See Poll for options.

 

the drop Pitman helps get your drag link back down to a better angle after you put on a lift.It will help your steering stability. I can't think of a reason not to use one.

 

At what hieght does a drop pitman arm become necessary?

 

Exactly. Since some Jeeps sit much higher than other right from the factory and they do not have different pitman arms, we can assume the stock one is good up until a certain point. I would "assume" like most any other vehicle, that would be up to the three to four inch lift area. Although assumptions have gotten me into trouble before. The main problem with deciding when stuff like this is needed is the fact that the Jeeps have such a wide variation in factory ride heights.

 

I can think of a reason - drag link flip kit. It's a better solution - or so it appears that way to me. From what I have gathered, drop pitman arms are a temporary solution at best - and usually break down after prolonged use.

I think WOL has gone through a few of them already if my memory serves me correct.

I think a drop pitman arm is better than nothing though - if you want to help eliminate bump steer, but if you have your suspension dialed in perfect, its usually not needed.

On my 4" lift I thought I would need one but after tuning my suspension some more it looks like it might be fine without one - emphasizing the need to get things dialed in perfectly.

 

On any solid front axle that uses a track bar the track bar and the drag link need to drop down at about the same angle from the frame to axle. differences in angle can cause bump steer and excessive force transmission to the pitman and steering box. Thats why with the wide range of heights of Jeeps from the factory they all use the same pitman. angle stays the same between the two with no bearing on lift height. Of course after a point the track bar becomes too angled and all sorts of bad things will happen there also.

 

...and knowing that a 4" lift usually means more than 4", that's pretty good that you are making do with the stock one. Sounds like more than making do. Sounds like it's working well. That's interesting. I know on the Super Duty Ford trucks, a drop pitman arm is a necessity after a certain amount of lift. I had one. It would seem the Jeep's suspension is more forgiving. That should actually come as no surprise, should it?

 

two reasons not to use one - 1. if you DO NOT have a track bar relocation bracket installed at the same time. you should always install both at the same time as installing one without the other will get your drag link to no longer be parallel to your track bar and this is not good. 2. if you have less than 4" of actual lift.

at 4" of actual lift or more, i would highly recommend installing a dropped pitman arm and track bar relocation bracket to help get your drag link and track bar more level again.

 

Ok, i belive that only if you go 4" or more you could benifit from the droped pitman arm,but remember this is only going to help if you are usings a frame mount drop bracket for your trackbar.the whole point of the drop pitman arm is to keep your steering link and trackbar as close as possible to the same angle.this is what smooths out your steering and cuts down on your bumpsteer.yes,you can dial in your suspension but the drop pitman arm will help you that much more(if you are using the frame mount track bar bracket).now the flip kit will give you a little bit more ground clearance for your drag link,but i don't think it gives you enough to justify the price. as for the drop pitman arm breaking down over time i don't see how it would wear out any faster than a stock pitman arm,but i could be wrong about that.(i have been known to be wrong before),but thats how you learn.


(edit)pretty much the same as Wayoflife just posted i must of been typing as he was posting

 

This is what I was told. Im just relaying the message here.

A drop pitman puts a lot of leverage on the steerbox and the sector shaft with big tire and offroading. They recommended a sector shaft brace if running a drop pitman. The other option is no drop pitman and to use the draglink on top of the knuckles kit and this helps with the leverage on the shaft. To be really safe you could always do both.

Shaft brace.
http://www.offroadevolution.com/stor...?prod=EVO-1015

Tie Rod/draglink Kit
http://www.teraflex.biz/products/jk-...-flip-kit.html


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