• Welcome to ClassicBroncos! - You are currently viewing the forums as a GUEST. To take advantage of all the site features, please take a moment to register. It's fast, simple and absolutely free. So please join our community today!
    If you have problems registering or can't log into your account, please contact Admin.

What the Hellwig is going on here?

skrit

Contributor
A Horse with No Name
Joined
Apr 24, 2006
Messages
391
Loc.
Durham
Stock lift, JD HD lower coil cups with sway bar connections, Hellwig front sway for stock lift.

This looks way too close to the stock style pitman arm for my comfort. Thoughts?

1000011617.jpg

20241101_210945.jpg
 

Jaybr

Contributor
Full Member
Joined
Oct 8, 2019
Messages
565
Maybe flip the bolt/pin for a little more clearance, but I don't think those parts move any significant amount toward each other.
 

Yeller

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Mar 27, 2012
Messages
6,622
Loc.
Rogers County Oklahoma
Do they actually make contact? If not it will be fine. Remember, “everything so close you can’t slide paper between it and not touching is perfection.” Or that’s the moto in my shop anyway. Although sometimes we miss the mark some, cycle, cycle and cycle stuff and sometimes it still touches unexpectedly
 

73azbronco

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 11, 2007
Messages
8,070
Yeah you unclip sway on dirt, so it is no problem, and on road thats enough clearance i think
 
OP
OP
skrit

skrit

Contributor
A Horse with No Name
Joined
Apr 24, 2006
Messages
391
Loc.
Durham
They do not touch. I'm going to index the pitman arm straight back like I've read @DirtDonk say to do in several of his posts. That will probably add more clearance.

Also thought about flipping the drag link to the top of the pitman arm. Would that be a dumb idea?
 
OP
OP
skrit

skrit

Contributor
A Horse with No Name
Joined
Apr 24, 2006
Messages
391
Loc.
Durham
Arm reindex did not help except when the wheels are straight. Oh well, I'll leave it like that. Disregard the thought of flipping the drag link connection. Forgot everything is tapered and I'm not going to drill it out. So the only thing that actually hits is the lynch pin. I might have to remove that quick connect and replace with a bolt.

The joys of aftermarket upgrades :rolleyes:
20241102_103251.jpg
20241102_104023.jpg
 
Last edited:

Broncobowsher

Total hack
Joined
Jun 4, 2002
Messages
35,356
Take the roll pin out of the pin.
flip the pin around and install from the other side.
Lynch pin now on the side that the roll pin is in your photo.
 

.94 OR

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Jul 5, 2009
Messages
1,790
What happens when the tires are straight and you bound the front end?
Does the pivoting motion from the track bar get you close to touching?
 
OP
OP
skrit

skrit

Contributor
A Horse with No Name
Joined
Apr 24, 2006
Messages
391
Loc.
Durham
Take the roll pin out of the pin.
flip the pin around and install from the other side.
Lynch pin now on the side that the roll pin is in your photo.
Good idea. I'm having to wrestle the tires by hand so it's not easy to check clearances but I'm doing it. Speaking of not easy...honestly, the quick disconnects are very difficult to remove even with ultra slick on them. I'm sure they'd get easier after the bushings soften up... so, I'm just using the standard hardware on this side for now with the steel inner bushing inside the poly bushing. (You have to remove/ not install them using the pins)

If the Duff lower coil brackets arms were just 0.5" shorter then I think that would be a better design to accomodate all lifts, styles of steering boxes, drag link ends and pitman arms. I'm not going to modify them.

This is as close as the pitman gets which I'm fine with.

1000011630.jpg
 
OP
OP
skrit

skrit

Contributor
A Horse with No Name
Joined
Apr 24, 2006
Messages
391
Loc.
Durham
What happens when the tires are straight and you bound the front end?
Does the pivoting motion from the track bar get you close to touching?
I don't have a way to test that at this stage of the build but will in the future.
 

gnsteam

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Jan 29, 2010
Messages
3,685
Loc.
Lincoln NE
Great post shrit. I am getting close to the install of my JD kit. With a JD 2.5" lift with the same spring cups. I will try to remember to post my results to this thread. To show the difference if any.
 
OP
OP
skrit

skrit

Contributor
A Horse with No Name
Joined
Apr 24, 2006
Messages
391
Loc.
Durham
Great post shrit. I am getting close to the install of my JD kit. With a JD 2.5" lift with the same spring cups. I will try to remember to post my results to this thread. To show the difference if any.
Will probably work much better since your frame/pitman arm will be 2.5" higher and will clear the coil cup brackets.
 

Soylent

Contributor
Jr. Member
Joined
May 4, 2016
Messages
413
Loc.
California
Why don’t you send a pic to Hellwig? They built an early bronco in their shop so they may be able to comment.
 
OP
OP
skrit

skrit

Contributor
A Horse with No Name
Joined
Apr 24, 2006
Messages
391
Loc.
Durham
Why don’t you send a pic to Hellwig? They built an early bronco in their shop so they may be able to comment.
that's a good thought but the issue is not with Hellwig. If I used their mounts that came with the kit there likely would be more clearance. I opted not to use the Hellwig mounts because I liked Duff's (Lick Creek's) solution with integrated brackets on the lower coil cup and what I thought was an easy to use disconnect.
 
Top