Starting full width D44 SAS...B4 I order, what do you guys think??

[ohe_boy]

Normal play like when your X was stock. That's how much mine has. I definitely don't have from 11 to 1 amount of play.

FAK, I don't even remember how my stock steering felt like, BUT i know it wasn't like this!!!

 

[Burns]

Yeah mine is no where close to when it was stock.

 

[ohe_boy]

Yeah mine is no where close to when it was stock.

Yah! Is it cause of teh bigger tires or worn out steering box? Is there a stronger steering box that we first gens can swap out on?

 

[FROADER]

My shiz is tizzight!!

 

[Burns]

Mine has always had play. Just not as much as now. I also have a 11 to 1 turn to go straight. I think its a mileage prob. I have 320,000miles the steering box is the only "stock" part left.

 

[ohe_boy]

Mine has always had play. Just not as much as now. I also have a 11 to 1 turn to go straight. I think its a mileage prob. I have 320,000miles the steering box is the only "stock" part left.

DAMN, my explorer has only 145,000 stock engine, tranny, TC, steering box,....

 

[mechanix]

You can adjust your steering box. Hold the sector shaft with a flat blade screw driver and loosen the jam nut, tighten sector shaft 1/4 turn. Drive, and repeat. Now some words of warning.

There is a such thing as going too far when making an adjustment, if you do go too far you will have mad bump steer. I would just tighten the sector shaft just enough to take the play out of the steering box.

 

[james t]

Good to see you got the tracbar worked out.

The play very well could be wear in the steering box, since all your linkage is new. Be careful with the box adjustment... going too far can jam the sector shaft into the piston. Honestly, if it really is the box then adjusting it isnt going to help much. You need a new/rebuilt box.

What you need to do is get a friend, and with the truck turned off and in park have the friend turn the steering wheel slightly back and forth. Watch everything while the friend does this. Look at your steering linkage. Look at the box were it is mounted to the frame. Look at the shaft going into the box vs. the pitman arm. This will tell you were the slack is.

Whatever you do please dont add more steering stabilizers. All that will do is mask the problem.

 

[colindo94]

Did you have to space out the radius arm mounts from the frame or was it able to fit without a spacer. I'm kicking around getting the cage or duff radius arms and was wondering how you got them to fit and how you like yours. A pic of the mount would be great to. Thanks.

 

[ohe_boy]

No, I didn't need to space them out. I was able to mount them straight onto the frame. However, due to the fact that the frame of the explorer does angle out a bit, I did have to modify the cage frame mounts. I'll post some pics of them when I can find them.

 

[Kirby N.]

It is close, but not dead on. Having the draglink at the same angle as the tracbar is more critical than having them the same length (or close to the same length). Yes, lD50 is right... but the draglink/trac bar angle is what causes the most bumpsteer.

Close enough that it won't be noticable. If it is the same length too, it will drive like a caddy

 

[Kirby N.]

james t - as I was looking at my steering linkage, I noticed that the bend in the drag link should normally be at the top by the pitman arm. I flipped the drag link and now the angle is JUST about parallel to each other. By flipping it around and setting the bend in its natural position, this makes the bend pointing foward instead of pointing downward. WIth the red line you had drawn out in the earlier post, this makes the draglink in that same line.

Steering has improved but the bumpsteer is still there. Just not as much. Maybe I need 4 stablizers instead of just two!

Turning it over will not affect your steering angles. Draw a straight line from mount to mount, that is the angle that counts. Mount to mount. Put all kinds of wacky bends in it, turn them over, whatever and the angle from mount to mount is what counts.

Here look at mine:

http://groups.msn.com/KirbyandChuck/kirbysnavajo.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=134

My Drag link and trac bar are bent for clearance and to obtain the most usable travel from the heims, no matter, the geametry is affected by the angle formed when a straight line is drawn from mount to mount.


I would agree you must have a steering box issues. My drives as good as stock. Better than it did with the TTB lifted.

 

[colindo94]

when you get a chance can I see a pic of your radius arm mount. I'm really thinking out going with the cage radius arms and just wanted to see how you mounted yours.

 

[jrgaylor]

The new frame mounts for the Cage arms are still not done
They have got pushed back to maybe ready next Wednesday

 

[colindo94]

Yea I now. I just talked to the guy yesterday and he said not for two weeks. I need some arms and mounts now so I can't wait for them and will have to do something else.

 

[ohe_boy]

when you get a chance can I see a pic of your radius arm mount. I'm really thinking out going with the cage radius arms and just wanted to see how you mounted yours.

Here you go....

 

[revenantdead]

subbing... it's better than a shopping list.