Re: Jaff Bade and his joints

["T.R.E. Jr." <T_R_E_Jr@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

---The 4" dropped pitman arm I received from Skyjacker was actually a pitman 
arm for a Ford Bronco. I checked the part number before I sent it back for 
reimbursement (the 4" lift didn't need the drop anyway). I notice less 
instability in the steering with the new springs, rebuilt gear box, new 
bushings and the straight steer. Replacing the steering u-joint will be the 
biggest improvement. The pitman arm didn't fit and wouldn't have made much 
difference on the Scout II anyway. Like you said, "it was shorter" which 
seemed to make the drop obsolete. I think the reasoning behind this was the 
drag link to leaf spring relationship. I had to flip my drag link over so 
the bend in the center didn't hit the spring when I turned the wheel. The 
shorter pitman arm would have increased the angle of the drag link and 
brought driver's side of the drag link back slightly... two to three inches 
back IIRC. It would have pulled the drag link away from the leaf spring 1/2" 
or so and the angle would still not have been much different than I have 
now.

---The stock pitman arm is cast steel isn't it? Would it be wise to heat it 
and ruin the temper? Even from entry level metals shop I understand that 
attempting to re-temper metal is about useless. Once it has been tempered, 
you weaken the molecular structure by heating it again. I suppose if you 
heated the entire piece to a temperature hotter than the original 
temperature used to harden the steel, you might get away with it but...

---If I had the foundry, I would rather heat, beat and fold a piece of steel 
200 times, bend the needed angles and bore the holes for the drag link and 
output shaft. Having the bores splined is a different story and the price 
seems to very with the neighborhood, but regardless, I wouldn't heat the 
metal and re-bend it if it were a steering component. Maybe a shock mount or 
something but not something that will end all chances of steering if it 
breaks.

---Need I remind you of my steering coupler (rag-joint) tearing completely 
in half and the wheel spinning freely? Not that I doubt your abilities, I 
just remember how tempering steel goes... and how it feels to have NO* 
control of steering.

---Thank you,
-T.R.E.Jr.
-`73 Scout II (StoneThrower)
-`51 Farmall H (Heinz)
-`49 IH fridge (presently unnamed and in need of a compressor)
-`49 Plymouth Special Deluxe 4-door Sedan (Papapalooza)


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Joel M Brodsky" <jmbrodsky@domain.elided>
To: <ihc@domain.elided>
Sent: Wednesday, July 02, 2003 3:28 PM
Subject: Jaff Bade and his joints


> Jeff,
>       Bump steer as I have experienced, has been caused by the angle of 
> the
> drag link being excessive, following a lift spring installation.  As the
> front wheel compresses there is an appreciable action on the drag link, 
> and
> it no longer adheres to the small angle theory, thus when the wheel comes
> up, it pushes the draglink to the side, and that's what bump steer is.
> Drop pitman arm is the solution, or high-steer if you have the bux.
>
> I'm going to see about heating and bending a factory pitman arm a few
> inches to retain the same radius, but give a bit of drop in the arm.  The
> 4" drop arm from Skyjacker is much shorter than stock, but I have yet to
> try the one I have.
>
> JoelB