Any thoughts on drop pitman arm use for 6 inch lifts?
- Thread starter akajibio
- Start date
Only if it is paired with a drop trackbar bracket of equal height.
I would think a 2-3" drop pitman plus an equivalently sized drop trackbar mount might actually be useful here to a small degree.
Normally this forum will fight them tooth and nail for two reasons:
However, if you're not willing to commit to doing that amount of work and spending that much money, you're best leaving it alone. It's not going to make a drastic difference.
All that said, I think that wouldn't be the best way to spend your time and money. There are other easier and cheaper things you could do to make things better.
I would think a 2-3" drop pitman plus an equivalently sized drop trackbar mount might actually be useful here to a small degree.
Normally this forum will fight them tooth and nail for two reasons:
- Most installers do NOT pair it with a drop trackbar mount, and it makes the steering even worse.
- Few forum members actually go above 4" of suspension lift here without drastic modification of suspension and steering components.
However, if you're not willing to commit to doing that amount of work and spending that much money, you're best leaving it alone. It's not going to make a drastic difference.
All that said, I think that wouldn't be the best way to spend your time and money. There are other easier and cheaper things you could do to make things better.
If the drop pitman and the trackbar drop bracket are the same drop height, leave them both (or remove them both).
You can have neither, you can have both, but you cannot have only one.
You can have neither, you can have both, but you cannot have only one.
Definitely inspect them to make sure the joints are good and there is no abnormal slop. Have someone turn the steering wheel back and forth while you sit in front to make sure there is no play in any of the joints, the sector shaft, the trackbar mounts, or anything else. If it's all in good shape, I would leave it unless you are having a problem.
Looks like you have a dropped trac bar bracket and an adjustable track bar, also a dropped pitman arm. My guess is you should be good to go!!
@Jerry Bransford can tell you better than I can.
@Jerry Bransford can tell you better than I can.
Thanks John, hopefully Jerry isn’t too upset with me from previous posts. All good sir thank you
Your alignment is fine. The only logical thing left IMO that could cause your wonky steering is something to do with that dropped Pitman arm and dropped track bar mount. It looks to me like the Pitman arm is dropped more than the dropped track bar mount is, perhaps 2" more, which is not good. They both need to either be stock or have the same amount of drop. Personally I'd remove both and go back to a stock Pitman arm and TB mount. That'd also require a different track bar. The factory steering geometry works well without issue.
Before I knew better I installed a DPA and dropped track bar mount onto my previous TJ with a 5.5" suspension lift. Both ended up getting removed.
Before I knew better I installed a DPA and dropped track bar mount onto my previous TJ with a 5.5" suspension lift. Both ended up getting removed.
Thank you for the input Jerry,but I had to drill into the frame to install that bracket, so I’d prefer to keep bracket. Just for my clarification why would I need to replace front track bar because it is adjustable to center the Jeep. So I can replace the pitman arm back to OEM. Would that theoretically solve the issue or do I need to replace everything ?
Stock trackbars use a single shear mount, meaning the bolt runs straight through the bar, into the joint, and terminates with a nut (or vice versa). That aftermarket trackbar is set up in double shear, which in itself is normally stronger.
The problem is that the trackbars are not designed to accommodate both mounting options. You would have to cut the joint off and weld it rotated 90 degrees so you could put a bolt straight up and down through it.
What size hole did you drill? A Currie trackbar usually requires drilling out to a pretty large bolt size and might bolt right up.
No, replacing the dropped Pitman arm with the factory Pitman arm will just make it worse so long as that dropped track bar mount is installed. You have been told several times the Pitman arm and track bar mount must match drop-wise. Also my dropped track bar mount that was removed was drilled and welded too.
He drilled into the frame and also into the side of the factory TB mount. This does weaken the frame and mount to where cracks have happened.
Ah, not familiar with that particular bracket.
Then it seems a new trackbar bracket would need to be welded on.
Perhaps a double shear one like this might be capable of retaining the old trackbar:
https://www.barnes4wd.com/Jeep-TJ-Front-Frame-Track-Bar-Bracket_p_746.html