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Drop Pitman Arm

5K views 34 replies 10 participants last post by  jjseel 
#1 ·
I just installed my 4" teraflex lift it came with a drop pitman arm i read in a thread a few months ago that if you have certain components not to use the drop arm ? can someone clear this up for me? here is what i have 4" springs , rear adjustable uca's , front adjustable uca's , front and rear adjutable track bars , advance adapters sye & tom woods driveshaft , rancho 9000 shocks & 5000 stabilizer soooooooooo do i need the drop pitman arm???
thanks
Brian
 
#3 ·
where is the can of worms pic? :D

ummm...don't run a DPA unless your track bar bracket drops it the same amount...thats just a quote...i honestly have no idea other than agreeing with Jerry....wait for the others that are experts on this.

edit--the expert beat me to it
 
#14 ·
no quick links.

The front is easier to deal with than the rear. In the front you have more to deal with besides the pinion angle. You need to have a happy medium between pinion angle and caster angle. Caster is what helps your jeep track straight down the road. Too much caster and your front drive shaft will vibe. Too little and you won't have decent steering characteristics. I would lean more towards something else being wrong if you have a steering wheel vibe. There is a wide range of play in the front before caster settings will give you vibrations.

Have you had your jeep aligned since you installed the lift?
 
#18 ·
The easiest way to make sure that your front will be okay in the garage is just to eye ball it to where the front pinion is just a hair above parallel to the ground.

I know I know Clifford, with the high dollar alignment printouts we can tell Caster for sure, but I think it's a waste of money and I haven't seen one wrong yet. :D
 
#19 ·
High dollar? Now mind you this was a loooong time ago right after I finished stretching my junk and I took it to an alignment shop for a print out. It was 56 bucks and I was in and out in 30 minutes. That was the only time I've paid for an alignment on my jeep. The rest is done with my trusty tape measure in the drive way.

Caster is different for me. I have adjusted the caster 3 times on Anya's jeep and I'm doing the final today. I play it by feel and what the pinion looks like. But usually those of us that can spot the pinion angle by sight don't usually ask questions about dropped pitman arms. :)
 
#22 ·
Gotta earn your insults, MRC.


:flipoff:


Dang. That wasn't even an insult. It is a fact. Spotting your entire front suspension geometry by sight is something that takes lots of practice and feel. Not something you just jump right into. Getting the print out from a reliable alignment shop is THE best way to figure out exactly where your front end is setup.

I said it myself that I've adjusted my wifes junk 3 times already. I can't even spot the caster angle by sight. I gotta drive it and feel for myself. :D
 
#26 ·
I didn't ask you to get upset. You chose that yourself :flipoff:


I am here to help people. Your question was reasonable. That's why I took the time to give you some suggestions. In the end you need to make up your own mind so you don't point the finger at me when something goes wrong. :)

I don't look down upon people because they don't know. There is still so much I have to learn. I was in newbie shoes before and now I try my best to give back and if you don't like the way I give advice you obviously don't have to read it :flipoff:
 
#29 ·
I'm going to have to say that what works for some may not work for others. I think I started the last string and I just did what the manufacturer told me to do. The forum is great, but there were too many arguments. I installed a 4 inch lift, DPA, and an ajustable track bar. Everything works well. I have no problems at all. As long as you replace the OEM steering stabilizer and have a good alignment done, the jeep should run fine...again, what works for some may not work for others.
 
#30 ·
while I tend to agree that what is good for some isn't good for others. And what works works. I do believe, however, that there are certain principles about steering geometry that always bow to truth. Cause in the end everything bows to truth. And the fact of the matter is when your suspension articulates the track bar and drag link need to move in the same plane. Installing a dropped pitman arm without moving the track bar moves the geometry of your steering.

Manufacturers don't always get it right. Rarely does one manufacturer cover every single aspect with stellar precision. I'd be interested to know which manufacturer told you to install it. I'd also be interested for myself and others to call them and see exactly why they say you should install it and why it is needed for proper steering geometry.
 
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