Ok, I’ve been back from the hammers a little over a week now and it’s time to address more things to improve on. It’s so funny to reminisce on how just doing a SAS was just such a big jump in performance gains I couldn’t imagine there was anything to improve on.
I know the SAS of 2014 can’t even remotely touch the SAS today in really any aspect but I keep pushing for a better performing rig.
So now it’s steering….steering angle to be specific. The steering has really been up to the task for many years and pretty much left untouched. I’d throw a new 1.5in .25 wall mild steel tie rod in every year or two because I’d bend em. Replace a TRE or heim every once in a while but the power to turn tires has never been an issue, especially since ram assist.
Steering angle though sucks, it’s always sucked. 43s made it worse. Well, I can’t blame 43s, I can blame that my 43s are extremely wide. I always hit the lower control arms at full lock on a 40x13.5 but now it’s worse.
With all that said, you would think it’s time to just change control arm location and move on but I’m trying to take a ground up approach.
What must stay is my steering box (Nissan xterra) and pitman arm. Everything else is game.
I can’t cycle a full 8in ram. My pitman arm is currently 4 7/8 or 5in long (off of memory) Can’t make it even a 1/2in longer. It will hit the track bar bracket.
Steering arm on the pass side is like 7in and change. Way too long for that pitman arm. I can move it to the tie rod hole (my tie rod is in the factory low steer position) that is 5in long.
I was thinking of buying this.
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Run it in the tie rod hole at 4.25 from kingpin center line. That “should” gain me a ton of steering angle. My goal is to hit the factory steering stops which I can’t do right now even if I had 2in wide tires with 1in of backspacing. The box doesn’t have that much throw.
So, I’d hope I can hit the stops with that steering arm. I’d need to make a new drag link to miss the track bar bracket on the axle side, that’s ok.
Then I need to figure out my control arms. I can bend them like ruffstuff has “pre bent” control arms
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I worry I will fuck those up since I can fuck up straight arms as is it is.
So I can go with slightly less backspacing of 3.25? I’m 3.5 currently. Which I’m sure the 3.5in backspacing doesn’t help scrub radius and steering angle as it is but that’s an easy way to gain some room. I’d also consider moving my links inboard on the frame and get more angle on them. I’m hoping though I could cheat the existing brackets with custom misalignment spacers to offset the heim in the bracket. Gain me a tad more room and .25in less backspacing and get enough to turn more.
Anyways, anyone have any input? I don’t have a ton of experience with steering arms, pitman arms, Ackerman angles, scrub radius, and just steering angle in general.