SAS trac bar/draglink angle questions

[Skyhiranger1]

Hey guys, I have a '97 Ranger that I am doing a solid D44 swap on. I am running the Skyjacker 8" springs off of the TTB lift.

My questions concern the draglink and trac bar angles.

I am trying to decide if it is better to mount the draglink under or over the pitman arm.....

Over pitman arm=shorter trac bar bracket (about 6" below the frame), greater angles on draglink and trac bar, more axle movement (side to side) when suspension moves.

Under pitman arm=longer trac bar bracket (about 8" below the frame)--more leverage on the frame, but lesser angles on draglink and trac bar, less axle movement (side to side) when suspension moves.

I know there are pros and cons to both setups, but which would be the better setup??

I have bushings that will allow the axle to move through its entire range of travel, without binding the rod ends, when mounting above the pitman arm. I am also running a brace from the engine crossmember for additional support for the trac bar bracket.

thanx guys.

 

[CoryL]

I wouldn't even waste my time with those TTB coils. They won't flex for crap.

I'd get a set of Wild Horses RockCrawler coils and setup everything around them. They will flex better than the TTB coils many times over.

You want to keep the drag link and trac-bars to be close in length and almost perfect in angle. Anything else and you will develop some nasty bumpsteer.

I'd build my bracket wherever you can fit it best so that nothing will rub or bind and where you can get the closest match in length and angle to the drag link.

I don't know if that will come out to 6" or 8" under the frame, but it doesn't matter. The length you need may not be either.

 

[FAKRWEE]

Here's a couple of pictures that show what CoryL is talking about.

 

[FAKRWEE]

Another:

 

[FAKRWEE]

Last one. Hope this helps.

 

[Skyhiranger1]

I know the TTB coils won't flex or ride as well, but that is what I am running for now, to get this together and working. I may go for some different coils later. I also don't want to compromise stability, on or off road, by going with too soft of coils. Like I said, I may go with different coils, I'll wait and see how the TTBs do.

I assume the WH RC coils will compress slightly better than the TTBs and allow the axle to drop a lot more because of the smaller diameter coil "wire" and lighter spring rating.

I have learned a lot from you guys on the lengths and angles already. I have set up the lengths of the trac bar and drag link to be within an inch of each other and the angles will be the same. I mocked up the drag link and trac bar lengths and angles and that is how I came up with the 6" or 8" below the frame, depending on whether I go over or under the pitman arm. My concern was the leverage of the trac bar on the frame with the bracket being 8" below the frame. But maybe there won't be that much difference between 6" and 8" to be a factor.