4" lift alignment
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From: Adams TN
4" lift alignment
well i got my lift on. i got it for christmas from my parents.
it doesn't have a drop pitman arm. so now my steering is out of whack.
no matter how much i mess with adjusting it it feels funny. i can't take it out on the road yet. the shocks should be here tomorrow.
but i have to get it to the alignment shop somehow.
do i really need the drop pitman arm? or can they work around it and set up my alignmeny anyway?
any help is appreciated
DT
it doesn't have a drop pitman arm. so now my steering is out of whack.
no matter how much i mess with adjusting it it feels funny. i can't take it out on the road yet. the shocks should be here tomorrow.
but i have to get it to the alignment shop somehow.
do i really need the drop pitman arm? or can they work around it and set up my alignmeny anyway?
any help is appreciated
DT
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Joined: Jul 2006
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By lifting the truck, you have created a greater distance between the pitman arm, and the point at wich the drag link connects, tie rod, knuckle etc. This means that the old link is too short, and will comprimise turnning radius, and promote bump steer. The purpose of the drop pitman is to create less angles, to decrease bumpsteer, and relieve some stress on the rod ends, and compensate for the length of the old stuff. That being said, you should get that steering issue fixed befoer you drop any more dough into the truck. Always best to do it right once, instead of doing it twice. If your truck is equiped with a 1 piece tie rod, then you can align it and chabge the pitman arm later. If it is a ttb front end with two tie rods, then you will have to get the steering fixed first, as this have a big effect on "toe".
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From: Adams TN
well it was toed in alot. so i messed with it to get them straight. but i still can't drive it to the shop.
it looks 100 times better with it lifted, but i can't drive it. bummer
it looks 100 times better with it lifted, but i can't drive it. bummer
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Louie has a solid front axle that will alow him to lengthen the drag link, and return the wheel back to the center. Sorry to say DT, but with that TTb, it looks like you are gonna have to bite the bullet and buy the right components to do it right. This is an area that you do not want to get cheap on. Trying to drive a truck with that much toe in it, is scary to say the least.
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From: Adams TN
well the wheels are straight now. i messed with it till they were right. and i'm just gonna put it up on the trailer and borrow my friends truck to pull it to the alignment shop.
my thing is i cannot get a pitman arm. i can't order it from any of the parts stores and i don't have any sort of credit/debit card to order it online. used to be a time when cash was the way to go, now it just limits you. but i don't trust banks with my money.
i'll keep looking at getting one.
DT
my thing is i cannot get a pitman arm. i can't order it from any of the parts stores and i don't have any sort of credit/debit card to order it online. used to be a time when cash was the way to go, now it just limits you. but i don't trust banks with my money.
i'll keep looking at getting one.
DT
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From: Quesnel, BC, Canada
get a drop pitman arm...to explain the steering geometry is too in depth. Just trust me, you want the tie rods parallel to the I beams or you'll get the worst case of bump steer and be all over the road burning your tires down 2x faster than if it were properly done. The pitman arm is well worth the cost of it, plus if your camber is good you wont have to take it to a shop....so it breaks down to buying the pitman arm, setting the toe in yourself, and having good ride control....or paying a shop to align it to the best of their ability, tell you that you need a drop pitman arm, and having unsafe ride control.
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Hey DT: you know you can purchase a pre-paid credit card so you can have something to use on-line. They are reall easy to obtain, and provide you with all of the purchasing saftey benifits of a real card. It is an option to consider.
The biggest problem you are going to encounter is bumpsteer when the suspension extends. That drag link that was too short to start with, only gets worse when the suspension extends. This will pull the right front tire in really bad. I mean really bad, it is just not a very safe deal any way you look at it.
The biggest problem you are going to encounter is bumpsteer when the suspension extends. That drag link that was too short to start with, only gets worse when the suspension extends. This will pull the right front tire in really bad. I mean really bad, it is just not a very safe deal any way you look at it.
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From: Adams TN
i (meaning my parents lol) ordered a 4" drop pitman from summit last night, and my shocks got here today.
i drove it and when i turned left sharp i'd jump. but not right. i guess thats the pitman arm thing. so all i have to do is slap the new arm on, and put the alignment adjusters back to the rust marked spot where they were before and take her to the shop.
but atleast i can get around if need be before it gets here
and no i didn;t know about the creditcard prepaying. wow i'm so lost lol
DT
i drove it and when i turned left sharp i'd jump. but not right. i guess thats the pitman arm thing. so all i have to do is slap the new arm on, and put the alignment adjusters back to the rust marked spot where they were before and take her to the shop.
but atleast i can get around if need be before it gets here
and no i didn;t know about the creditcard prepaying. wow i'm so lost lol
DT
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From: Adams TN
so that should resolve the sterring craziness?
i got to thinking about the geometry of the tierods, then they are parallel and you hit a bump they move with the axle and keeps the wheels straight, when its lifted and the linkageis not parallel and is angled down and you hit a bump it pulls and pushes the front wheelssin and out causing all sort of craziness.
so when i turned the wheel and the truck was jumping was because one wheel was turning further than the other because the split tie rods were pulling funny
sound about right?
i got to thinking about the geometry of the tierods, then they are parallel and you hit a bump they move with the axle and keeps the wheels straight, when its lifted and the linkageis not parallel and is angled down and you hit a bump it pulls and pushes the front wheelssin and out causing all sort of craziness.
so when i turned the wheel and the truck was jumping was because one wheel was turning further than the other because the split tie rods were pulling funny
sound about right?
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From: Quesnel, BC, Canada
exactly....to try and relay that info over the net to someone is hard, which is why I dont bother trying anymore lol. But you hit the nail on the head. You want the outer ends of the tie rods to travel the same radius as your I beams. If they arent parallel, the radius of each intersect and fight one another, causing all kinds of chit you dont want.
Stick the pitman arm on, get your truck up on axle stands so the tires are in the air and you should be able to get your toe in right yourself. Make sure the vehicle weight is still on the I beams so the suspension is compressed still, at the normal ride height.
Stick the pitman arm on, get your truck up on axle stands so the tires are in the air and you should be able to get your toe in right yourself. Make sure the vehicle weight is still on the I beams so the suspension is compressed still, at the normal ride height.
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From: Adams TN
oh i am sure i can get it back, i painted the axle before i messed with the toe-in adjustments. so there is a lucky mark on the threads. for once something worked out when i didn't mean it to.
i am getting it aligned before my 33's go on, is that right? i just don't want to tear up new tires between the tireshop and the ford dealer. all of the alignment shops around here are retarded with the tbb. after my dads old bronco was messed up by one of the local shops, my dad and his buddies tell me just to take it to the dealer. plus its like 30 bucks at the dealer vrs 70 other places. oh well.
well i atleast figured it out. haha lucky me, and thanks for the help guys
DT
i am getting it aligned before my 33's go on, is that right? i just don't want to tear up new tires between the tireshop and the ford dealer. all of the alignment shops around here are retarded with the tbb. after my dads old bronco was messed up by one of the local shops, my dad and his buddies tell me just to take it to the dealer. plus its like 30 bucks at the dealer vrs 70 other places. oh well.
well i atleast figured it out. haha lucky me, and thanks for the help guys
DT