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Author Topic: 4in lift - drop pitman arm or steering gear?  (Read 9655 times)

Offline Sprinkler-Man

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4in lift - drop pitman arm or steering gear?
« on: April 10, 2014, 12:31:12 pm »
1980 GMC K1500 Stepside Sierra Classic.
I bought the truck with a 4in lift installed already and started to replace all the steering parts because the truck wanders all over the road..  It doesn't appear to have a a drop pitman arm installed.  When I look one up to buy a modified steering arm also comes up for lifted trucks.  What does one do vs the other?  I am confused which one to buy and install.
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Offline bake74

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Re: 4in lift - drop pitman arm or steering gear?
« Reply #1 on: April 10, 2014, 08:52:13 pm »
     Did you identify what exactly was making you wonder first ?  Take a look at this video on u-tube, it has a excellent shot of the drop pitman arm that should have come with the lift (about 29 seconds in).  The PO could not have bought it I guess, that might be the reason you are replacing stuff.
     I personally like the drop pitman arm's because it keeps the rest of the steering componets as close to level as possible.
« Last Edit: April 10, 2014, 08:54:30 pm by bake74 »
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#1: The easiest and most obvious solution to any problem is 99% of the time correct.
#2: There is no such thing as impossible, it just takes longer.
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Offline Sprinkler-Man

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Re: 4in lift - drop pitman arm or steering gear?
« Reply #2 on: April 12, 2014, 09:45:09 pm »
it was lifted w/o the drop pitman Arm and the steering is now shot.  I saw there was either an option for a drop pitman Arm or a raised steering Arm and i wasn't sure which was better.
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Offline Engineer

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Re: 4in lift - drop pitman arm or steering gear?
« Reply #3 on: April 13, 2014, 08:15:58 am »
IMHO, I would opt for the raised steering arm over the dropped pitman arm.

I have used both for a correction with an 8" lift. But if given the choice to only use one, the stock pitman arm won't have as much leverage on the box, and frame as the dropped pitman arm. Our trucks have a reputation for breaking the frame so no sense in tempting the crack gods.

I should note that I ran both the dropped pitman, and the block for the Dana60 on my truck, and never cracked the frame. I also ran 18.5/44-16.5 Gumbo Mudders on 16.5x14 wheels. Did some pretty serious four wheeling with out cracking my frame. But again, I would not temp fate if I didn't need to.
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Offline VileZambonie

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Re: 4in lift - drop pitman arm or steering gear?
« Reply #4 on: April 13, 2014, 08:44:01 am »
Quote from: Engineer on April 13, 2014, 08:15:58 am
IMHO, I would opt for the raised steering arm over the dropped pitman arm

This
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Offline DesertK20

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Re: 4in lift - drop pitman arm or steering gear?
« Reply #5 on: April 14, 2014, 09:59:08 am »
Quote from: Engineer on April 13, 2014, 08:15:58 am
IMHO, I would opt for the raised steering arm over the dropped pitman arm.


I'm running this as well, replace your center link ends in there while you're at it. 
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'75 K20
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