High steer drilling

[rstrucks]

Is there a good rule of thumb to figuring out where to drill a high steer arm for the drag link. I know I can cycle the st. box and cycle the tie rod and try to match up the "throw", I'm just curious if there is a different way.

My arms are already drilled for the tie rod, just not the drag link. I'm running the stock box (for now) and I need to drill tonight!

[ATL ZJ]

Mounting your tie rods closer to the knuckle gives you more travel, (greater steering arc/faster response) but less leverage on the knuckle. Mounting them farther away reduces your steering angles for the same amount of input at the steering wheel.

Maybe you already know that, but I figured it was worth saying either way. The terminology gets a little bit tricky because in your case the drag link end is doing the same job that tie rod end in a full hydro setup does, so that is why I said tie rod.

[paulkeith]

If you know your u joint deflection angle, you can use some trigonometry to figure out the linear travel of your tierod versus distance to the balljoint/kingpin.

Set that equal to whatever your linear travel is lock to lock (or what you want lock to lock to be) on your steering box/pitman arm combo, and you should get your distance.

.......if you want to get technical about it.

[IndyZJ]

I was under the impression that the center to center measurement of the pitman arm is supposed to match the distance from the center of the balljoint/ kingpin to the center of the draglink hole on the steering arm to maximize steering angle and minimize effort. Is this not true?

[ATL ZJ]

You also need to think about where you locate the hole in relation to how you want your ackerman to end up. that is if your arms are wide enough to allow some inboard/outboard adjustment...

[zj95maxx]

Originally Posted by IndyZJ

I was under the impression that the center to center measurement of the pitman arm is supposed to match the distance from the center of the balljoint/ kingpin to the center of the draglink hole on the steering arm to maximize steering angle and minimize effort. Is this not true?

What he said.

[rstrucks]

Originally Posted by IndyZJ

I was under the impression that the center to center measurement of the pitman arm is supposed to match the distance from the center of the balljoint/ kingpin to the center of the draglink hole on the steering arm to maximize steering angle and minimize effort. Is this not true?

I thought thats what the rule was but wasn't sure.

I didn't get around to drilling the hole tonight as I ran out of time. Maybe tomorrow.

[rstrucks]

Originally Posted by ATL ZJ

You also need to think about where you locate the hole in relation to how you want your ackerman to end up. that is if your arms are wide enough to allow some inboard/outboard adjustment...

Both tie rod holes are already drilled at the end/inboard side of the arm. I just need to add an attachment point for the drag link.

[ATL ZJ]

Originally Posted by rstrucks

Both tie rod holes are already drilled at the end/inboard side of the arm. I just need to add an attachment point for the drag link.

Disregard my comment then, and forgive me for being stuck in the full hydro mindset and low on sleep!

[rstrucks]

Originally Posted by ATL ZJ

forgive me for being low on sleep!

I hear ya.

I should get some R and R this weekend though.

[rstrucks]

Just to update;

IndyZJ was right - it turned out that the correct distance is nearly identical to the pitman arm center to center measurement. I ended up welding a bracket on to my high steer arm to attach my drag link to. That way seemed to work out the best. I'll have pics of it in my build thread soon.

Thanks