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Rough Country + Extreme pitman arm Qs


tx_pwp5

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Rough Country/Tuff Country + Extreme pitman arm Qs

Hey guys,

I've been digging through all the rough country stuff and noticed a common theme around replacing the included drop pitman arm with the skyjacker (?) extreme drop pitman arm. I have a couple questions regarding this:

1. I've heard the newer RC lifts have softer springs. Can anyone confirm?

2. Will the 4in RC lift combined with the lower drop pitman arm correct the alignment issues or are their additional suspension components I need to replace?

3. I saw something about adjustable camber bushings. Are these needed and if so, does anyone have a part number?

My truck currently tracks great, but the front springs are worn/sagging so I'm eating up front tires like crazy and they are feathering pretty bad. My plan was to replace the shocks and coils, so why not add a small lift while I'm in there? I put about 25K a year on this thing, need the alignment to be perfect so I don't chew up 800 bucks worth of tires a year.

I've heard people complain about RC lifts not being great for true offroading, but this is my daily driver and very rarely sees anything besides pavement, unfortunately. As long as it can take a pothole, it will be fine for me.
 
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FillMarr

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I'm in the same boat as you- subd!


2003 XLT. V6 3.0 Vulcan. Automatic.152,000 miles, running strong. 31x10.5x15. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

tx_pwp5

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The Skyjacker FA600 extreme drop pitman arm is the one everyone is talking about. Cheapest I've found it online right now is 200 bucks but I wonder how many are siting around in swapmeets/salvage yards.

I did find some adjustable camber bushings on ebay that run about 50 bucks each. Don't seem to have a brand so I'm fishy about those.

Also, I'm wondering now that I looked at the rear blocks that are already on the truck if the 4in RC lift is just stacking blocks in the rear for the $480.00 lift. That seems to be what I'm finding in most of the threads and that isn't a direction I want to go.
 

4x4junkie

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The FA600 drop arm drops 4" down compared to the stock arm (so matches up perfect for a 4" suspension lift). You shouldn't need to replace anything else steering related when using the FA600 arm.

One thing to watch for though, there has been an occasional report of the driverside tie rod rubbing against the pitman arm TRE when using the larger drop arm. If this occurs, best fix is to bend back the tie rod ever so slightly in a press so that it clears the TRE (it shouldn't need more than ¼ to ½ inch or so).

Fully-adjustable camber bushings make future realignments easier (especially if you DIY) since you normally don't have to replace the bushings each time. They should be about $15-25 each (or $30-50 for a pair).

As for Rough Country, their big issue is the drop plate extension used for the bracket supporting the passengerside axle. It reduces your up-travel and can potentially damage the differential housing. If good kits such as Skyjacker or James Duff are out of budget, my recommendation would be TUFF Country. TC's quality is about on par with RC, but uses a full-replacement bracket that doesn't interfere with movement of the front diff housing.


I'm in the same boat as you- subd!


2003 XLT. V6 3.0 Vulcan. Automatic.152,000 miles, running strong. 31x10.5x15. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Your 2003 has the A-arm IFS with rack & pinion steering, so this discussion doesn't apply to yours.
 

tx_pwp5

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The FA600 drop arm drops 4" down compared to the stock arm (so matches up perfect for a 4" suspension lift). You shouldn't need to replace anything else steering related when using the FA600 arm.

One thing to watch for though, there has been an occasional report of the driverside tie rod rubbing against the pitman arm TRE when using the larger drop arm. If this occurs, best fix is to bend back the tie rod ever so slightly in a press so that it clears the TRE (it shouldn't need more than ¼ to ½ inch or so).

Fully-adjustable camber bushings make future realignments easier (especially if you DIY) since you normally don't have to replace the bushings each time. They should be about $15-25 each (or $30-50 for a pair).

As for Rough Country, their big issue is the drop plate extension used for the bracket supporting the passengerside axle. It reduces your up-travel and can potentially damage the differential housing. If good kits such as Skyjacker or James Duff are out of budget, my recommendation would be TUFF Country. TC's quality is about on par with RC, but uses a full-replacement bracket that doesn't interfere with movement of the front diff housing.




Your 2003 has the A-arm IFS with rack & pinion steering, so this discussion doesn't apply to yours.
thanks for the help, I was beginning to wonder if nobody would answer since they thought I didn't look through all the tech articles and search features. Quite the contrary. In fact, looking at old posts and random answers/input has given me even more questions.

1. I have an 87 4x4 supercab with the 2in factory blocks installed in the rear. Am I going to have driveshaft issues with a 4in lift? Does that mean I'm lifting the rear 2in by replacing the blocks and if so, will I still have driveshaft issues?

2. I'm happy to take your advice on the tuff county brackets, but I read the RC were re-designed to prevent interference with the diff? I'm less concerned with travel as I am with pot holes as this thing rarely sees any real wheeling. Maybe some back trails or something but no rock crawling for sure. This would be very important to know if this was never changed.

2a. Is the drop pitman arm in the tuff or the rough country a long enough drop to properly align the front end with no camber issues? I thought they were too short which is why the 600 is needed, but people don't seem to make much noise about it unless you really dig. (the tie-rod issue is nbd, I can use my press on that if needed.)

3. How do I know if I have a Hi-Rider package? Mine has the factory 2in blocks in the rear, but apparently all the 4x4s did. I'm ok with only getting 2 inches of lift in the rear as long as the front is level when everything is installed.

Basically, I want to go with a 4in lift and 31s, but if even the budget level lifts require a driveshaft conversion and a 200 dollar pitman arm to get all the wheels flat and pointed in the right direction I may reconsider and just look into leveling with some new springs and bushings so I can get it aligned right.
 
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4x4junkie

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If RC redesigned their brackets, then it must be something very recent. However I suspect whatever you read may have been incorrect.
Many years ago I recall someone posting on here claiming to be a rep from RC, saying the brackets had been redesigned, but no one ever reported seeing any redesigned brackets from them (and they also still currently show a drop plate on their web site, as well as in the install instructions).

I believe you are supposed to stack the blocks to get 4" lift (another very bad design). I forget what TC uses, add-a-leaf maybe? Extended shackles IMO is a better option short of new leaf springs.

AFAIK, the Skyjacker FA600 is the only drop arm that matches up with a 4" lift. Don't ask me why this is though, I do not know (I really wish I did).

Highrider trucks will have RIVETED-in drop brackets on the radius arm crossmember.

It's possible you may want to do the one-piece rear driveshaft swap, though I would drive it first and see if any vibration is objectionable first (seems it's severity varies from truck to truck).
http://www.therangerstation.com/Magazine/June04/offroad.htm
 

tx_pwp5

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I did some more digging into the RC "adam" and the user had one post in like 2008 so I'm with you.

I was in the process of editing my post but you were quick to reply. Here is what is left since you already answered most of my questions:

1. I'm happy to take your advice on the tuff county brackets, I have been looking at all the kits for a while and just found the Tuff Country kit with SX8000 nitro shocks, the pitman arm and camber adjusters and all the good brackets and such for 555.00 shipped. I won't mention the website unless it doesn't violate forum rules.

1. Does anyone know the weight difference between the one piece aluminum shaft and the two piece? Pros/Cons to aluminum vs. steel?

2. (I know you mentioned the 600 was all you knew of but maybe someone else may be able to shed some light) Is the drop pitman arm in the tuff country a long enough drop to properly align the front end with no camber issues when using the included alignment bolts or whatever they are? I thought they were too short which is why the 600 is needed, but since this one combines both I'm wondering who can weigh in on this.

Hope this thing somehow makes it in before the weekend!
 
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4x4junkie

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No, unfortunately Tuff Country's drop arm is 2" drop like most everyone else. You'll still need the FA600 arm if you want your linkage to match up with where the axle will be.

The steel driveshaft is slightly smaller diameter than the aluminum... Should mean less trimming of the fuel tank skid/less rubbing on the tank skidplate support when flexing. I suspect any weight difference is negligible.
 

tx_pwp5

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Updated for anyone who was sub'd.

I went with the Tuff Country and it was a painnnnnn to install but I'm happy I did. I absolutely love how the front springs ride. Just the right amount of give. I did go with the skyjacker pitman arm. 200 bucks.

I got about 4 days out of my driveshaft after I got the lift on until the carrier bearing fell apart and almost vibrated the driveline out of the car on the highway. The rear springs are a combination of 93 explorer springs and my ranger springs. I just broke the packs apart and made my own spring pack until I got the lift I needed when paired with the blocks. Didn't want to stack the blocks.

I converted the driveshaft to a one piece out of a 2001 explorer sport track. Had to get an adapter for the U joint- they don't make it anymore so that was another 100 bucks I think. The driveshaft bolted right up after that.

Got everything installed and it looks/works great, but the front was a nightmare to do by myself. I sacrificed a crow foot wrench that still lives in one of the lift brackets. Had to jam it in there to tighten the bolt and it's never coming out again.

*Only thing to note is that now my steering wheel is like 90* off center after I got my alignment. Annoying but otherwise harmless.
 

4x4junkie

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Thanks for the update :icon_thumby:

The steering wheel can be centered simply by adjusting one side tie-rod shorter, and the other side longer by the same number of turns. However the alignment shop should've caught that before they let it out the door. I would take that back to them and have them fix it properly.
 

tx_pwp5

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Thanks for telling me! The alignment was friggin perfect when I got it back and they told me to just rotate the steering wheel. I took the cap off and that's not an option, and I've driving a good bit since then and need another alignment. Sounds like I'll try a new shop and let them know about the steering wheel.

This is perfect timing because it blocks my battery light which has been coming on and off, and I'm not sure how long that's been happening since I just noticed it about a week ago.
 

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