need some front end suspension help!!!

[muzbomb]

Hey guys I need some info, help or advise on what to do with my front end!! You can see in my sig, but i have right now a 2.5" icon leveling kit with 1" TEI spacers and i had an adjustable icon trac bar but now have a BDS trac bar cause my icon is hooped. I had it at the shop second time in 3 months and they said my pitman, trac bar are starting to wear. He recommended that i get drop brackets or i will be going through front ends like crazy just cause of the angle. So what you guys think i can do to fix this but i really want to keep my 2.5" leveling kit and 1" TEI spacer cause i like the look and height of it!!

 

[Smokyred]

Get a drop pitman arm and a drop track bar bracket.

Dave

 

[muzbomb]

Ok so that is all i will need to keep from wearing parts steady?

 

[SAK]

What do you mean that your ICON track bar is "hooped'?

The only thing BDS makes for the track bar is a drop bracket, then it uses the stock track bar.

What are the alignment specs on the truck, you have to change the castor to get the geometry right. If he is trying to get it back to factory specs then yes you will wear out the components.

 

[muzbomb]

Yes my icon track bar was hooped 3 months ago. I was in a rush and needed my truck so all they could get was BDS track bar i believe it was. So how do i go about getting my front end fixed up so it is not wearing parts? I am not sure of the alignment specs on the truck?? How do i find that out? I just had my truck in the shop yesterday and they checked it out to make sure it was safe to drive.

 

[SAK]

Take a picture of the axle from the front looking at the track bar and track bar bracket and post it up.

The alignment shop will know the specs, you need to find out if the tried to put it back to the factory specs or not, factory specs do not work on lifted trucks. who put the kit on the truck? Did they install the alignment cams in the ICON kit when the truck was lifted?

 

[muzbomb]

Ok i will take some pics. They did install the alignment cams that came with the Icon 2.5 kit.

 

[Rene G]

I have a 2.5" Icon kit as well. I installed the Icon trac bar and pounded out the bushing within months. I then tried their hiem joint upgrade and it was cooked within weeks. I've went back to a stock bar and its lasted over a year now. I really don't think these are very well suited to our environment.

 

[muzbomb]

I just talked with the shop they are going to look it up get back to me about the alignment specs. He says i need a drop pitman arm+drop brackets to fix up my set up just cause of my lift i have on truck.

 

[muzbomb]

I have a 2.5" Icon kit as well. I installed the Icon trac bar and pounded out the bushing within months. I then tried their hiem joint upgrade and it was cooked within weeks. I've went back to a stock bar and its lasted over a year now. I really don't think these are very well suited to our environment.

That is exactily what happened to my Icon adjusable trac bar and now i have a BDS one in and it is doing samething only been on there for 3 months. I do have my stock trac bar still wonder if i should put it back on with Drop pitman arm and trac bar drop brackets+radius drop brackets?

 

[Rene G]

I'd probably do the drop brackets, and a stock bar myself. Another option to looks at is a PMF track bar, I'm just not sure on what he uses for a bushing. As for the radius arms I personally don't like drop brackets, just because of looks, but the price is a lot better than ALA's

 

[muzbomb]

I'd probably do the drop brackets, and a stock bar myself. Another option to looks at is a PMF track bar, I'm just not sure on what he uses for a bushing. As for the radius arms I personally don't like drop brackets, just because of looks, but the price is a lot better than ALA's

Ok so the pitman arm drop bracket and trac drop bracket is what you are thinking? I would like to do 4 links but they are so pricey maybe down the road??

 

[muzbomb]

Here is some pics i took of my trac bar on the truck right now.

 

[DFW64]

Did you watch the installer torque the trac bar to the required specs? They are not the same as Ford specs. I believe the stock trac bar requires 350 ft-lbs and the Icon requires over 400 ft-lbs. That could explain why the stock one works and the icon doesn't.

Also, do you have any bumpsteer issues?

 

[Rene G]

Ok so the pitman arm drop bracket and trac drop bracket is what you are thinking? I would like to do 4 links but they are so pricey maybe down the road??

That's what I'd try, but SAK can give you some pro advice. And really drop brackets for the radius arms will probably help as well.

 

[muzbomb]

No i didn't watch them torque the Icon trac bar in... My steering it seems like it wants to dart off to one side of the road lots and the steering wheel when aligned straight in the cab the truck wants to turn to pass side?? What brand of drop brackets would you guys recommend and how much drop 4"?

 

[SAK]

Your alignment is the issue with what you just described.

 

[MrMike2010]

Sounds to me like a caster issue. Without putting caster shims in, the steering gets a light feeling to it and the slightest bump or change in the road makes the truck wander. You can either use te shims or like someone suggested a good 3 link or 4 link to dial the caster back in to factory specs.

 

[muzbomb]

Ok so a pitman drop bracket, trac drop bracket and a radius drop bracket wouldn't be worth getting??

 

[SAK]

You are trying to throw parts at the problem hoping it is going to fix it, which it may seem like it helped, but you are only masking the real problem. You need to get the specs on the alignment, I am willing to be you only have about 2.5* of caster when you need more.

I ran an ICON track bar for over 100k miles and didn't have an issue with it, it was on 3 different trucks with a 2.5", 3.5" and 5.5" lift. My trucks were not street kings either, it all has to do with the setup being right.