AlkyIROC

I just spent about 1/2 hour going through the Search. I found a couple of interesting threads but nothing to answer my question.

I want to drop my engine lower now that I'm finally getting a tubular K member. I'm looking for another 1-2". It's as low as it can go now because of the steering center link. I've been thinking about a couple of ways of dropping it down but can't find any hard information if it's possible.

#1 Find a centerlink with the same dimensions but has a drop center.

#2 Find a pitman arm with more than a 2" offset (factory) plus a matching idler arm.

I can't drop the steering box down because that will cause more clearance problems with the steering shaft although dropping the idler arm down wouldn't cause the same problem.

I'm not currently worried about bump steer. If the geometry is all wrong after the drop, I'll work on the problem later.

A rack and pinion is out of the question also because with a BBC, it's just about impossible to run a steering shaft to it through the headers.

Any suggestions?

xpndbl3

iTrader: (5)

what about a drop pitman and idler arm off a 4x4 truck? For instance when a full size chevy from the 80s was lifted, you bought a drop pitman and idler arm for it. would this work in this case as well? just an idea.

AlkyIROC

Thought about that also.

The chev truck lift kits always used a special steering arm. I had a 79 4x4 with a 6" suspension lift, 3" body lift and 36" tires many years ago. Sold that and bought my lowered 454SS To my knowledge they never had a drop pitman arm but I still have to measure a factory truck pitman arm to see how much offset it has. The truck pitman arm might not even be the same shape. They didn't use an idler arm. They had a tie rod go from one side to the other and the draglink attached to the steering arm on the driver side.

Ford, Dodge, Jeep use a dropped pitman arm but I'm not sure if any of them will fit a Saginaw box.

AlkyIROC

Success, sort of.

Motor City Mike gave me a suggestion in another post.

If you look at the center link on our cars, it isn't flat straight across but the ends are angled slightly. By flipping the center link from side to side, you move the angles downward and put the tie rod ends on the front of the center link.

This gained about an inch more clearence to drop the engine down. It's still not enough for the steering shaft to clear the headers but it's better. I can't drop it any lower because of the #6 header tube looping over the frame.

I should have a tubular K-member in a few days and I'll see if any more modifications will be needed after that.