Pitman arm

[butch27]

I "HAVE" to shorten my Pitman Arm on the bucket 'cause it has very little ground clearance.  If I make the spindle steering arm longer will it keep the same steering ratio? It's a drag link on a "T".

[chimp koose]

it will not turn as sharply as before and likely a little easier to turn the wheel.

[Rrumbler]

Like Chimp K says, it will not turn as sharply, and will b easier to turn.  In order to keep the same turning radius you have now, you should shorten the steering arm by the same ratio as the pitman arm; if they are of equal lenght now, and you shorten the pitman arm by two inches, you should shorten the steering arm by the same amount; ratio is one to one.  A bit of math and some diagraming should get you where you need to be.

[unklian]

Or raise the steering box.

[Warpspeed]

I "HAVE" to shorten my Pitman Arm on the bucket 'cause it has very little ground clearance.  If I make the spindle steering arm longer will it keep the same steering ratio? It's a drag link on a "T".

You will only keep the steering ratio the same if you alter BOTH in the same proportions.
Make both either longer, or make both shorter by the same amounts.

Can you bend the pitman arm slightly ?
Or raise the steering box as already suggested ?

[jaybee]

Right, if you shorten 1 by 15% you have to shorten the other by 15% to avoid changing the steering ratio.

[unklian]

Or change to a different box, with the Pitman arm up.

If the drag link runs at an angle, you risk bump steer.

[GPster]

I tried going back on your profile but I could only get pieces of information about your "T". With Econoline spindles on your front axel and a Corvair steering box working a drag link those pieces would make me guess it might have some Total Performance ideas in it. A Corvair box with a drag link would make me think it's on top of the frame so I think that reversing that box and trying to use some sembleance of the mount would put the pittman on the inside of the frame. Also using Corvair pieces with that '65 (?) Corvair column would give you a splined coupling between the column and the box with no universal. So just one more guess on how to make it work.  The more work you make that steering box do by shortening the pittman arm and the arm on the spindle might be asking for problems because those boxes are lighter than even a Vega box and they were made for a car with the engine in the back. That plus making the turning radius larger is going to have your instinct raunching on that steering wheel harder trying to get something that isn't there. I'd try spacing the box higher in it's mount. With the column mounted the same height in the dash maybe the bottom of the steering wheel won't hit you legs. The drag link being at a great angle can give you  "bump steer"  but the steering arm on the spindle can be raised or lowered by bending to make the drag link in a better position. Is is probably going to put something hitting your exhaust but maybe this will give you another way of looking at it. Well I spent 4 days trying to keep from ordering those steeing parts for the jeep and with tomorrow being a holiday it'll probably be 4 more days till the parts get here. I can only work on one problem at a time but I can talk about it. GPster

[butch27]

Thanks for all of the info. BUT I'm running a '53 Ford pickup box. The Corvair stuff is just the mast jacket and turn signal switch. I nee to know if cutting the pitman arm in half and veeing it and welding back together is at all save??

[butch27]

Wow : Such a hurry I didn't do spellcheck. I meant is it dangerous?

[unklian]

I'd rather raise the box.

Or change to a different box.

[butch27]

No room to move the box. It's on a a bracket outside of frame about 1".

[Warpspeed]

How about a picture ?
We are all pretty much completely in the dark.