custom fab steering????

ford1386 · Mar 31, 2009

i have a 94 ranger with a 6" suspension lift and f150 coil seats up front and the skyjacker extreme arm but my steering is still not completely straight and i do get a little camber issues driving around sharp corners slowly, but i was wondering how guys do with the 8" kit and a full 2" coil spacer and if anyone happens to have material list for making your own steering to drop down a little more because from what ive read even the superunner kit still needs modified to be 100% and its like $500...ouch and i was looking to remove the dual steering stabilizer too but afraid to with the steering setup the way it is. any help would be greatly appreciated.thanks Andy

4x4junkie · Mar 31, 2009

It's completely not possible to align the linkage properly at 8" lift (using available bolt-on parts anyway), and at 6", it's still a slight bit off.

If it's off enough that you're noticing the effects from it, my suggestion would be to lose the spacers and try dropping the suspension down to the 4" hole.

If you want to try your luck with a custom setup, then I would suggest starting with something using a centerlink similar to Superlift's kit. Just make sure the idler arm is beefy enough to withstand the forces that it will see (it will need wider spacing of the upper bushings at the frame end to minimize deflections under load).

You might be able to pull some ideas for making the centerlink idler arm from this thread:
http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7301

That's similar to how I would build one, just wider at the top.

ford1386 · Apr 2, 2009

i was hoping though that someone could give me measurements to start with....

4x4junkie · Apr 2, 2009

Well, any measurements will differ depending on your lift's height (mainly, the amount of lift the axle brackets are designed for). I do believe the bushings used in Superlift's kit are standard urethane leafspring eye bushings (1.5"), the ends of the arm are made with DOM tubing that also has a 1.5" I.D. You could also try PM'ing the OP of the post above, maybe he can offer some help as well...

Maybe this page can help in knowing where everything needs to be lined up at, and you can then draw up a plan for your setup accordingly.

http://www.therangerstation.com/Magazine/winter2008/steering_tech.htm

ford1386 · Apr 2, 2009

but would it be possible to correct the steering enough to make it drive well with 8" coils and 2" spacers?

metalmacguyver · Apr 2, 2009

You would need to do alot of fab work. And be very creative.

ford1386 · Apr 3, 2009

can anyone post a pic of their corrected steering after the 8" suspension lift....

4x4junkie · Apr 3, 2009

I think the closest thing around here to that would be this:

That's 6.5" lift (on 6" brackets) and the steering is still about 2" short of being dead-on with the geometry. I wouldn't want to go much further than that on a Superlift steering kit (what that is) due to the idler arm bushing issue I already mentioned. 8" lift would really be pushing the envelope here.

If you're not up to modifying things or fabbing up something from scratch, then I would suggest dropping the height of your lift down instead.

ford1386 · Apr 6, 2009

would there be any vehicle or manufacturer i could get a more extreme drop pitman arm than skyjacker to make my steering more level, dont offroad the truck....

4x4junkie · Apr 6, 2009

'fraid not... I wouldn't want to have all that leverage being put on the box from such a long arm anyway. You'll need to set up a centerlink setup of some type.

Do you have a body lift? If not, I would suggest exploring that option if you want your truck so tall. A SAS is another to consider as well (the steering on a straight axle is usually more forgiving of any geometry issues than with the TTB).

ford1386 · Apr 6, 2009

i didnt know if they made a support for the steering box or not, but since they dont make one i guess no one would suggest cutting the skyjacker arm and inserting a piece, i do have a body lift but id like to be able to run like a 38.5 or 39, and all the sas conversion kit id been looking at are a couple grand...

ford1386 · Apr 7, 2009

and if i were to buy DOM tubing would i be ok to use these: http://www.ballisticfabrication.com/Single-poly-bushing-with-DOM-sleeve_p_1197.html.....

and how do i go about changing to chevy 1 ton tre's is there a benefit will they last longer....

and what is the thread count on factory ranger tre's if i decide to buy tube adapters to go to the factory tre....

4x4junkie · Apr 7, 2009

If they had a sleeve that was 4" wide, I'd say no problem, but 2.5" (for 3" bushing) is too narrow to control flexing of the idler arm (that's the same size as used on the Superlift idler arm).

What might be easiest to do is get a piece of DOM tube like that, but longer, then use some 1.5" leafspring bushings on the ends (you might also put a spacer inside there between the bushings so they won't try to crush toward each other).

The Chevy TREs are very good sturdy pieces. I'd recommend them... much stronger than the factory RBV stuff. You'll need to ream out the tapers on the pitman arm and your knuckles to fit them though.

(and no, I would never suggest cutting a pitman arm. Even if it were safe to do, you'd still have all that leverage on the sector shaft of the box. A brace wouldn't help with that).

RangerSVT · Apr 7, 2009

Try this, get a steering linkage from a superduty or D44 solid axle, cut it down to fit your spindle width...Basically your making a one piece bar from spindle to spindle, then taking and coming off the passenger spindle (or close to the pass spindle mounting to the steering linkage) and going to your pitman arm...
SVT

4x4junkie · Apr 7, 2009

That's not going to work well, the distance between the spindles on each side will vary with suspension movement (creating huge amounts of bumpsteer). The tierods need to be mounted on a movable centerlink.

custom fab steering????

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