Drag Link Lengthening Advice
 

I will be lengthening the drag link on my 31 Sport Coupe to a shorter pitman arm using a MOOG ES2032S sleeve. My question is where is it best and most convenient to cut the drag link? Middle, or closer to one end? I will be taking the drag link to a local machinist to do the thread die cutting. Also, is it required to do both right and left hand threads?
Thanks to any and all who reply, The Geezer

Re: Drag Link Lengthening Advice
 

why lengthen the drag link? Just put the shorter pitman arm on!

Re: Drag Link Lengthening Advice
 

I thought it was necessary to maintain the steering wheel orientation when wheels are straight.

Re: Drag Link Lengthening Advice
 

Who said that???

Re: Drag Link Lengthening Advice
 

Re: Drag Link Lengthening Advice
 

CarlG
The common misconception is that the shorter pitman arm has a longer turning radius than the standard one. In actuallity, it's shorter in one direction and conversly longer in the other direction by the same amount. The adjustable drag link enables you to bring everything back to normal, so there is no loss/gain in turning radius.

Re: Drag Link Lengthening Advice
 

Sounds very reasonable! Will first try just putting on the short pitman arm and see how it works out.

Re: Drag Link Lengthening Advice
 

A friend of mine made his own adjustable link. Here is what he said:

I recently installed a Randy Gross modified Ford 1950’s F100 steering box in my ’31 coupe. It offers better steering control at about the same price as rebuilding a 2-tooth box. I do like it, but it caused the steering wheel to be off center when the wheels were pointed straight ahead. Not a good situation because steering boxes have a sweet spot in their center position. The solution was to install an adjustable drag link but finding one can be difficult. So, I bought the required tools and the Moog adjuster and did it myself. Not difficult. It involves cutting the drag link in two, threading the two ends with 5/8-18 RH and 5/8-18 LH threading dies and connecting the two pieces with the Moog ES2032S “Chassis Adjusting Sleeve”. If anyone wants to do this to your car, I will be glad to help, or you may borrow my 2 threading dies and do it yourself.
Mark Wright

Re: Drag Link Lengthening Advice
 

Dave Delmue makes a nice one. 408-722-2518



John

Re: Drag Link Lengthening Advice
 

[QUOTE=nkaminar;2182036]A friend of mine made his own adjustable link. Here is what he said:

[FONT=&quot][FONT=Arial]I recently installed a Randy Gross modified Ford 1950’s F100 steering box in my ’31 coupe. It offers better steering control at about the same price as rebuilding a 2-tooth box. I do like it, but it caused the steering wheel to be off center when the wheels were pointed straight ahead. Not a good situation because steering boxes have a sweet spot in their center position.

Exactly! The sweet spot is the area with the least free movement in the steering box components and you want the steering sector to be at this point when the car is going straight down the road. The adjustable length drag link allows one to "tune" the system to achieve this. I have one on my '31 touring car that is equipped with a Randy Gross modified F100 steering box. Works as described.
Good Day!

Re: Drag Link Lengthening Advice
 

Dave's adjustable drag link is truly a work of art.

Re: Drag Link Lengthening Advice
 

I installed a Randy Gross F100 box about 5 yrs ago and did not change anything. Everthing works just fine with no need of any adjustments.

Re: Drag Link Lengthening Advice
 

I installed the shorter Pitman arm on my 1928 roadster pickup and I experienced no differences in the turning radius. The steering wheel centering should be not effected as long as the pitman arm is pointing straight down as the original one was with the wheels in the straight ahead position. I have the 7 tooth steering box.

Re: Drag Link Lengthening Advice
 

Thank you all for your replys. I installed the shorter pitman arm straight down with the wheels straight like the longer one was. Worked out great so I do not need to lenghten the drag link.
Tahnks to all, Geezer

Re: Drag Link Lengthening Advice
 

Re: Drag Link Lengthening Advice
 

The short pitman arm can change the geometry which can move the 2 tooth steering shaft slightly off center. The front wheels need to be set straight ahead with actual measurements or aligned in tracks, etc. set up similar to the factory assembly lines. See posts 8-10

Re: Drag Link Lengthening Advice
 

The shortened pitman arm does NOT change the turning radius. The smallest turning radius is determined by the stops on the back of the spindles hitting the heads on the king pin retaining bolt nuts.

It "may" slightly change the position of the sector gear / worm gear being at the point of minimal play.

An adjustable drag link will allow you to adjust the sweet spot of the sector to worm mesh, but in my opinion and experience, this is nonsense.

When driving straight, the pitman arm should be straight up and down. Shortening the pitman arm has extremely little effect on steering geometry.

My guess is that the steering wheel wasn't centered to begin with, and that by adjusting the drag link, you may actually be trying to correct other issues, such as a bad front spring, worn spring shackles, worn radius ball, engine not in the correct alignment, both front to rear and height... anything that could change the position of the front axle relative to the pitman arm.