my steering is starting to suck ass! the ball joint on the pitman arm is shot after 2 runs...i cant turn fully and the tie rod is bent...i have a new tie rod i made, look just like the one in the pic. my question is could i put a heim joint where the TRE is from the steering arm connects to the tie rod? or should i keep the 1 ton TRE and go with a hiem on the pitman arm side? or scram the whole thing and redo it??? any suggestions welcome!

Chris G.

2

I would never use a steering system that has the tie rod intersect with the drag link. Change it all out and have both the tie rod and drag link connect directly with the right side steering arm.

First question is...Why would you get a bent tie rod made?jk:D

Looks to me like the pitman arm and the tie rod are hitting, causing the bend. The joint at the pitman arm is probably a casualty because of it. I would use a different pitman arm, or move the box farther forward, or what you may end up with is a busted sector shaft in the steering box.

Originally posted by Chris Geiger
I would never use a steering system that has the tie rod intersect with the drag link. Change it all out and have both the tie rod and drag link connect directly with the right side steering arm.

Personally, I would not have it run to the steering arm. My own opinion.

Is that a spacer under the left side of the tie rod?:eek:

edit.....
Oh, I see it now, that is the steering arm. It just looked like a spacer.

Chris has something though, if you move the tie rod back on the steering and run the drag link to the steering arm, then you would get the clearance you need to the pitman arm. May keep you from taco-ing the tie rod as well. I just dont like the slow response in the steering from having the drag link so far out on the arm.

Looks like you have the brake line sitting in a spot that is just asking to be pinched by the inner and outer knuckles.

Na the brake line just looks funny in the pic....it is well away from hitting anything.

no the pitman arm does not hit the tie rod....now. that is the new arm they dont hit.

the thing about that style of steering is it is easy and wont bind....

if i drill 2 new holes in the hysteer arms farther back will it be too far back? what is a good lenght from the ball joint to the drag link?

Chris G.

On the 44 I ran, it was about 5 3/4" from the center of the upper ball joint stud.

As far as the binding issue with your style of steering, it will only not bind at the tie rod end of the drag link. It can still be limited by the travel at the pitman arm end. Make sure you run a drag link end, not a tie rod end, on the drag link. It will have more travel. That may also be one of you problems with wearing it out.

is there enough meat on the pitman arm to drill it out for a 3/4 heim? or 5/8? is that strong enough?

Chris G.

I run my steering off of my TRE, no problemo..