WJ Swap- Do I Need/Want a Dropped Pitman?

[paddlernate]

I'm part of the way through my WJ knuckle swap and have recently come across a couple of threads that suggest that a dropped pitman arm is neither required or desirable for this swap. I already bought a dropped pitman arm, thinking I would need it, but it is not installed. I'm having a heck of a time getting the stock pitman arm off the box, and I'd hate to go through the trouble of getting it off if I don't have to.
I'm in the process of installing the TNT long arm kit with 4.5" lift springs from RC. Yesterday I ordered Ruff Stuff's 1-ton steering kit that will give me offset TRE's on the tie rod and a high-misalignment DRE's for the drag link. I plan to put the tie rod and drag link OTK. I have brackets to relocate my track bar on both the axle and frame ends.
So, I get that the dropped pitman puts added stress on the sector shaft in the box, but is that really that big of a deal? Everybody does it right? Why wouldn't I want to run a flatter drag link and track bar?
Any input on whether or not I should run the dropped pitman arm with this setup would be much appreciated.

 

[1990JEEPXJ]

Depends on the angle of your trackbar. But you shouldn't need it. Take a picture of your steering angles and make sure they are parallel. If they are far from parallel then you new to address it. But to go after this just because is a little silly.

 

[Johnnie Walker]

You want your draglink and TB parallel to each other. So I would install the rest of the stuff before you go and swap the pitman arm. With the crossover + OTK you shouldn't need it.

 

[donthelegend]

Well I don't know if you want it or not, but I can tell you that you don't need it. Why do you think you need it? Flipping to OTK lessens the angles enough that the dropped pitman is really not necessary. And at 4.5" you don't need a drop pitman even with stock steering.

 

[souske]

At 4.5" you should be thinking about ditching the stock steering at some point

Parrallel and the same length is more important than level.

get everything together an de re evaluate

 

[paddlernate]

Thanks guys. I still haven't quite heard what I thought I might tho. I thought someone might say that if I could subsequently make the track bar work (parallel), that I should run the dropped arm. I thought I'd hear someone say that would help to make the drag link and track bar "flatter" (less angle), and that this is desirable. Isn't this the case?
Trust me, I'm not lookin to make more work for no reason, I just want to do it right and the best that I can.

 

[donthelegend]

All else being equal, you are correct that flatter angles are better. But all else is never equal and in this case flatter angles are kind of the last geometry issue to be considered.

Basically here is how I would prioritize steering/ trackbar geometry:

-Get the angle of the track bar and drag link as close to parallel as possible.
-Make them as close to the same length as possible, but if you can't, at least get the track bar as long as possible (on a D30 with otherwise stock bracketry, the issue is getting the track bar long enough to match the drag link).

-Flatter angles are better, but as long as they aren't extreme and you aren't maxing out whatever joint you are using, it shouldn't be a huge deal either way.

If you already have the track bar brackets you want to use, they will determine what you need for the pitman arm. I used ruff stuff brackets at the frame and axle side and my angles are just about perfect with a stock pitman arm. Lengths are off some, so I still get bumpsteer but until I make a custom frame side bracket or cut the brackets of the D30 and start fresh, there isn't much way around it for me.

It sounds like you have done your research, but I think you're putting too much emphasis on having flatter angles when other things are more important.

 

[zachandandy]

At 4.5" of lift, the drag link won't have much angle with the wj knuckle. Dropping it further could make clearance between the track bar and the dif and oil pan difficult.

 

[paddlernate]

[/QUOTE].

If you already have the track bar brackets you want to use, they will determine what you need for the pitman arm. I used ruff stuff brackets at the frame and axle side and my angles are just about perfect with a stock pitman arm. Lengths are off some, so I still get bumpsteer but until I make a custom frame side bracket or cut the brackets of the D30 and start fresh, there isn't much way around it for me.

[/QUOTE]

Did you use Ruff Stuff's inside the frame or outside the frame TB bracket?

 

[donthelegend]

Did you use Ruff Stuff's inside the frame or outside the frame TB bracket?

I used the outside frame bracket.