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crossover and bump steer

S

Shawns84

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Hey,
Just installed crossover on my 44. I used the ford van pitman arm, and northwest fabworks' steering arm. The draglink has a bend in it to clear the engine xmember.

My truck has 6" tuff country ez rides with a 1" add a leaf. I have the stock swaybar connected with the crossover (it fit!, didnt check for flexyness fit)

My issue is the amount of bump steer. Its no better than the stock setup, maybe worse. Will bending the drag link more to make it look flat help, or is this just fooling myself (and other dummies who look at it)?
How can i get away from this short from raising the steering arm, or dropping the pitman arm?
Thanks

>>I searched!
 
i had the same problem in my 85 k5 blazer dana 60 with crossover, i ended up swaping out the 1/2ton steering gear box to a 1ton steering box due to the 1/2 box leaking. and i messed with that adjusting screw ontop of the gear box and it became 85% better.

i know thats not a exact answer but maybe you can try that adjusting screw on the gear box to see if thatll help at all
 
Shawns84 said:
Hey,
Just installed crossover on my 44. I used the ford van pitman arm, and northwest fabworks' steering arm. The draglink has a bend in it to clear the engine xmember.

My truck has 6" tuff country ez rides with a 1" add a leaf. I have the stock swaybar connected with the crossover (it fit!, didnt check for flexyness fit)

My issue is the amount of bump steer. Its no better than the stock setup, maybe worse. Will bending the drag link more to make it look flat help, or is this just fooling myself (and other dummies who look at it)?
How can i get away from this short from raising the steering arm, or dropping the pitman arm?
Thanks

>>I searched!
Click to expand...

I'm going to suggest you become a member and post some pics so we can see how you have things setup. Can you define what you mean by bumpsteer. Not trying to be a dick just making sure we're all on the same page. Because it's almost impossible to still have bumpsteer after you lengthened your draglink by more than double.

Is your turning radius the same in both directions? I mean the same size circles. Adjusting the backlash in the steering shaft should not change bumpsteer.
George
 
smalltruckbigcid said:
Adjusting the backlash in the steering shaft should not change bumpsteer.
George
Click to expand...

X2 adjusting backlash in the box is a very tricky operation and if not done properly can have catastrophic consequences like locking up your steering box at 70mph
 
The backlash may be a bit loose, but not way out of the norm.
By bump steer i mean when i hit a roller or something, anything that makes the suspension move, the wheel jerks in my hand. My turning radius is not quite right yet cause the drag link i have is a couple inches too short and i wanted to drive it to see how it acted. (the wheel is slightly cocked) But it is definately better than before. I can almost turn it around on a narrow two lane road now.
My bump steer issue is the one bothering me.
 
abig85 said:
i had the same problem in my 85 k5 blazer dana 60 with crossover, i ended up swaping out the 1/2ton steering gear box to a 1ton steering box due to the 1/2 box leaking. and i messed with that adjusting screw ontop of the gear box and it became 85% better.

i know thats not a exact answer but maybe you can try that adjusting screw on the gear box to see if thatll help at all
Click to expand...


all steering boxes are the same, 1/2, 3/4 and 1-ton.

did you check all your ball joints and wheel bearings?
 
All balljoints, tre's and draglink ends are brand new. Toe is set at about 3/16. Castor isnt good, but isnt going to be any better until I cut the c's.
 
Everything is tight and new. I just had the stock style steering in there working alright with a 4 inch arm and stock pitman arm.
Back to the main question: Does bending the drag link help, or not?
 
people only use a bent draglink to get clearance around the engine crossmemeber if you don't have enough lift.
 
So only way to get the drag link flatter to help with geometry is to either lift the steering arm or drop the pitman arm?

Reason im going into this is cause by the general concensus of my reading, all the folks with ~4" lift dont seem to have bump steer issues while everybody over the 6" mark seem to complain about it more. Makes me wonder if maybe some of the aftermarket steering arm producers should make different arms for different lifts, just like the stock steering arm.

Another thing, if bending the draglink doesnt help, why do they do it to the short stock drag link? (not saying i ever used one, just asking)
 
Shawns84 said:
Another thing, if bending the draglink doesnt help, why do they do it to the short stock drag link? (not saying i ever used one, just asking)
Click to expand...

Never seen a stock one that was bent, The aftermarket ones are bent to gain steering correction, like the block under the steering arm on the axle or a new steering box arm.
 
OK what you are calling bumpsteer is steering feed back.

Bumpsteer is:
When you go over a bump and hold the steering wheel in the same spot the truck will dart to one side or the other. This is because the axle moves to side to side different than the drag link.

You are describing steering feed back. This is normal. A steering stabilizer will help to control this.

The bend inthe drag link is only there to clear the cross member. The amount of Bend has nothing to do with the steering. It only serves to clear the engine and reduce the operating angles on the dragling ends.
 
boz42 said:
Never seen a stock one that was bent, The aftermarket ones are bent to gain steering correction, like the block under the steering arm on the axle or a new steering box arm.
Click to expand...

See above. They are for steering correction, not bump steer correction.
 
I think i see the light.
This "steering feedback" was non existant before the crossover. BUT i do have a new stabilizer....

As far as the drag link thing...
I think im going to stay confused. Im not comprehending how the bend in the drag link doesnt reduce bump steer, but helps geometry. Im guessing because the height difference between the steering arm and the pitman arm is causing triangulation so as the axle goes up the drag links triangle flattens which causes the feedback... Which would be why a bent link doesnt help...

Am i thinking right? Should i think about another stabilizer? It seems to drive straight... as long as the bumps arent too big...
 
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