steering issues and a low budget

[chazawazzle]

Hey guys, my ranger has problems. Now i know that after i lifted it that i needed to install a longer drop pitman arm, but i dont have the money right now for the extreme drop. Any way, my truck pulls to the left hard and wont stay in allignment or straiten the steering wheel. There is alot of play in the steering wheel but there has always been that. Question:Before i go and buy the pitman arm, i was wondering how i would check to see if my steering components are still good or not. 1990 six inch skyjacker class II, three inch body lift, 2.9 manuel 4x4.

any help would be greatly valued.
chaz

 

[4x4junkie]

Check for play in the joints on your tierod & draglink (slight rotational movement is OK), check the ball joints for looseness, steering column, etc. Also check for any play within the steering box.
Any loose linkage items will need to be replaced. If there's play in the box itself, (provided it's not too excessive) you can adjust the screw on the top to tighten it up. Be careful though, you can bind up the box if you go too tight, possibly damaging it (not to mention could turn into a dangerous situation if you don't check it before venturing out onto the road). With the linkage disconnected from the pitman arm, turn the screw in a little at a time, checking for any binding as you turn the wheel across center. Stop where the play is removed, but without it binding at all.

I do have to say though, if you have a geometry problem (such as a pitman arm that's too short), no amount of replacing what's there will fix it, so I'd put the pitman arm down as a required item no matter what, and then go from there (issues with pulling to one side or the other should also be easier to diagnose without your toe alignment wandering all over the place due to the linkage being out of alignment with your suspension beams).

 

[chazawazzle]

looks like i will be getting the extreme drop pitman arm then. will update and thank you for the info.
chaz

 

[4x4junkie]

No problem.
Post back if you have anymore issues.

 

[Surrey]

totally. At 6" the extreme drop is needed. Its nice for 4" lift, but not absolutely required.

 

[chazawazzle]

ok, got the drop arm, but i'm having trouble getting the old one off. i have a puller but it wont fit around the top of the pitman arm where it meets the steering box. do you know any tricks to make the job a little easier?
chaz

 

[chazawazzle]

got it off!!! now i need to know if the nut that holds the pitman arm to the shaft is 1and 5/16 or what? i tried 1and 1/4, but that was too small. then i tried 32mm and that was too little and 33mm was too big. so my guess would be 1and 5/16, is that right?

 

[chazawazzle]

FIXED!!!!!!!!!!!!! The extreme drop pitman arm did the trick now it's all back to where it should be, minus the worn ball joints but thats another day and another dollar.
Thanks for the advise gentlemen.
chaz

 

[chazawazzle]

UPDATE: Well, I took the ranger to the allignment store and had a large camber bushing put in the driver side and still have a smaller one on the passenger side. They said I can get away with it because they can get the passenger side to within 0.8 degrees of specs. Then I took it wheelin with the new drop pitman arm and a fresh allignment and when I got home, the wheels (both this time) were kicked in at the top. I'm starting to get pissed with this allignment issue so I asked them to diagnose the problem and tell me what is making it do that and they came up with the idea that the steering shaft was loose and now they can't fix it until i replace it. So, I replaced it and will be taking it back tommorow. Now I did notice that the steering extension for my body lift is loose in the housing, but I can't figure out how any play in the shaft would effect my camber/caster issue.

Do you guys think that maybe they don't use the right bushings or maybe it's a lazy technician laying his greasy hands on my baby and feeding me the first thing that comes to mind? I need help. What factors besides camber bushings effect camber/caster?
please help me.
chaz

 

[4x4junkie]

Maybe he failed to tighten the bushings in the beam properly and they moved?
Or maybe it could be because of how you parked it... (check it after traversing in a straight line for 20 feet or more)

Also, if he couldn't get it to within actual specs (and didn't have an answer as to why), I'd be a little leery of him myself (maybe ask him why he could only go 0.8 from spec, if you didn't already).

Steering column shaft isn't going to affect caster/camber.

 

[4.0B2]

always possible to take it to a different shop, and if they can prove the other shop messed up, it is possible to have the original shop pick up the bill... it happens a good deal of time around here... now if the original shop won't, you do have to pay it.. but..

its hard to find someone that can do ttb right, and if you ever find someone.. find out the mechanics name and phone number- and if he is transfered, you chase him next time you need aligned.

 

[chazawazzle]

Now they say that the bushings are maxed out and cant get any more adjustment. do you know if these would be the right bushings that would have alot more adjustment than the ones the so called "professionals" would have?
Skyjacker SKY1035H Adjustable Camber Bushing
chaz

 

[4x4junkie]

How is the ride height of your suspension (beam pivot bolt height off the ground in relation to the center of your wheel hubs)?

Is it within the range of 0-2" above the center of the hubs? (wheels pointed straight)

(info explaining this can be found about 2/3rds down this page:
http://www.therangerstation.com/Magazine/winter2008/steering_tech.htm

 

[chazawazzle]

actually just read it and measured: the pivot bolts are almost 2'' below the hub. i was planning on putting some coil spacer washers underneath it. do you think that would be a good idea? and alsso in that article the guy used washers with a 1-3/8" by 3'' dimension, do they have to be that big because im having a hell of a time trying to find them in that size.

 

[4x4junkie]

The washers must have a 1-3/8" I.D., though the O.D is not as important (the majority of washers that size I've seen have about a 3-1/2" O.D., which is fine).

2" below the hubs... I think there lies your problem (your alignment guy's an idiot if he couldn't see that and was trying to pass it off as a problem in your column).
Is the axle already in the upper bracket holes? (assuming you have dual-hole brackets) Or can you move it to there? (I'd do that before spacers/washers). Then find a different alignment shop (a 4x4 shop or someplace familiar with modified suspensions would be your best bet for someone who knows what the hell they're doing).