What's new
By:
Filters

Dropped pitman, raised steering arm, or offset drag link? D44/10B steering discussion

IowaOffRoad

IowaOffRoad

King shit of turd island
BRC
Joined
Feb 19, 2021
Member Number
3513
Messages
1,026
Loc
Under the apple tree
Figured this belonged in the newb section.

I haven't kept up with "best practices" on steering correction on non-crossover steer vehicles. I'm sure there's plenty of opinions on this but I'd like to see if there's a consensus. Wanting to go the best way on my budget '90 sub, but think this may be beneficial to all.

Options for steering correction regardless of lift height:
  • Drop Pitman Arm (con, stress on steering box, pitman shaft and bearings)
  • Raised steering arm, cast 1-piece (con, stress on studs)
  • Offset Drag Link (con... dunno, but don't figure it's too robust)
  • Raised steering arm, block:barf: (con... Extended studs in single shear???? I can't imagine how 'well' it would hold up off-road)
What is the best way to make the steering correction, as of 2023? One or a combination of both.

For argument sake lets say the examples are:
  1. 1/2T or 3/4T Squarebody Chevy, 3 to 4" lift, 33-37" tires
  2. 1/2T or 3/4T Squarebody Chevy, 5 to 6" lift, 35-40" tires
  3. 1/2T or 3/4T Squarebody Chevy, 8 to 12" lift, 38-44" tires (at this point I'd say you're a fool to not go crossover, but here it is)
IBB brain trust, do your thing...
 
I used a drop pitman on a 4" lift and it was almost too tall. Couldn't get the wheel centered with the stock draglink.

Steering sucked balls regardless. With leaf springs that aren't from the 80s and like a brick the front axle actually has some wheel travel. This doesn't work with the push pull regardless of the type of correction.

You hit a bump on the road and it wants to dart around. You flex off road and don't get full lock to lock. Hell you are lucky the wheels actually turn.

Unless you want a show truck and a giant POS to drive there is no substitution to doing cross over. Doing it again I shouldn't have wasted a dime on the stock system.

Other issue is anything past a 33" requires notching the lower part of the fender. So every tire you want to run will greatly benefit from bumping the front axle forward an inch which greatly helps. Can't be done with stock steering.
 
I think the offset drag link is plenty strong enough, and the least stressful on anything else being that you're not hanging a big ol' lever off the box or knuckle. If your rig is taller than can be corrected with the offset drag link, it's probably tall enough for crossover steering. That said, I'm a Ford guy and don't know first hand how tall you've gotta make a square body before you can clear a crossover setup. Even a Y-link is better than the push-pull, needs a drop arm but it fixes the conflict between the movement of the steering and axle.
 
Drop arm. You can always reinforce the box and add an extra bearing to the output shaft if you're worried about it.

A steering system that's from at least the latter half of the 20th century would be a better use of time and money though.
 
arse_sidewards said:
add an extra bearing to the output shaft if you're worried about it.
Click to expand...
www.boostwerksengineering.com

1022-Sector Shaft Bearing and Nut Kit

www.boostwerksengineering.com
20131201_193215_jpg_75.jpg
img_2176_jpg_75.jpg
 
That may help with stressed on the frame but it's going to do nothing with the performance of a stock or modified push pull steering setup.

You can all you want with drops, blocks, etc. but you still have garbage to start with. It's not going to get better per se. All the bandaids do is make it work with geometry that is different due to taller springs.

It's 2023, if you can't afford crossover you can't afford to wheel.

This is like having a conversation about how much tcase drop in necessary to make my lift work. The answer is none, get a proper driveshaft.
 
Skinny said:
It's 2023, if you can't afford crossover you can't afford to wheel.
Click to expand...
That is an ignorant statement, you've got to start somewhere. You don't need 18" of travel, crossover, tons, and a 4 link to wheel as some here think.

I started this thread in the 'newb' section, not because I'm a newb or don't know of the superiority of a crossover setup, but because I thought the conversation would benefit someone who's trying to get out there with a starter rig. To say that you have to have a crossover to wheel is dumb. This isn't about what's best overall, it's what's best within the constraints of the discussion.
 
Crossover isn't exactly coilovers and links 🤷

Fuck I don't wheel one of my trucks and it has crossover because the push pull is garbage just driving on the street.

I can safely say that out of the entire budget of what it takes to build a truck crossover steering is a fraction of everything else cost wise.

$299 plus a steering box. OMG so cross prohibited 😩😩😩
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot_20231006-222242.png
    Screenshot_20231006-222242.png
    107.6 KB · Views: 7
Last edited:
arse_sidewards said:
something like this would probably work just as well without requiring custom bling parts.

Click to expand...

How does this resolve steering geometry issues on a lifted suspension?

I guess since I'm an NPC commie I only see it as supporting the steering gear.

Please tell me how this helps the truck steer.

BTW in the thumbnail that truck has crossover 🤣
 
Skinny said:
Crossover isn't exactly coilovers and links 🤷

Fuck I don't wheel one of my trucks and it has crossover because the push pull is garbage just driving on the street.

I can safely say that out of the entire budget of what it takes to build a truck crossover steering is a fraction of everything else cost wise.

$299 plus a steering box. OMG so cross prohibited 😩😩😩
Click to expand...
You do realize that the crossover plus a box (junkyard if you can find a good one) is the price of a used set of 1/2 tread 35s, 50% of the lift kit price, or a HF winch, all things that are worth doing over reinventing the wheel on a steering setup that lasted for most of the history of the automobile? Especially on a “budget” build?
Again, priorities. 78 bucks worth of steering arm or pitman arm and move on.
The original question is posted the way it was for a reason.
 
Hopefully all your wheeling trails are left turns only because that's the only way the truck will steer when flexed out.

Good luck, maybe you can work an extra couple of hours so your truck isn't a death trap 🤷
 
total newb said:
I might have a death banana laying around.

M92PV4U
That looks like a dodge arm retapered.
That how i do my d60s.
Click to expand...
It looks like a skyjacker da65 4-6" lift for a dodge.

It came on a ½ton chevy truck that I bought, I couldn't find any markings on it when I had it off.
 
Last edited:
Skinny said:
How does this resolve steering geometry issues on a lifted suspension?
Click to expand...
It doesn't. It supports the steering gear so your 6" drop arm (or whatever you used to compensate for your lift changing the geometry) doesn't kill the gear or rip it off the frame.
 
I think a 6" drop arm and a device to keep you box from ripping itself off the frame should give you your answer.

Or $299 gets you steering with a near flat draglink.
 
All of your listed cons require money to fix. Steering bos stress requires bracing. Raised steering arm might require upgraded studs. Offset drag link might require expensive tie rods you might have a hard time finding in a pinch.

Honestly, how does the cost of fixing the associated costs compare to going with crossover steering? If it is $100 vs $300 I’d understand. If it is $250 vs $300 I don’t understand why you’d avoid crossover other than saying ‘it’s unnecessary.’
 
arse_sidewards said:
something like this would probably work just as well without requiring custom bling parts.

Click to expand...

:laughing: I've posted that good ole boy here before!

By the time I got done pricing rod ends and Gr8 coupling nuts, the bling part was cheaper.

I guess if you have ends sitting around, and don't overthink the nut...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Back Refresh