[gary78bronco]

before you attack me i did search it.
I have a 78 bronk just put cage radius arms on it and i just noticed that it turns very sharp to the passenger side so far it will touch the arms. but now to the drivers side it doesn't turn nearly that far. does anyone know if i can move my pitman arm or is something very wrong?

 

[cmprice]

ya the pitman arm isnt set right...

 

[gary78bronco]

doesn't the pitman arm have the teeth so it can only go in one spot? sorry im lazy and its to cold to tear it a part right now.

 

[WOOD]

Maybe you need to adjust the steering stops?

 

[gary78bronco]

i dont think its the stops but i will double check them.

 

[B-Rads B-Ronk]

Totally off topic, where did you get you RA's?

 

[M.L.S.C.]

crank steering wheel to full lock towards right, see if the stopper on the knuckle hit the axle in the respective spot. Do the same thing when at full lock towards left. If both stoppers did hit the axle then they are misadjusted, you'll have to play with one (or both) and get 'em back to where they need to be. Now straighten the steering wheel, jump out truck, look under steering box - does the pitman arm point straight towards the back? It should. Also did you install only the radius arms, or you also added lift to it at the same time (as in, the lift wasn't there prior to the cage arms)? Just throwing some ideas based on what I had to go through with my '78 F150 with 4" lift...

 

[jigmister]

if you lifted the truck everything needs to be adjusted. drag link is too short now.

 

[big_ol_bronco78]

agree with above. if you don't get the steering box back to neutral, it'll wear out a lot faster, and you'll have those steering issues. get an adjustable drag link, well worth the money, also a drop bracket for track bar(what i did, made my own), and drop pitman arm. this will clear up the steering problem, just take your time, this isn't the place to get cheap, or you'll be replacing that steering box quicker than you want to, also you'll get bump steer and other steering issues

 

[gary78bronco]

crank steering wheel to full lock towards right, see if the stopper on the knuckle hit the axle in the respective spot. Do the same thing when at full lock towards left. If both stoppers did hit the axle then they are misadjusted, you'll have to play with one (or both) and get 'em back to where they need to be. Now straighten the steering wheel, jump out truck, look under steering box - does the pitman arm point straight towards the back? It should. Also did you install only the radius arms, or you also added lift to it at the same time (as in, the lift wasn't there prior to the cage arms)? Just throwing some ideas based on what I had to go through with my '78 F150 with 4" lift...




The drag link is between the nuckles correct? if that is how could it be to short or do have the wrong thing for the drag link? I already had it lifted just added the radius arms. thanks for the info.

 

[gary78bronco]

agree with above. if you don't get the steering box back to neutral, it'll wear out a lot faster, and you'll have those steering issues. get an adjustable drag link, well worth the money, also a drop bracket for track bar(what i did, made my own), and drop pitman arm. this will clear up the steering problem, just take your time, this isn't the place to get cheap, or you'll be replacing that steering box quicker than you want to, also you'll get bump steer and other steering issues

how could i have the steering not back to neutral? the pitman arm has certain grooves that only let it go in one way. correct? it has a drop pit man arm and i ordered a new track bar lowering mount. so i just have to look at the stops. thanks for all the help?

 

[gary78bronco]

Totally off topic, where did you get you RA's?

If your talking about the radius arms. which I think you are. I got them from sexton's offroad.

http://www.sextonoffroad.com/home/

 

[acct21]

I thought the pitman arm had a few wide splines, so you could put it on a few different ways. My guess is you're off one spline to the right (passenger) side.

 

[M.L.S.C.]

The drag link is between the nuckles correct? if that is how could it be to short or do have the wrong thing for the drag link? I already had it lifted just added the radius arms. thanks for the info.

AFAIK drag link is the bar that runs between the pitman arm and the passenger-side knuckle, the one that runs across the axle from knuckle to knuckle is the tie rod me thinks. When you lift with stock drag link and pitman arm it pulls the pitman arm to the right, remedied by a longer drag link or a drop pitman arm. You say you got the correct drop pitman arm so then draglink should not be an issue, besides it ain't like you just did the lift anyways - if the problems were there before the new arms I would blame it on the lift, but if all was good tis the arms you probably wanna look into... such as, are they equally long (the left and the right one I mean)?

 

[gary78bronco]

AFAIK drag link is the bar that runs between the pitman arm and the passenger-side knuckle, the one that runs across the axle from knuckle to knuckle is the tie rod me thinks. When you lift with stock drag link and pitman arm it pulls the pitman arm to the right, remedied by a longer drag link or a drop pitman arm. You say you got the correct drop pitman arm so then draglink should not be an issue, besides it ain't like you just did the lift anyways - if the problems were there before the new arms I would blame it on the lift, but if all was good tis the arms you probably wanna look into... such as, are they equally long (the left and the right one I mean)?

I never noticed it before but it could have been. I will look into the arms but i measured them 500 times on each side to make sure they were installed correct. but i will look again.

 

[rkymtnbrnc]

if you lifted the truck everything needs to be adjusted. drag link is too short now.

Not too mention the track bar is probably too short too.
Good eye Jig.

 

[M.L.S.C.]

He said he gots a drop arm, draglink should be okay as long as the arm matches the lift. The Panhard bar tho, that's probably sitting at a wrong angle now, but he has the drop mount on order... by the way I have neither drop arm, nor drop mount for the Panhard, yet I have no funky steering - I still think those radius arms are the cause of his grievances, seeing how that's the only thing he changed since before the steering issues.

 

[gary78bronco]

He said he gots a drop arm, draglink should be okay as long as the arm matches the lift. The Panhard bar tho, that's probably sitting at a wrong angle now, but he has the drop mount on order... by the way I have neither drop arm, nor drop mount for the Panhard, yet I have no funky steering - I still think those radius arms are the cause of his grievances, seeing how that's the only thing he changed since before the steering issues.

The more I think about it it has been an issue the whole time because it has always rubbed on the radius arms. But how will the track bar effect the steering?

 

[acct21]

Track bar too short = axle pulled over toward driver's side.

 

[Johnny]

That'd be my guess....