Problems with Stonecrusher steering setup

[wakingtowinter]

So I bought this ranger a couple weeks ago and the previous owner (99RangerKrazy on TRS, very nice guy) had installed the Stonecrusher steering setup. Getting it home (basically a 4 hour drive across WA) was not a big issue but there was a good deal of wandering and slop in the steering, which I thought nothing of because I have driven lifted trucks and obviously most lifted rigs tend to be a little sketchy on the street.

There was an issue when I refueled - pulling out of the gas station I took a right and the steering locked up (only way I can describe it) at full right lock and by the time I was able to stop it I had hopped up on the curb. Luckily it was midnight in a very small town and nobody was around and nothing was damaged. I was able to get it back on the road and I checked it out and realized that the saddle connecting the drag link and tie rod was dropping down and catching behind the passenger side axle drop bracket so that when I went to full right lock it would catch and not allow the wheels to straighten back out.

When I got home I adjusted and tightened the heim joints to try to correct this problem.

Here's a couple photos to illustrate this:




[URL=http://img816.imageshack.us/i/steering2.jpg/]


One thing I did was tighten up the heim joint connecting the tie rod and the saddle (making the end of the tie rod closer to the saddle). This seemed to limit the travel of the saddle so that it wouldn't catch on the drop bracket. I drove around the neighborhood a few times and went lock to lock enough that I was confident enough to drive it out in public, which I did without issue.

First question is - what the hell is going on here? I've heard good things about this setup and I know it shouldn't be doing this. I think I've solved the problem, but can anyone figure out what could be wrong and if I've actually solved it or not? I'm a little paranoid about running someone over and ending up in prison for vehicular manslaughter...

Second question - what's the deal with aligning the truck with this setup? I went to a tire place to get it aligned and they said they would only be able to adjust camber for both sides and toe on one side I think. They said to fully adjust it you would have to reweld the saddle on the drag link for a different angle. Isn't that what the adjustable heim joints are for? I really want to get this issue figured out because the tires are almost brand new and I would hate to mess them up because I can't align the truck. Thanks guys.

 

[ThatGuy]

The jam nuts for the heims weren't tight and were letting the drag link flop back and forth. Also I would swap the bolt around so you have more clearance back there. On the alignment you will have to drop the bolt out of the pitman arm or passenger side knuckle and adjust that side then you can rotate the tie rod to adjust the other side.

After getting it aligned, back the jam nuts off and put a drop of locktite on. Then tighten the piss outta them.

 

[wakingtowinter]

genius. that sounds like everything i need to know. thank you very much.

 

[ThatGuy]

Not a problem. I helped Anthony with the development of the system. When we first installed it on mine we left the jam nuts loose because we were still tweaking it. The saddle on mine would rotate forward but it never went back. After we got it dialed in we set the saddle in the correct location and tightened all the jam nuts. Never moved again. I did add locktite to it later on after I found one jam nut had backed off about a half turn. Problem solved.

 

[The_Dealer]

i saw in petersons some special jam nuts(i think by poly performance) with some allen head screws in it that took about 200+ft lbs to loosen

 

[wakingtowinter]

took it in to get it aligned and it turns out I need ball joints and axle pivot bushings first.

well, back to the garage it goes!

 

[rocks]

Is this for sale? It is not up on the stonecrusher website. Is it going to be for sale or was it just some one off stuff?

 

[wakingtowinter]

I think you need to send them measurements of your truck's front end, like the distance between knuckles, or something like that. I think they make each one as a special order. Although I bet if you told them it was for a Ranger/B series they would already have the measurements because I think they've done quite a few of them for RBVs.