CRASH / GOATMAN: More Dana 44 questions

[Paul S]

Looks good :cheers:

Question: do you have any tierod to coil &/or sway bar link &/or TB mount interference when you turn full lock to lock? It looks like your your coils are mounted in front of the axle (same as stock), I found that with Mike's (relatively short) hi-steer arms I had to almost center my coils over the axle to get full steering.

I'd lower it 3+ inches, take the steering stab off, add a little caster, & go wheeling.

Paul

 

[Goatman]

Same comments as the others. Castor could be a little more, although it will work OK at where you're at. The track bar is good since you have the really dropped pitman arm.....but that big drop could eventually be a problem. Sounds like you're already going to change it out.

Do you need a stabilizer shock? I've never run one with my D44, and never needed it. Not even with a slightly loose steering heim joint, a slightly loose track bar JJ, or bad ball joints. I'd dump the steering shock. The stock stabilizer is there to compensate for the questionable stock steering quality and design......yours isn't at all the same now.

Bet it feels good to have it finished (at least this part of it). :thumbup:

:cheers:

 

[cracker]

Well, since I was held up from leaving to go to the Rubicon on Thursday Morning because of a hole, I got it done in time to head up there for Friday. But as it goes another h... held me up. (she laughed too!) My wife wanted to do something else. So instead we drove the XJ up to Pismo Beach on Friday to 'freeway' test the Jeep. It seemed to be fine. I know I am at about 3 degrees of castor but it seemed pretty good. I actually have a lifted Ford Expedition that drives as if it is on crack (I sneeze and it goes left) so I am pretty used to a twitchy steering but as you can see my pinion could be dropped a tad. I will do that when I pull the 3/4" coil spacer out in a few weeks (before Swamp Lake).

Pismo was a success. My wife and I drove around the dunes for a little while (it was my first time in the sand like that.) It was pretty fun. That was the 'dune' test of the new D44.

This one is as we are leaving. This is the XJ fully loaded for wheeling. I am still a little concerned about being that high but so far no significant issues (yet).

I took it out today to Rohwer Flats to test it out and I have to admit (I know it is an easy trail) but the trail was even easier than usual with the 44 and 35s.

So far so good. The only MAJOR thing I learned is that I need to change to a shorter (stock) pitman arm. I actually met a fellow XJ'r after the run and picked up a stock pitman arm. When I install it I will lower my hole on the track bar mount and cut off the excess (trackbar tower) above it (and finally paint the thing).

Question: do you have any tierod to coil &/or sway bar link &/or TB mount interference when you turn full lock to lock? It looks like your your coils are mounted in front of the axle (same as stock), I found that with Mike's (relatively short) hi-steer arms I had to almost center my coils over the axle to get full steering.
Paul

Actually I do have the coil pad back a tad. Only on left turns does my right high-steer arm hits my swaybar mount. I am going to address this later this week and should have it corrected so my tires then will hit my long LCA. You have to ask Mike for the 7 1/4" arms or his regular arms will be way to short. The 7 1/4" arms are still 3/8" shorther than the stock knuckles are.

MINE (passenger side):

STOCK (drivers side/coil pads are way forward) :

Do you need a stabilizer shock? I've never run one with my D44, and never needed it. Not even with a slightly loose steering heim joint, a slightly loose track bar JJ, or bad ball joints. I'd dump the steering shock. The stock stabilizer is there to compensate for the questionable stock steering quality and design......yours isn't at all the same now.

I actually do think I need the stabilizer. It is a daily driver and my wife drives it too. I will have it set up differently later this week when I get the new pitman arm installed and I will be able to tuck it (stabilizer) away pretty well.

Bet it feels good to have it finished (at least this part of it). :thumbup:

YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW GOOD IT FEELS TO HAVE IT BACK ON THE ROAD! I was pretty stressed and tired from busting my ass for 4 days getting it all set up. I had to borrow a car from a friend to get to and from work.

Goat, do you have any concerns as far as my height? It seemed fine off road and I know you sit up there pretty high too (even with 37s). I understand height=easier rollover. I would like to get a different set of rear leafs to set me down a tad but as you can see in the beach pic above, it levels out when loaded up (plus I am removing the 3/4" coil spacer).

-Avery

 

[CRASH]

I just went from the 7" PM arms to the 6". No way to get full steering (i.e. use all available U-joint travel) with the 7" arms. Lots of work to move my coils and TB bracket back, but it was well worth it to have full steering again.

Just FYI for anyone else thinking of building a 44, move the coils back directly above the axle tube centerline.

CRASH

Well, since I was held up from leaving to go to the Rubicon on Thursday Morning because of a hole, I got it done in time to head up there for Friday. But as it goes another h... held me up. (she laughed too!) My wife wanted to do something else. So instead we drove the XJ up to Pismo Beach on Friday to 'freeway' test the Jeep. It seemed to be fine. I know I am at about 3 degrees of castor but it seemed pretty good. I actually have a lifted Ford Expedition that drives as if it is on crack (I sneeze and it goes left) so I am pretty used to a twitchy steering but as you can see my pinion could be dropped a tad. I will do that when I pull the 3/4" coil spacer out in a few weeks (before Swamp Lake).

Pismo was a success. My wife and I drove around the dunes for a little while (it was my first time in the sand like that.) It was pretty fun. That was the 'dune' test of the new D44.

This one is as we are leaving. This is the XJ fully loaded for wheeling. I am still a little concerned about being that high but so far no significant issues (yet).

I took it out today to Rohwer Flats to test it out and I have to admit (I know it is an easy trail) but the trail was even easier than usual with the 44 and 35s.

So far so good. The only MAJOR thing I learned is that I need to change to a shorter (stock) pitman arm. I actually met a fellow XJ'r after the run and picked up a stock pitman arm. When I install it I will lower my hole on the track bar mount and cut off the excess (trackbar tower) above it (and finally paint the thing).



Actually I do have the coil pad back a tad. Only on left turns does my right high-steer arm hits my swaybar mount. I am going to address this later this week and should have it corrected so my tires then will hit my long LCA. You have to ask Mike for the 7 1/4" arms or his regular arms will be way to short. The 7 1/4" arms are still 3/8" shorther than the stock knuckles are.

MINE (passenger side):

STOCK (drivers side/coil pads are way forward) :

I actually do think I need the stabilizer. It is a daily driver and my wife drives it too. I will have it set up differently later this week when I get the new pitman arm installed and I will be able to tuck it (stabilizer) away pretty well.



YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW GOOD IT FEELS TO HAVE IT BACK ON THE ROAD! I was pretty stressed and tired from busting my ass for 4 days getting it all set up. I had to borrow a car from a friend to get to and from work.

Goat, do you have any concerns as far as my height? It seemed fine off road and I know you sit up there pretty high too (even with 37s). I understand height=easier rollover. I would like to get a different set of rear leafs to set me down a tad but as you can see in the beach pic above, it levels out when loaded up (plus I am removing the 3/4" coil spacer).

-Avery

 

[cracker]

I just went from the 7" PM arms to the 6". No way to get full steering (i.e. use all available U-joint travel) with the 7" arms. Lots of work to move my coils and TB bracket back, but it was well worth it to have full steering again.

Just FYI for anyone else thinking of building a 44, move the coils back directly above the axle tube centerline.

CRASH

Crash,

I actually had full steering travel before I put my on swaybar mounts with the 7" arms (by full steering I mean hit the stops on the knuckles). Now with the tires on I do hit my LCA like I did when I had the D30 (without the swaybar mounts). I will re-locate the mounts later this week when I change out the pitman arm. I will post an update when I do this.

-Avery

 

[cracker]

I don;t know if you can say any of these projects are done, but I think I am there. I need to adjust my UCA back a tad to give me a little more castor angle but that is 'suspension' work. I finally put my stock pitman arm on and lowered my trackbar tower a hair after setting the drag link and trackbar parallel. I put some paint on there and adjusted the way my steering stabilizer was too.

I know, loose the steering stabilizer, but the wife drives the car and as a daily driver I wanted to play it safe until I work on the 'HYDRO-steer for under $100 project. I know, it is lastara but I am comfortable with that. I also realize that it is under the tie-rod defeating the purpose of the high steer. I can take it off easily if it is a problem and I will solve it with the ram project.

I just went from the 7" PM arms to the 6". No way to get full steering (i.e. use all available U-joint travel) with the 7" arms. Lots of work to move my coils and TB bracket back, but it was well worth it to have full steering again.

Just FYI for anyone else thinking of building a 44, move the coils back directly above the axle tube centerline.

CRASH

Crash, I actually understand what you are saying now ONLY after I put on the stock pitman arm. When I wrote the prior message I had the Skyjacker drop pitman arm on. I think that Skyjacker drop pitman arm not only sat lower, but also sat farther away goving me a tad more stroke in my steering. With the Skyjacker drop pitman arm I used all available U-joint travel but with the stock pitman arm I don't. I am really close to using all available U-joint travel but am a tad shy from hitting hence your comment.

And of course, the angles:

(BTW that is not rust, that is the funky reflection of my camera flash)