waggy 44 install

[bigwhitey]

Why is a Waggy drop potman are necessary? For the stock drag link/TRE?

Draglink length has nothing to do with it, it's matching the size of the pitman radius to the d44 knuckle radius.

The dana 44 knuckles stick out farther giving them a larger radius, to match this radius and achieve lock to lock steering the pitman arm needs to be longer to move them the full distance.

 

[bigwhitey]

 

[bigwhitey]

Picked up the warrior shock conversion. It adds aabout 1.5" to your overall shock length and allows you to run eye to eye shocks.


Here's a difference in the length

My RK 6.5" coils can unseat now before the 26.5" shock limits travel

Like everything else I see rear sway bar brackets could be used on the bottom and top of the shocks. I could of saved about $50 total and made everything myself.

 

[afd516]

Here is what happens to the stock length pitman arm that turns the knuckles on the d44. I had my steering in a bind. The wheels wanted to turn furthen than the arm would allow and snap!

I ordered a drop one from rustys it should work.

 

[hadfield4wd]

Draglink length has nothing to do with it, it's matching the size of the pitman radius to the d44 knuckle radius.

The dana 44 knuckles stick out farther giving them a larger radius, to match this radius and achieve lock to lock steering the pitman arm needs to be longer to move them the full distance.

So with my HP44 from a Ford I assume I need to use that pitman arm or one from a Waggy is this correct? Thanks.

Matt

 

[afd516]

From my research, I am gathering that you need to match the knuckle turning radius and the pitman turning radius and set your steering locks after you get you steering adjusted out.

I ordered a drop pitman arm from a waggy from rustys. I have it on but have not got to adjust the steering yet, but I think I will also get more turning radius out of the steering with the longer arm.

Also, the pitman out of a waggy, and I would imagine a ford, has a bigger tappered hole for the larger ball joint on the drag link from the ford or waggy. You will have to upgrade your steering or sleeve the pitman or something. I had already upgraded my steering to a 1 ton set up and had the old pitman drilled out so this was a bolt in application for me.

 

[bigwhitey]

Yeah I have the rustys waggy drop pitman, it will allow full lock to lock steering for my waggy axle.
I'm going to drill it out to 3/4" for a bolt to use heims. I'll use a solid knuckle to knuckle tierod and a solid pitman to knuckle draglink over top of it. This should solve my binding in the stock steering.
I'll post pics when I get it done.

 

[xjfrank]

I have a skyjacker one for an XJ laying in my garage, cost me a bit, take 75 shipped for it. It drops about 3 inches or so and is darn thick.

 

[MontanaXJ]

I'm running the SkyJacker JA350 arm on my Ford D44. I then had the arm tapered to accept a 7/8" Chevy TRE. The rest of my steering is Heims.

Below is a pic of my setup, but before the JA350 arm.

Greg M.

 

[hadfield4wd]

Can you use the Ford pitman arm? Is the spline count right? -or- will I have to get a Waggy one? thanks for all the help.


Matt

 

[cracker]

Can I get a pic on how you chopped the diff housing to remove the cast leaf pad?

 

[bigwhitey]

Can I get a pic on how you chopped the diff housing to remove the cast leaf pad?

No. If you look at this pic you can see I stayed out side the plug welds. I just took my 4.5 cutting blade and made my way around using the wd-40 trick to find my crack. then I cut across both sides until I split it off.

 

[cracker]

No. If you look at this pic you can see I stayed out side the plug welds. I just took my 4.5 cutting blade and made my way around using the wd-40 trick to find my crack. then I cut across both sides until I split it off.

You obviously go to the junk yards. Why didn't you get a set of flat top knuckles and go high steer? It is one of the huge advantages of going to a 44. That and locking hubs never mind stronger shafts.

The inverted Y steering blows ass. Why didn't you use the waggy tierod and drag link? It is a lot stronger as well.

 

[BRIANHO13]

Does the longer waggy pitman arm not cause binding on an inverted T between the drag link and tie rod?

 

[cracker]

Does the longer waggy pitman arm not cause binding on an inverted T between the drag link and tie rod?

There will always be that small 'dead' spot on the inverted T. Your other option would be crossover then your guaranteed to have some (even if minor) bumpsteer unless you can make your panhard almost as long as the draglink.

 

[bigwhitey]

You obviously go to the junk yards. Why didn't you get a set of flat top knuckles and go high steer? It is one of the huge advantages of going to a 44.

I saw no reason to add the price of highsteer knuckles to my build when the OTK has worked so geat for me.

That and locking hubs never mind stronger shafts.

I don't see how I could get stronger shafts??? I'm pretty sure the waggy outers are 30 spline like the inners. Also heres a pic of the locking hubs from post #17

The inverted Y steering blows ass. Why didn't you use the waggy tierod and drag link? It is a lot stronger as well.

Tried installing the Waggy drop pitman today. It has the same amount of drop as the stock XJ pitman.
However the TRE taper is larger then the XJ, Also with the longer radius it pushes the draglink over the TR stopping any uptravel in the steering.

I Guess I'll order the BPS OTK setup. This will take care of the taper issue as my knuckles are already drilled to 3/4" I'll just remove the inserts and drill out the Pitman. I heard Heims are great anyways.

 

[cracker]

CRACKER TO BIGWHITEY

I was saying the locking hubs and the stronger shafts we ALSO benefits to going to a 44 in ADDITION to going high steer.

I know there is a bunch of us who wheel prettry hard that had issues daily with the OTK set up until we went to high steer. I haven't had to get a new tie rod in 12 months which is a record. high steer was one of the biggest benefits I had since I have been wheelin.

FWIW, heims aren't all they are cracket up to be. Before you spend all that $ on you OTK set up, look into using 3/4 GM TREs. They are affordable, accessable at most auto parts stores, last longer than heims, and can even take up to 60 degree angles without the need to the mis-alignment washers.

 

[bigwhitey]

CRACKER TO BIGWHITEY

I was saying the locking hubs and the stronger shafts we ALSO benefits to going to a 44 in ADDITION to going high steer.

I know there is a bunch of us who wheel prettry hard that had issues daily with the OTK set up until we went to high steer. I haven't had to get a new tie rod in 12 months which is a record. high steer was one of the biggest benefits I had since I have been wheelin.

FWIW, heims aren't all they are cracket up to be. Before you spend all that $ on you OTK set up, look into using 3/4 GM TREs. They are affordable, accessable at most auto parts stores, last longer than heims, and can even take up to 60 degree angles without the need to the mis-alignment washers.

Yeah I just can't see the benefit of high steer in my mind. How are you bending tierods? By hitting them on something? Would'nt any tierod be in the way danger wether the drag link is connected to it or the knuckle.
Please remember I live in Florida.

The biggest gain I see in a true highsteer is I would have a drag link parralell to the ground. But then I would need a trac bar mount on the axle thats taller and has more leverage to rip loose.

 

[cracker]

Yeah I just can't see the benefit of high steer in my mind. How are you bending tierods? By hitting them on something? Would'nt any tierod be in the way danger wether the drag link is connected to it or the knuckle.
Please remember I live in Florida.

The biggest gain I see in a true highsteer is I would have a drag link parralell to the ground. But then I would need a trac bar mount on the axle thats taller and has more leverage to rip loose.

I guess it is a Florida thing.

I can't run trails out here without high-steer cuz 1) my driving sucks 2) we have a ton of rocks out here. Florida is a lot different.

The angles are nice whe you are lifted with high steer though

 

[bigwhitey]

I guess it is a Florida thing.

I can't run trails out here without high-steer cuz 1) my driving sucks 2) we have a ton of rocks out here. Florida is a lot different.

The angles are nice whe you are lifted with high steer though

So are you bending them from stress or banging them on the rocks?????