Ride height and tie rod angle?

[wamcneil]

Hi All,
Can y'all tell if my ride height is where it's supposed to be? 96 TXT with a lift.
Seems to me like the tie rods should be roughly horizontal at a normal ride-height, but they sit at a 15 deg angle with about 1.5" between the tie rod and the top of the spring.
I measure 13" between the shock mounts.
Is this normal???
Thanks,
Walter
ride-height.jpg

[mzimme14]

Your lift looks like it's a spindle lift, not a drop axle. The shock heights look correct but I don't recall angles on the stock setup of my Medalist that I just redid. With a drop axle lift there would be higher shock mounts and risers for the tie-rod ends that attach to the stock spindles. Doesn't look to be the case for your lift. Essentially your carts axle setup there is stock, but the spindles look to have been replaced which is what lifted your cart.

Can you get a picture a little more zoomed out to be sure, and maybe someone else can comment on the angles?

[wamcneil]

Right, it's a spindle lift. Here's a horizontal shot showing how the tire rod ends are well below the top of the axle.
steering.jpg

[wamcneil]

Is it possible that the spindle arms (not sure what the right term is...) are on the wrong sides (and upside down)?
If reversed, the ball joints would be on the bottom side of the spindle/arm, and much lower.
Edit: nevermind, that would put the tie rod end way too low. And the service manual indicates that the original spindle arms were up close to the top of the spindle
spindle_arm.jpg

[Cobra,1]

Not familiar with your lift kit but the connection on spindles where tie rods connect is definitely too high compared to stock.
You may try to reverse left and right adapters flipping them upside down from picture shown.
That would put tie rod and tie rod ends more parallel to spindles.

[Doubles Shooter]

Originally Posted by wamcneil

Is it possible that the spindle arms (not sure what the right term is...) are on the wrong sides (and upside down)?
If reversed, the ball joints would be on the bottom side of the spindle/arm, and much lower.
Edit: nevermind, that would put the tie rod end way too low. And the service manual indicates that the original spindle arms were up close to the top of the spindle
Attachment 233458

I wonder if that JB Weld looking stuff on both sides of the ball joint bracket is hiding something like an oversize hole.

[mzimme14]

I think those spindles just give the tie rod mounts too much height. Maybe try to find stock spindles and loft the cart using a drop axle kit instead?

[wamcneil]

Originally Posted by Doubles Shooter

I wonder if that JB Weld looking stuff on both sides of the ball joint bracket is hiding something like an oversize hole.

I'm pretty sure it's a tapered bung welded into the plate steel bracket. The kit appears to be Jakes like this:
jakes.jpg
Could somebody measure distance between the shock mounts? Mine is about 13: sitting on the ground and 14" jacked up

[wamcneil]

Originally Posted by mzimme14

I think those spindles just give the tie rod mounts too much height. Maybe try to find stock spindles and loft the cart using a drop axle kit instead?

Thanks. Maybe a good option.

[mzimme14]

Does it affect your steering at all?