Need brain power

[Toy Maker]

Pat, a coule of thoughts.
First, that setup looks like a kidney buster! You should look to loosing some of that shackle (a bunch). Should be abled to salvage several inches. No matter what, you may have to drop the front hangers some. I will try to draw up something you could fab. and e-mail it to you in the next day or so.
Also, the pinion angle can not be set properly until the springs can be loaded to normal ride height as it will change from the no-load condition. After proper pinion angle is determined, the caster angle must be checked and corrected, then you can worry about the steering. 3/8 inch around the bolt on your steering arm is all right, more would be better. However you do it, you should have the hole drilled close then reamed to a snug fit to the bolt you will be using to prevent wallowing in the hole. '75-'79 ford vans E100 & E150 w/PS used a steering arm with about 2" drop. Eng #D5UA-3590-CA. Stock arm will give you about the same 3/8" after reaming.

[Mudrat]

Pat, a coule of thoughts.
First, that setup looks like a kidney buster! You should look to loosing some of that shackle (a bunch). Should be abled to salvage several inches. No matter what, you may have to drop the front hangers some. I will try to draw up something you could fab. and e-mail it to you in the next day or so.
Also, the pinion angle can not be set properly until the springs can be loaded to normal ride height as it will change from the no-load condition. After proper pinion angle is determined, the caster angle must be checked and corrected, then you can worry about the steering. 3/8 inch around the bolt on your steering arm is all right, more would be better. However you do it, you should have the hole drilled close then reamed to a snug fit to the bolt you will be using to prevent wallowing in the hole. '75-'79 ford vans E100 & E150 w/PS used a steering arm with about 2" drop. Eng #D5UA-3590-CA. Stock arm will give you about the same 3/8" after reaming.

Thanks Tom, I'm trying to redo the front mounts. As they are (from M.O.R.E.) they add about 3.5 inches to the front which has pivoted the axle as you can see. I have some 3/16 and 1/4 plate cut but not drilled yet to weld together. I am also considering just drilling the current mounts with just enough room to clear the spring eye and bushing and maybe move the mount back 3/4 to 1 inch.
The rear shackles are about the stock length so how short can I really go and still have them miss the frame at full crunch??
This and the rollover valve is all I need to do to finish the CJ.

Thanks again.
Pat

[Toy Maker]

If you shortend the drop of the front hanger, you will make the ride and handeling worse yet. When it is right, the high steer drag link should go over the springs, and so should the tie rod if you are using the high steer arms for the tie rod also. It looks from the picture that the arms are about in line with the spring, so the front of the spring needs to go down to clear the linkage. Thats why the mention of shortening the shackles. I sent you an e-mail with a fairly easy suggestion for lowering the shackle height, don't know if it will come through.

The reason the MORE kit uses the drop for the front of the spring is to simulate the OEM drop of the shackles while using the tube through the frame approximates the location height wise of the OEM rear hanger. That way, the setup is a bolt in for the axle by keeping the spring in relatively the same place as OEM. By using the droped shacke, you have created the problems you have encountered. The spring travel geometry of the MORE kit is not ideal, however further raising the front of the spring will compound the design shortcomings.

[TnD]

Just skimmed the thread, so may have missed something, but if the main concern is the tie-rod hitting the springs, you may want to contact OTT Industries. They make a very high quality high-steer arm set out of 4130 Chromoly, and it has 1.5" rise incorporated into the steering arms to deal with just this problem. Not cheap, running about $600CDN, but IMO the best arms on the market.

[Mudrat]

Just skimmed the thread, so may have missed something, but if the main concern is the tie-rod hitting the springs, you may want to contact OTT Industries. They make a very high quality high-steer arm set out of 4130 Chromoly, and it has 1.5" rise incorporated into the steering arms to deal with just this problem. Not cheap, running about $600CDN, but IMO the best arms on the market.

Thanks,
I got some offset washers that allow the full pivot for the heims. Don't have an after picture posted but this was my problem to start with. The offset washers add about 3/4 in to the height so I have some room between the tie rod and spring with everything torqued down.


And I stlll haven't found a pitman with enough meat to drill for a 3/4 bolt. May have to resign myself to using a 5/8 bolt and sleeve the heim joint

<<< passenger ............... driver>>>


{edit - found an after shot with the offset washers ... and pittman ... }


Mudrat

[Mudrat]

Have I hit enought threads yet???

Get out the Vote!!– strong arm folks if you have to!! Turn out the family, get the neighbors involved, have everybody at work vote at least once. But get out and

Vote!!.

We are just 1 vote away from falling off first page. This is the most dismal month BT has had since we made Page 1?
Consider this as a prepitory round for Nov 2!!

A Vote!!button at the top would help. Most folks won't go looking for Vote!! in somebody’s signature.

Mudrat