I am using the $12.73 Ford shock towers. My axle is about 2.5" forward from IFS stock I think (so it might be a different arrangement from yours, as a solid axle stocker), and 3/4" forward of where it was when I welded the shock towers. Works fine. I think you want your axle where it is if at all possible, its really really nice to have that much fender clearance. How much interference do you have with your pitman arm/tie rod?

I really like the FROR pitman. In fact, my rig was the prototype when I ran into the same problem. Mike, Brian and I put our heads together on it and Mike suggested it. Its biggest selling points are:

-only slightly slower steering from stock. I like it better than stock, like Brian M., I think it adds a tad bit of safety. However, any slower and I think you might run into the limits of the steering box.

-the biggest gain is from the altered drag link end angle. This adds up more than you think. The angle of the TRE on the stock pitman sends it smack into the tie rod. Change that angle, and you pick up far more than the 1/4" shorter pitman would make you think.

-The Toyota steel is highest quality, in Brian's opinion (he machined mine, and says it cuts like butter, extremely consistent).

You are certainly welcome to come over and gander my setup, and bring yours by as well. I have short ramps we can play with, and a dirt pile. PM me or email at [email]bmorgan@4x4wire.com.[/email] Don't want to see you get discouraged, manguy.

Well like I said it is in a shop and I only looked at it for a minute, but it looked like the rod end on the drag link was sitting dead center directly above the tie rod. That is why I was thinking that I needed a much shorter pitman arm. The jack stands were under the axle housing, so the weight of the truck was already on the springs. At this point I am just hoping the pitman arm would enable me to drive it home. I can deal with the clearance on the trail later.

Chris Sutton
Golden, Colorado

I used the Marlin cross over steering on my '85 runner with the rear springs up front. I had to use the Sky pitman arm, because I failed to move the steering box forward enough to clear the tie rod. Every thing works fine and nothing touches under full compression.

Which Sky arm did you use? The flat one or drop one?

Chris Sutton
Golden, Colorado

Remember, the axle moves back under compression. Rather than throw stuff at it in a hurry, flex it out and be sure. Measure it. Each one is a little different and one size does NOT necessarily fit all. Its possible you might make what you have work for minimal bux. You can almost certainly make it home unless its radical and you have very little lift (which would imply other possible solutions too, BTW).

I assume you had Terraliner do the work? Have you talked to him about it? Does he have ideas? Or is he taking the position that since you bought the parts its really your deal to fix? My impression of him is, he would try hard to help.

Feel free to holler at me if you want to come by, and we can oogle it and measure and whatnot.

So I went up to Boulder (yes Bill it was Terraliner) to pick up my truck last night. I brought with me the modified FJ80 pitman arm from FROR in hopes that it would solve my clearance problem between the draglink and tie rod. I got up there and had to wait like 45 minutes for someone to show up, so I had plenty of time to check out the work they had done in the daylight. After checking out a lot of the pics online of steering box installs they could have gone much further forward. I think they could have gone at least another inch forward without cutting anything. If I remember correctly the first time I tried to pick it up he said that they went as far forward at the steering shaft would allow. That sounds like crap to me because I drilled out the stock shaft to compensate for the 3" body lift and there was a ton of length left. Even if that were the case I would have rather paid $40 for a steering shaft extension than $140 for this pitman arm. They didn't even call and ask or anything. They just mounted the box, installed the steering kit and then when I showed up to take it home they were like "This kit doesn't fit." Needless to say I would discourage anyone from using this shop, but that doesn't matter because last night he informed me that they will be closing their doors. Anyway I am done with that.

So the new pitman arm allowed enough clearance to turn the truck and drive it home. He couldn't get the rod ends tightened down properly and there was still some play right at the pitman arm. I need to get that fixed and get it aligned. Can any alignment shop work on this crossover or do I need to take it somewhere specific to 4x4 trucks?

I still need to put my new shackles on the front to see actual clearance, but it looks like I just might be ok without moving the axle back. Bill, I think that with the shackles on mine should look very similar to the photo of yours in this thread.

Chris Sutton
Golden, Colorado

Should be able to crank down on the nuts to snug everything up tight, big nut at the bottom of the pitman arm and the rod ends. If you have a tape measure, you can align the front tires.

I was standing there watching him and the threaded shaft in the rod end was spinning with the nut. He said he couldn't get them tightened all the way down. He actually had to tap the cotter pins through. I guess I should get under there and give it a try before I take it somewhere.

Chris Sutton
Golden, Colorado

Try putting a clamp or vice grips over the rod end and arm to jam the tapered end in the hole then try to tighten it. Once it grabs it should stop turning and tighten up properly.

I will give that a try.