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Pitman arm and tie rod making contact

CJ8LVR

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Doing a tie rod / drag link flip.
Got everything on the top sides of the knuckles and installed.
Pitman arm end of the drag link is attached to the bottom side of the pitman arm.
Pitman arm is a NO DROP flat pitman arm.
Jeep has approximately 2" suspension lift at this point.
I'm getting contact between the rod end and the pitman arm and the tie rod.
I looked at simply flipping the pitman arm but it's indexing splines get it in the wrong orientation (Not centered front to back)
I guess I could buy another sleeve from OK4wd and ream out my pitman arm.

Anybody got any ideas?
Gonna go rummage through a friend's pitman arm selection to see if there is one that'll work for me.
Thanks in advance.
 

SHLTR2

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Those pitman arm spline holes are tapered. Better to get an undrilled one and drill and ream it to suit.
 

Randyzzz

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Get a Chev Astro Awd arm. Perfectly flat, and can be reamed from the top down. I had to do that on my Scrambler. MORE makes a steering box mount that moves the box forward 1" too.


2, proofread and cleared by the NSA.
 

certifiablejeep

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A picture would go a long way for showing this... do you have the rods adjusted correctly?
Did you reuse them or get new ones?

I have done t his on a few Jeeps and never had touching like you said.

I asked if it was reused as you have to make sure they aren't damaged from the get go (bent, tweaked, etc.)

I have a flat pitman arm on a 4" setup and there is like an inch or 2 of separation vertically, so with a 2 inch, they should be about level I would thing.

cb
 

certifiablejeep

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So, what setup do you have?
I ran the part number and it says it is for a manual steering box and it looks like you have power steering, so actually that would probably (or shouldn't) fit the sector shaft as one is larger than the other if I recall.

Also, the length looks long, but I am going from memory... how long is the pitman arm from center to center?

i just found a thread saying it should be 5.5" or so, but again, that is free info on the net, I am not in front of the Jeep to check it myself.
I don't have any great pictures on my site to see the pitman around like you have, so it is tough to tell.


cb
 

certifiablejeep

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One other thing to mention/note... when you put the new lift springs on, did you do anything like adding shims to the axles?
It looks like it is hitting, but just barely, so I wonder if you had shims in there or didn't, would that affect the it or not.

cb
 

CJ8LVR

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Stock axle, ~ 2" spring lift, 1" body, Big Daddy tie rod and drag link kit, stock style Moog TREs, OK4wd taper sleeves and top reamed knuckles to put it all on top of tbe knuckles, stock power steering, and (now just learned) possibly a manual steering flat pitman arm that measures approximately 6 3/4" or maybe a little less center of hole to center of hole.
 

certifiablejeep

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I can measure when I get to the Jeep if it is still light out.
I know that the manual arm would not allow it to go up as high on the sector shaft as the power steering one would as the PS one is a larger hole.
So, not sure how much it would move it up, but the length between the 2 are the same supposedly.

So, even if you had a PS one and you got it to raise up and sitting on the ground level it moves freely, it might not act the same way through the whole range of motion.
I think what you need is a shorter one, like what was mentioned above (at least I think that is what the astro van one was, if not, find a shorter one, or take one and make it shorter)
Just make sure if you make one yourself, it is done right, this is the heart of the steering we are talking about and don't want any failures.

cb
 

CJ8LVR

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Madison
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One other thing to mention/note... when you put the new lift springs on, did you do anything like adding shims to the axles?
It looks like it is hitting, but just barely, so I wonder if you had shims in there or didn't, would that affect the it or not.

cb

No shims.
Springs were under it when I got it.
 

certifiablejeep

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The couple I measured seem to be closer to 6", but it is hard to get an exact measurement as they are on the Jeep and the holes are filled with parts.

cb
 

John N

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What arm do you want a measurement on? I've got a good assortment and I'm using an Astro arm on my Scrambler.
 

CJ8LVR

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I'm wondering about the center of hole to center of hole measurements on these three:

1) Stock CJ with power steering
2) Stock CJ with manual steering
3) Astro Van

On the Astro Van one, I'm curious to know which way the taper goes on the TRE end (non-splined although I believe the splines are tapered so the major diameter of the splines should be oriented up)
 

John N

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I don't have a CJ manual arm, but I can get the other 2 tomorrow. The taper on the Astro arm is irrelevant, it's too small either direction and will need to be reamed the way you want it. It has plenty of thickness to get to whatever you want.
 

Randyzzz

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Fighting the same issue that you have, I reamed the Astro arm top down so the rod end fits on top. Helps a bunch, although I don't think it will clear the sway bar. (Never put mine back on.)

A CJ manual arm is 6 3/4" C/C, and a little drop. Power arm the same, just bigger splines. Astro is about 6" and perfectly flat.

I looked at the Scrambler I just installed the HD rods on, and if I had done a tie rod flip I'd run into the same issue you have. And it has a 3" lift. The Waggy front on my Copper Scrambler has the rods flipped and that's what led to my issues there. The Astro arm cleared it up 99%. But, now I have a bit larger turning diameter.

With the Astro arm, the only time mine gets close now is at full compression. (Axle moves forward as spring compresses.) Was thinking about a shackle reversal to help, but there's no room behind either because of my oil pan. I bought a 1" forward mount but never got around to installing it, I'll probably per-emptively put it on Red.
 

CJ8LVR

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Just talked to Mike Starkebaum and I'm thinking a stock TJ or YJ pitman arm is what I'll need.
Taper sleeves from OK4wd ordered just now in case I need them (2 in case I screw one up).
 

Randyzzz

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XJ stock arm is like 3" lift arm on a CJ.

forum


From L to R, stock CJ pitman (straight) arm, a stock YJ/TJ arm (2.5" of drop), a stock XJ arm (3.5" of drop), and finially an aftermarket XJ arm measureing at 4.5".

Astro Van arm (Pic from JohnN's thread)

IMG_0291-1.jpg


https://www.cj-8.com/forum/showthread.php?30180-astro-van-pitman-arm-info
 

Randyzzz

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My Astro install, drag link on top.
8ezu7ygy-1.jpg



2, proofread and cleared by the NSA.
 

CJ8LVR

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Madison
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XJ stock arm is like 3" lift arm on a CJ.

IMG_3853-800.jpg


From L to R, stock CJ pitman (straight) arm, a stock YJ/TJ arm (2.5" of drop), a stock XJ arm (3.5" of drop), and finially an aftermarket XJ arm measureing at 4.5".

HOLY COW!!!!!!
That picture is a friend of mines picture from a few years ago.
I was in his garage last night and came home with the pitman arm on the far left. It is currently sitting in my garage! Small world!
That's hilarious!
 
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