller (or shorter) pitman arm is one way to adjust geometry to keep it correct. It is a solution to a problem that does not exist beyond that.
 
It will make the jeep give better steering feed back and be more response of due to the decreased angle of the drag link.

True, but not worth it for bumpsteer. Try hitting a big pothole on a busy freeway going 65 and see how fast your heart rate goes up when you suddenly are headed into the next lane.

And it will help cut back or stop you from maxing out the tie-rod ends under full droop of the pass side.

If you're binding up a tie rod end, the extra couple degrees a DP will give you aren't going to help that much. Time to replace the factory steering.
 
Hi steer is a way better option, drop pitman arm just puts added stress on a already weak steering box area
 
Disagree. At 4" you already benefit from it or your steering gets funky..

I disagree with your disagree. I am at 5.5" of lift with stock pitman arm, IRO adj track bar with a about 1/2" drop at the frame bracket, and no bumpsteer. Several of the local XJ's have similar setups, the stock pitman arm, and no bumpsteer.

My XJ drives nicely at 75mph and handles bumps easily. Last year I drove 1280 miles to Moab, 4wheeled all week, and drove 1280 miles home. No problems.
 
True, but not worth it for bumpsteer. Try hitting a big pothole on a busy freeway going 65 and see how fast your heart rate goes up when you suddenly are headed into the next lane.



If you're binding up a tie rod end, the extra couple degrees a DP will give you aren't going to help that much. Time to replace the factory steering.

What you didnt quote in my post was the fast that the angles of the track bar and drag link need to match to prevent bump steer. So mod one and you must mod the other.


Sometimes a few more degrees is all you need to fix a bind. Costs way less then a new steering setup.

But yes as Rob was saying a High steer setup is MUCH better setup but its not cheap.

But not everyone needs a super steering setup
 
I bought the jeep with a 6" drop pitman arm. NO GOOD.

I did high steer and reverted back to a 4" arm, Much better.

I have roughly 8" of lift and will be dropping it down to 6.5" and will get a shorter pitman arm to match.

Here's a pic of my setup, don't copy my drag link and track bar angle, keep them parallel is the only correct way.


vabRZsjl.jpg
 
What you didnt quote in my post was the fact that the angles of the track bar and drag link need to match to prevent bump steer. So mod one and you must mod the other.


Sometimes a few more degrees is all you need to fix a bind. Costs way less then a new steering setup.

But yes as Rob was saying a High steer setup is MUCH better setup but its not cheap.

But not everyone needs a super steering setup
 
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