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Drag-link recommendations?

1K views 19 replies 11 participants last post by  Cap'n Ron 
#1 ·
Howdy-

I have the 5" spoa, calmini drop pitman arm, and 1" lift shackles. My Drag link is contacting the spring on when I turn lock-to-lock.

Any recommendations on a CHEAP z-link (will they work with my mix of parts)or tips on bending/gusseting/lengthening the stock one?

I'm wondering what will happen if I try to get a muffler shop to do the bends, then gusset them and extend one of the straight sections just a bit???
 
#3 ·
I have made several using 3/4" cold-rolled round bar, welding the factory ends to it, stictching on two pieces of 1x1x1/4" angle, bending it into a reverse "S" in a press, and then welding a few more stiches along the seem between the angle iron halves. Used this with power steering, lockers, and 33's for a while with no problems.

Petroworks normally has pretty good stuff, but their bar looks whimpy to me. If you want to buy one, Trail Tough has a solid looking one for $129.
 
#4 ·
save your money get a crossoever, like OTT stage one from Rocky road, a few months with a z link you'll hate it and will have wasted your time (if you make it ) and money i had a z link and swaped to a OTT and its so much beter z links suck thats all there is to it
 
#5 ·
supazuk94 said:
save your money get a crossoever, like OTT stage one from Rocky road, a few months with a z link you'll hate it and will have wasted your time (if you make it ) and money i had a z link and swaped to a OTT and its so much beter z links suck thats all there is to it
I wonder if I can use that with my drop pitman arm? I had to cut up the stock arm to get it off.
 
#6 ·
supazuk94 said:
save your money get a crossoever, like OTT stage one from Rocky road, a few months with a z link you'll hate it and will have wasted your time (if you make it ) and money i had a z link and swaped to a OTT and its so much beter z links suck thats all there is to it

I just bent my Zlink yesterday. It was 1" x .188" wall DOM. I was trying to climb two rocks at once and I guess the bigger rock held my wheel well enough that it just pretzled the Zlink. A straight draglink would have probably pretzled also...but its enough for me that I will finally be swapping in real axles and going to real steering. Stay away from the Zlink. Spend your money on Crossover. All of the vendors sell it.

Paul
 
#8 ·
Super J said:
I wonder if I can use that with my drop pitman arm? I had to cut up the stock arm to get it off.
definately just tell RRO what you have for a lift they will set you up with mostlikly a striaght draglink and flat arm ... however do you ever plan on going yj's??? if you do tell them a raised arm will not hurt you it will however save you a bundle later when you need it I think i paid 199 for my OTT kit you would pay around 189 and later can up grade to the stage two kit to get the drag link up top later for another $130
 
#11 ·
scO44 said:
Check out stomper industries z-link, it is pretty burly.. You can find that one through asianautoparts.com

Scott
Wow... that's cheap ($50 +core charge)
I'll probably get that one.
 
#12 ·
here is a future parts replacer lol ...
post in 2 month:
Hurts to hold wheel any recormendations???
I have this death wobble and tons of bumps steer could my z link have any thing to do with this.?
 
#13 ·
supazuk94 said:
here is a future parts replacer lol ...
post in 2 month:
Hurts to hold wheel any recormendations???
I have this death wobble and tons of bumps steer could my z link have any thing to do with this.?
Hahah yeah my bump steer was manageable with the drop arm and just the spoa, but these darn tow shackles (2"longer than stock) puts the bump steer back in the ugly phase. I'll probably low-buck the current one until I feel like springing for the rocky-road OTT.
 
#14 ·
yeah i only say this cause mine was bad, actully I just thought it was just the tires and stuff I used sean divvinys ( aftermarket 4x4) z link .. great in evpensive product, till i went to the OTT .. its great now till i bent my front springs .. lets see now i'm adding m/ls and cj's up front ( TT's M/ls and RRO's rear up fron't lets see how bad the wobble is humm what kida shim should i use lol and spidertrax track bar...... when did this hobey get out of control.. its like everthig i do i need to make it beter
 
#16 ·
supazuk94 said:
save your money get a crossoever, like OTT stage one from Rocky road, a few months with a z link you'll hate it and will have wasted your time (if you make it ) and money i had a z link and swaped to a OTT and its so much beter z links suck thats all there is to it

I agree 110%.

It was a world of difference between the OTT and the Z link. As a bonus, I have no worries about hitting the tie rod or drag link.
 
#18 ·
oh don't get me wrong .. a well built z-nk like aftermarkets will work and be fine .. but you will wrestle your wheel .. its just the x over steering makes turning and handleing 33's like drive on pavement with stock tires.. in fact way better
 
#20 ·
supazuk94 said:
here is a future parts replacer lol ...
post in 2 month:
Hurts to hold wheel any recormendations???
I have this death wobble and tons of bumps steer could my z link have any thing to do with this.?
A z-link does NOT address bump steer...it just bends the drag link around the springs so they don't hit each other. Okay, if you drew a straight line from the pitman arm to the steering knuckle on the hub, it would have some angle...let's say 30 degrees. If you make a "Z" link, an "S" link, a "W" link...doesn't matter, the relationship between the knuckle and the pitman is STILL 30 degrees from parallel (to the axle or ground). All the drag link bending in the world won't change this.

Why is this important? As the suspension dives, and that 30 degrees becomes 0 degrees, the drag link effectively became longer. That's just simple geometry. If it gets longer under compression and shorter under extension, the front end WILL steer on it's own. THAT'S bump steer.

The ONLY way to address bump steer is to make the drag link parallel to the axle...you can do that with a drop pitman, an OTT (knuckle over) setup or both...depending on how much lift you have.

You want to feel something really squirrely? Add a coil suspension with a panhard that's not only NOT parallel with the ground...it's also NOT parallel with the drag link :eek: That thing was all over the road! I spent a lot of effort getting them both parallel to each other...and as close to parrallel to the axle. They are now both at exactly 4.3 degrees from being perfectly horizontal and the steering is solid and predictable...with no bump steer :D

As to your death wobble...if it's a true "death wobble" as in the action of a shopping cart's front wheels, I imagine your caster is out of whack.
 
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