Replacement crawler

[mxracer919]

Nearly a year later, , I finally have tackled the steering gear mount and pitman. I wish I would have spent more time laying out the 1/4 I cut out, didn’t spend much time cleaning it up. Figured I was going to have to do it a couple of times to get it right. I crudely cut the 1/4 plate out, didn’t want to waste a whole bunch of time but put it all together and was on the money. Initially had a pvc drag link and couldn’t quite hit both steering locks. But found some junk pipe and was able to mock up a drag link. Steering goes lock to lock setup that way. Now that I know my drag link length I can build my track bar to the same length to keep it all happy.

Plan on twisting the rod end of the pitman arm to limit out the travel of the heim that way I have plenty of travel in the misalignment spacer for droop. Some shaping needs done to it as well as more metal to make it double shear.

 

[mxracer919]

Finally fought its way out of the back corner and made it onto the lift. Had to move the shock mounts again. Pushed them out to top of the knuckle, the bodies were hitting the shock hoop brace at droop before when on top of the truss. Plenty of clearance now.

 

[mxracer919]

So I dove in and started figuring out the drag link. At first I twisted the pitman arm slightly to allow the misalignment spacer enough travel for droop. Then decided to put a 22* bend in the drag link to allow enough travel on the knuckle side misalignment spacer. Then proceeded to build the track bar to the same length so I don’t have bump steer.

 

[mxracer919]

The next day I realized I overcomplicated it. Would prefer to have a straight drag link. Tore it back apart and hogged the hole out on the knuckle a little bit to allow the bolt to tilt a few degrees (before with a straight arm it was limiting out the travel of the misalignment spacer on the heim). It only needed a little bit to allow for the needed travel. Had my buddy machine up some custom weld washers to make the seat for the misalignment spacer and where the nut will clamp down level. 1.5” diameter with a .75 hole. 1/4” tall on one side down to 1/8” on the other. Will go in on top of the heim and add a bracket with come bracing to make it double sheer.

Much happier with how it looks. Just need to cut the drag link. Like to double check before cutting at $10/foot !

 

[mxracer919]

The angled weld washers worked as planned. Need to weld them on then cut the permanent drag link out of the 1.5 .250 wall DOM and make it permanent. From there it’s making the rest of the pitman arm and boxing it along with making the drag link mount in the knuckle double shear.

Finished up clearancing the rear shock mounts. The bodies on the ORI’s are huge. They were hitting the brackets at droop on the rear.

 

[mxracer919]

Finished up my version of a genright twisted pitman arm. Had theirs been the right length I would’ve gone that route. Could’ve saved me from cycling the suspension and going steering lock to lock probably 60 times. Top and bottom plate are made out of 1/4”. Cut up a factory pitman arm for the splines. Preheated before welding the cast. Wrapped it in 3/16.

 

[mxracer919]

Hung the poly tank, the bracket they offer lined up perfectly with the antirock sleeve.

 

[barrys]

Finished up my version of a genright twisted pitman arm. Had theirs been the right length I would’ve gone that route. Could’ve saved me from cycling the suspension and going steering lock to lock probably 60 times. Top and bottom plate are made out of 1/4”. Cut up a factory pitman arm for the splines. Preheated before welding the cast. Wrapped it in 3/16.

Been awhile since I held a pitman arm but that thing looks massive!

 

[mxracer919]

Been awhile since I held a pitman arm but that thing looks massive!

It is beefy. It’s the same length as a cj arm pretty much as far as mounting holes. Having to set it up double shear for the heim added quite a bit of material.