still working on bump steer!!!!!!!!!!!
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Elder User
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 671
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From: Elkhart USA
still working on bump steer!!!!!!!!!!!
ok, i purchased a 2.5" nixon performance shackle lift, 2" skyjacker trac bar braket. i ve tried everything i can think of to get rid of it with no luck! i have losen the trac bar up moved the truck then re tighten it, still same. today i took it to get an alignment they noticed the same thing, bump steer. also they told me i have some play in my ball joints @ 24,000 miles!
anyone have any idea's on what the problem is?
my next option is to take the nixon kit off (trash it ) and purchase a better brand.
Tony
anyone have any idea's on what the problem is?
my next option is to take the nixon kit off (trash it ) and purchase a better brand.
Tony
New User
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 24
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trash the nixon and get a Donahoe racing kit... i researched a lot before i lifted my truck, and they by far have the best quality lift on the market. Steering geometry is all taken into consideration. My truck is lifted 10.5 and steers just fine, with the exception of a larger turing radius, but that is to be expected.
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 5,438
Likes: 11
From: IN FRONT OF YOU
Any of the top companies that provede kits for the super duty are all well enough R&Ded that they are pretty much dead on. Im not saying Nixon is one of them, but I will include SL , SJ, FT and a few others.
Donahoe, although I like him and his stuff, surley doesn not have a budget for R&D like the other "big" manufactures.
So please don't tell me "his" are better when you have no more proof than here say.
Thousands of other trucks that don't have problems also exist in this world....
Now what symptoms are you having? to say bump steer is pretty general....
Donahoe, although I like him and his stuff, surley doesn not have a budget for R&D like the other "big" manufactures.
So please don't tell me "his" are better when you have no more proof than here say.
Thousands of other trucks that don't have problems also exist in this world....
Now what symptoms are you having? to say bump steer is pretty general....
Thread Starter
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Elder User
Joined: Apr 2002
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From: Elkhart USA
the feeling is hard to describe, but when i hit a bump in the road the steering will jerk. it never did this before the lift. the truck felt solid as a rock pre lift. i know it will never be as good as stock .but i ve road in truck with a much bigger lift with 38's that drove better. do i need a drop pitman arm for a 2.5" lift? if so who makes one?
as for my ball joints i just put the bigger tires on about 2000 miles ago, and they are only 33x12.5 BFG all terrain ta. i plan on replacing them (ball joints) before my warranty is out!
i was concerned that the drop brackets are not straight, and could have my leafs in a bind or twisted slightly.
the lesson for the day is YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!!!!!!!!!!!
Tony
as for my ball joints i just put the bigger tires on about 2000 miles ago, and they are only 33x12.5 BFG all terrain ta. i plan on replacing them (ball joints) before my warranty is out!
i was concerned that the drop brackets are not straight, and could have my leafs in a bind or twisted slightly.
the lesson for the day is YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!!!!!!!!!!!
Tony
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2002
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From: Broussard USA
Get a good front end shop to look at it, my explanation will mot be great but all of the suspension parts and steering parst need to be on the same plane. If not then when the tire lifts the tie rod will get longer or shorter in it's relationship to everything else, this will turn the tires. This is usualy more of a problem with independant suspensions but it could still happen here. But a few think could be out of alignment so have all of your angles checked. Some one that has experance with lifted trucks would be my first choice.
Lead Driver
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,340
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From: Amarillo, TEXAS!
There was actually a TSB RE: bump steer from Ford. I saw it online, but don't recall where it was. If you can find it and read it, there may be some good ideas in there. I realize the truck is not stock, but it may be a good starting point.
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Elder User
Joined: Nov 2003
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From: West Virginia
Badford, When I installed my 2" kit on my truck I put the same Skyjacker lower trac-bar bracket on. The truck had really bad bump steer with it! I got rid of it and installed a track-bar bushing kit from pro-comp and all the bump steer was gone. I now have a full traction 4" kit and it drives great. Hope this helps.
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Elder User
Joined: Apr 2004
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A simple thing to look at and you can do yourself is take a look at what angle your track bar (panhard bar) is in relation to your draglink (the rod from your pitman arm to the main tie rod) they should be parallel or very close to it, for example if your tie rod is at a 30 degree angle the track bar should be close to 30 degrees, also your track bar should be close to the same legnth as your drag link, so the pivot points are the same, if you have the adjustable track bar you may want to check that,
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 5,438
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From: IN FRONT OF YOU
Out of curiosity, how hard was it to get your track bar re-installed after you installed the shackels and drop bracket?
Did you really need to pry on it, or did it pretty much just fall into place?
The smallest drop pitman arm that I can find is a 3", I know they say they are not really neccessary with a 2.5 or a leveling kit, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt.
I haven't heard of anybody running them with less than a 4" lift though.
How bad are your ball joints? Did they tell you what your toe in/out was?
Did you really need to pry on it, or did it pretty much just fall into place?
The smallest drop pitman arm that I can find is a 3", I know they say they are not really neccessary with a 2.5 or a leveling kit, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt.
I haven't heard of anybody running them with less than a 4" lift though.
How bad are your ball joints? Did they tell you what your toe in/out was?
Thread Starter
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Elder User
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 671
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From: Elkhart USA
the trac bar was a pain to get back on i had to pry!!! i have a friend who works @ a body shop he has been doing alignments for about 10 years on trucks and has installed many lifts. my truck needed no adjustment when i took it in, but he said i had some play in the ball joints and recomended i get new ones before my warrany is out.
Fitter565, what is the deal with the skyjacker bracket? i was considering getting the 1" adjustable trac bar. my buddy who does algnments told me i should remove the trac bar and drive it, and see if its any different with out it..then put it back on.
thanks for all the help guys
Tony
Fitter565, what is the deal with the skyjacker bracket? i was considering getting the 1" adjustable trac bar. my buddy who does algnments told me i should remove the trac bar and drive it, and see if its any different with out it..then put it back on.
thanks for all the help guys
Tony
Posting Guru
Joined: Oct 2002
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From: Del Rio, Texas USA
hey bad this "shackle lift" you speak of... did it come with a hangar up front to lower the spring mount in the front? that would be a "hangar lift"... very great way to lift your truck and keep stock springs etc...BUT if you just used an extended rear shackle.."shackle lift".. then you sent your positive castor off the charts(by rotatin front axle).. this in itself wont cause to much problems..truck will want to go straight...but desert racing vehicles and such use this trick to help track straight and fast through baja...anyway the problem would stem from throwing your camber out... .. you can re-adjust it back into limits with a laser alingment machine...youll need to buy new caster/camber bushings and there about $40 a peice.... just get the shop to make the caster equal on both sides(they will not be able to get it in limits with a shackle lift from the back of the spring)... but if it is equal it would be fine...however they would need to get the camber into the zone, and it would be do-able.
JJ
JJ
Freshman User
Joined: May 2004
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I had a simialr problem with a 2.5" kit, trac bar was a pain to reinstall with the included drop bracket, once wrsetled into place, truck drove like crap! Ended up getting an adjustable trac bar and reinstalling with the stock top bracket, no more problems.
Thread Starter
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Elder User
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 671
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From: Elkhart USA
i used the the hanger kit with the front hanger and rear shackle . my kit was 2.5 "lift the trac bar bracket was for 2". i just got back from a week on the dunes. the truck definetly needs something. im going to buy an adjustable trac bar and put the stock bracket back on. hopefully this will solve my proublem.
thanks for all the help
Tony
thanks for all the help
Tony