Relocating drag link and trac bar

[fishinman78]

I am getting a slight bit of flex out of my track bar drop bracket and since I have an adjustable track bar I thought moving it up one hole to be closer to the frame would provide more stability.

The new steering box I have installed has a longer sector shaft so to keep the drag link and track bar close top parallel I was thinking I would remove the drop pitman arm and just run a stock pitman arm.

Does anyone see any issues with this??

 

[SHX669]

With my configuration { 2 1/2" lift , "78 knuckles , TRO } to get them paralell I moved my trac bar to the top hole and also had to install a trac bar riser on the passenger side
I prefer the top hole on the drop bracket for the reason you mentioned.

 

[brbuilder]

Did you cut off the bottom portion of the bracket after you raised the drag link to the upper hole? I just hate to cut a perfectly good bracket but looks like it needs to be cut for clearance.

 

[68rustbucket]

Drag link and trac bar look parallel to me in the pic.

 

[SHX669]

brbuilder - yes i cut off the bottom portion of the bracket .
As you mentioned it allows for more clearance and it looks Way better without that excess hanging down . I suppose you should make sure that's how you want to configure the trac bar , drag link affair before you cut of the excess in case you change your mind. After two different steering boxes and different drag link /trac bar setups I was positive that's what i wanted to do. I cut mine off 3-4 years ago and still happy I did it - LOL

 

[fishinman78]

Drag link and trac bar look parallel to me in the pic.

They are parallel now. I want to move the track bar up to the top hole for more stability.

I then want to eliminate the drop pitman arm and got to a stock pitman arm so they are parallel after I move the track bar up.

 

[brbuilder]

Thanks for confirming SHX669. I’ve installed a riser bracket and the std pitman arm. Everything lines up nicely. I was just hesitant on cutting the bracket.

 

[bax]

Get rid of the drop track bar bracket. (Great job welding that sucker on.) Go back to the stock frame mount location. Remove the track bar mount on the axle. Build a new higher mount on the axle. This will take the flex away from the frame. Go back to the stock pitman arm.Go with the new steering bars using the 1 ton chevy links. The drag link mounts closer to the right side tire. making the angle flatter / better.

 

[fishinman78]

Get rid of the drop track bar bracket. (Great job welding that sucker on.) Go back to the stock frame mount location. Remove the track bar mount on the axle. Build a new higher mount on the axle. This will take the flex away from the frame. Go back to the stock pitman arm.Go with the new steering bars using the 1 ton chevy links. The drag link mounts closer to the right side tire. making the angle flatter / better.

Are you talking about a heim setup on the steering linkage?

 

[EPB72]

Are you talking about a heim setup on the steering linkage?

no bax is talking about using gm 1 ton tie rod ends and dom tubing plenty of write ups on this .. Ruffstuff sells a package to do the set up ,, there’s also a few ways to do it as far as using weldEd thread bungs or threading the dom tubing

 

[Broncobowsher]

Bax is referring to regular steering parts, 1-ton steering linage parts.

I hated running steep linkage angles. While the bumpsteer didn't exist, bump yaw did. With soft springs the nose of the Bronco would pitch left and right with dips in the road. Drove in a straight line, steering didn't turn. But road dips would shift the front side to side.

Axle riser bracket fixed the yaw but created horrible bumpsteer. Drove in a straight line but the same dips now made the steering wheel turn side to side while driving in a straight line. I went heim and eventually changed to tie rod over to fix it. But the 1-ton parts also work.

Soft springs are a big part of it. If the front is so stiff you don't have any travel it doesn't really matter (except the track bar trying to rip itself off the frame). When the springs get soft and you get travel, that is when you find out how good the front end geometry really is.

 

[EPB72]

Also as far as drop track bar brackets and the extra leverage on the frame ,,on the rubicon a friend partially tore the factory welds from the frame luckily there was a group behind us that had an on board welder the trail fix ended up better then factory

 

[bchesley]

You don't have to remove the track bar bracket just cut the bottom of it off. Go back to the hole that uses the factory bolt hole. It will strengthen the frame more with it on there. By going to the higher hole you have removed the leverage that was causing the flex. Once you switch the holes you will have to run a riser from Wild Horses. See the photos below. I am running the exact set up they are describing. It works really well.

 

[bax]

Yes that is the steering link set up I was talking about. You can see how the drag link is longer. With the drag link conection point being closer to the passenger knuckle this helps reduce the angle of the drag link.

 

[bax]

My shit is always upside down!

 

[jim3326]

Yes that is the steering link set up I was talking about. You can see how the drag link is longer. With the drag link conection point being closer to the passenger knuckle this helps reduce the angle of the drag link.

This must be the 'Made in Chy...na' model!;D

 

[bax]

I tried to flip them over. I suck at this

 

[jim3326]

Maybe this worked.