Does a steering stabilizer really help?

[TeamExploder]

I'm going to make disconnects for the front sway bar. It is the Skyjacker lift.

 

[CountryBoy78]

Good to hear that you are going to use disconnects. You wiil be shocked how much more flex you get when the sway bar is unhooked.

You said you has 4.56 gears ?? Do you have any lockers or just the stock LS?
I thought Skyjacker springs are red.......did they change their coil springs color?

Mine is a twin of yours except it's stock and missing the Limited body parts(took the front bumper and running boads off, and it was in a car accident before I bought it, the front end was swaped using parts from a sport).

 

[TeamExploder]

open diffs, I know the flex can be great without sway bars, the rear doesn't have a sway bar but doesn't bother me I just drive it with sense. The front I would rather have hooked up when road driving.

 

[wahlstrom1]

Talked to skyjacker and they said I need FA400, said that FA600 was only sold for 8inch kits.

Went to the local 4wd shop and ordered one. Thanks for everyone's help.

Ordered the FA400 or FA600? Anything over 4" lift needs the FA600, or the stonecrusher/super-runner setup.

 

[CountryBoy78]

Yeah I took my rear sway bar off last year, you do notice it a little bit but as long as you drive normal it shouldn't be a problem.

I was going to put disconnects on my front but the pins I bought were a little to big,oh well I'll get the right ones sometime this year.

 

[TeamExploder]

Ordered the FA400 or FA600? Anything over 4" lift needs the FA600, or the stonecrusher/super-runner setup.

The guy I talked to from skyjacker told me I had to get the FA400.....so that is what I ordered....If it doesn't level out then I'll have it sent back and get the right one....Skyjacker told me that FA600 was for the 8inch lift kit.

 

[wahlstrom1]

Chances are you have the FA400 arm already, from looking at the pics. The link that BeanMachine7000 posted explains the reasoning behind our madness. You want to keep your tierods as parallel to your beams as you can, and the FA400 simply doesn't do it when lifted above 4".

Also, steering stabilizers are a bandaid for improper steering. I drove my ranger for over 100,000km without one on 33's, 35's and 37's, and have driven many many lifted vehicles without them as well. All it takes is staying on top of wear items (or getting on top of them when buying a used rig!) and making sure everything is setup as well as it can be.

 

[The Jester Race]

Here are pictures of the steering setup. I've IFS for so long but this all looks correct to me.

That's some pretty bad steering geometry. The tie rod should be completely horizontal/parallel to the axle beam. Do you have the FA600 pitman arm? It doesn't really look like it. If you don't, getting that would help. However, you may need to upgrade to a new steering set up, like the Stonecrusher steering.

Ooh... No wonder you have bumpsteer... This article explains it all very well...

http://www.therangerstation.com/Magazine/winter2008/steering_tech.htm

Yep yep, that'll be your problem.

-Jester

 

[CountryBoy78]

The guy I talked to from skyjacker told me I had to get the FA400.....so that is what I ordered....If it doesn't level out then I'll have it sent back and get the right one....Skyjacker told me that FA600 was for the 8inch lift kit.

I think what he was getting at is guys have done the same thing you just did and they ended up needing to get the FA600. Either they needed it to get the alignment right or needed more drop in the steering linkage, but what do I know:icon_confused:......I don't have a lift in mine yet

 

[TeamExploder]

Ok, I was afraid of getting one that had too much droop. I'll have to check tomorrow to see if the order was placed yet or not.

 

[CountryBoy78]

:icon_thumby:sounds good just trying to save you form some headaches.

 

[TeamExploder]

I appreciate it. Was just doing some research on EF since the site is back up.

 

[CountryBoy78]

yeah there is a old posting on EF about it, called Drop Pitman arm question posted by SwaintaN

 

[TeamExploder]

Yeah.....I'll be glad to get this steering fixed.

 

[4x4junkie]

The FA600 is a 4" drop arm (just as the page Beanmachine linked shows). It is actually 2" too short for a 6" lift. However 2" short is a hell of a lot better than 4" short like the FA400 is.
To get it closer to perfect than that requires a move away from the stock steering linkage (Stonecrusher is probably your best option at that height).

It's amazing how this problem seems destined to persist forever and ever, everyone in the suspension industry is just oblivious to the problem here

 

[TeamExploder]

Well I FB messaged the guy that owns/runs Krawl Works and ordered the FA600 for me instead so the right one is on the way. Glad y'all could give me the right information. I'll see how it handles then but still sounds worth to get the stabilizer after making sure the bj's and tie rods/ends are all good.

 

[Surrey]

Gotta love it when people dont even know the products they are selling... And they are the only ones who have figured out the 2.5" drop arms arn't enough for some (more like damn near all) applications.

 

[TeamExploder]

Ok....so I ordered the part last week like I said and the shops supplier sent him the FA400 anyway! It was Explorer Pro Comp...I was like I'll see and sure enough same one that's already on the truck so he ordered the FA600 like I originally wanted and should be here in a couple days. So if anyone wants the 400 message me and I'll see what he'll sell it for.

 

[TeamExploder]

So new FA600 Pitman arm is on, and figured I would replace the drag link, tie rod, tie rod ends, and all 4 ball joints and still has bump steer and am constantly having the steering to the left to keep it driving straight and to the right a little just barely let go of the wheel. I am getting an alignment done even though the alignment is the same as before, and guess I will try a stabilizer.

 

[4x4junkie]

There's no way it can still be aligned correctly after replacing all those parts and adding the longer drop pitman arm. You need to have it properly realigned. After doing so, it should then be much better.