Questions after lift help??

[michowski]

I just finished installing the rough country 4" suspension lift. I got new extended tuff country radius arms and I got new leafs on the rear instead of blocks. My front end now is way out of align. I expected this but now im wondering if I need a bigger drop pitman arm. Also I read 4x4junkies article on getting the most out of your ttb. What can I now do to my truck to get it setup properly so I to can get the most out of my ttb? Heres some pics of the front end after I drove it around the block and parked it. The suspension is settled.

 

[Hahnsb2]

Your linkage could be a bit flatter but that doesn't look bad... If you have adjustable camber bushings and a tape measure you can align it yourself. Just eyeball the camber by comparing how straight they are compared to the rear tires and use a tape measure to set the toe. I aligned mine like this and it drives perfectly straight when I let go of the wheel and the tires are wearing great

 

[pimtool]

Just remember if you lift the front off the ground to adjust things, roll it backward and forward about 5 feet or so to settle the suspension.

 

[michowski]

Is there another pitman arm that can level it? I know skyjacker has the 6-8 inch lift drop one but would that be to much?

 

[Thighman]

so u have a drop pitman arm on there? That sucks, also have you or someone else aligned your front end? I'm not sure about adding the extreme drop pitman arm but am curious to see what others say. Good luck

Also when you get it aligned it may be advantageous to buy some fully adjustable camber bushings just so it can be finely tuned

 

[michowski]

Im really waiting to hear from 4x4junkie and see what he says I can do to make this perform as good as it can offroad. Right now im just taking my time and trying to get everything dialed in properly.

In stock form with the lift its undrivable. The tires are just angled to inward and the truck drives like the brakes are on. I aligned it enough to were it tracks mostly straight and its drivable so I can take it in to get aligned first thing tomorrow morning. I just finished putting this lift on today so I havent driven it except around the block once.

 

[michowski]

Just remember if you lift the front off the ground to adjust things, roll it backward and forward about 5 feet or so to settle the suspension.

Heres some pics of the front end after I drove it around the block and parked it. The suspension is settled.

Got it covered man. Thanks

 

[Hahnsb2]

I'd still say your linkage angle is acceptable and shouldn't give you any problems once properly aligned.

 

[rickcdewitt]

your toe in will increase after the lift and the camber may or may not be in range depending on the lift.factory settings for toe are zero and the camber is 0 to -.5 degrees. this means if you use a tape measure you adjust toe till you get the same measurement front and back. for camber park it on very flat concrete and get the the biggest carpenters square you can find and hold it up to the side of the tire.the bottom of the tire should be an eighth of an inch from the straight edge.this doesn't address caster and i highly recommend going in and getting a full alignment for a hundred dollars or so.it will keep your tires from scrubbing real bad until you align it.that steering linkage angle looks like mine(i have 4 inches of lift) and will probably be managable but i still want the superrunner steering when i can afford it.
getting the most from the ttb? the real question is how much do you drive it on the highway and do you want the bad handling characteristics of soft springs and lots of travel?do you drive fast or slow?unless you want to dish out plenty of cash don't expect travel and good handling to both be present in your truck

 

[michowski]

I probly drive on the highway once or twice every 6 months lol. Otherwise its just to and from work or just bumming around the neighborhood. Its in the shop now getting the toe's done and im gonna take it into a 4x4 shop later in the week and have my camber/caster done, the whole 9 yards on that. For now im just making it driveable.

 

[du510]

It really doesnt look that bad, at all. After bringing it to a shop for an alignment, you should be 100% good to go.

 

[michowski]

I just got back from firestone and they did the toe angles on the tires. The guy even showed me the full sheet of the camber, caster. I was in spec for everything except my caster. I think it was the drivers side that was half a degree off spec. Everything else he said was in spec. I found a shop tho that will do the camber, caster. They said they will redrill a whole in the joint and put everything in spec or something. Im thinking about doing that still. Half a degree out of spec or not, its still out of spec.

 

[4x4junkie]

Your suspension looks a little low in those pics if you're looking to get the ride height dialed in (probably by about an inch or so).

I've found the best way to make sure the suspension is "settled", is to put a couple round metal dowels or rods with a steel plate under one front tire (and a similar thickness piece of wood or something under the opposite tire). This will guarantee there's no tension between the front tires that could influence the suspension's height (and eliminates having to roll it back & forth). Then check it for ride height, camber, caster & toe.

Your steering doesn't look real bad, but it's not ideal. The angle will probably worsen a bit if you raise the ride height though.
The "Extreme" drop arm from Skyjacker (pt# FA600) is very close to a true 4" drop, so it might be worth getting (you'll absolutely need it if you want to run better (more flexible) coil springs on it). I'd try running it with the arm you have first though (after dialing the suspension in) and see if the handling is acceptable before plunking $$$ down on the SJ arm (or a K-link setup).

 

[michowski]

Ok so put some spacers up front to raise it about an inch or 2. Then the sj arm to lower the steering linkage and I should be set then correct?

 

[4x4junkie]

That'll certainly work well, yes.
You'll have some pos camber after the spacers are in, but it should be very easy to get it dialed back out if the suspension is at a decent ride height (definitely get those 2-piece adjustable bushings if you haven't already, they make adjusting both the camber and caster so much easier).

Also, make sure the bumpstop on the driverside stops the axle before the diff housing hits that big drop plate bracket (you don't want a hole busted through your diff).