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Radius arm drop brackets or caster cams?

20K views 19 replies 9 participants last post by  green93 
#1 ·
Which would y'all think would be better as far as achieving correct castor and durability? Discuss...
 
#2 ·
Depends on the lift. I think anything much more than about 2" lift and cams cant adjust things enough.
 
#3 ·
Yeah, I'm depating between a 2.5 inch and a 3 inch. One has cams and the other has radius drop brackets. The height is so close it really comes down to what is a more durable solution since I use my truck to work/pull heavy trailers. Off reading will be kept to a minimum with the exception to muddy logging roads and such getting to the deer lease or fishing spot.
 
#4 ·
look, man, I've been there.... just don't do either. the absolute best option is a 3 or 4 link...
I'm telling you straight and have not an ulterior motive.

the best castor to be had with drops on my rig was +3*- anything else started binding things. the cams got me close to 4*... the three link from PMF, using the instructions and measurements provided (except it called for 32nd measurements and I could only get as close as 16th) set me up at 4.7* with margin to increase that easily. A matter of fact, this weekend I'm installing new tierod ends and replacing a dual stabilizer i got for free (a rough country w/2.0's that is about worthless) with a bilstein set-up, and I'm very very tempted to dial it to beyond 5*... more is almost always better.... with just the simple addition of those 3 links (ttl time around 1.5 hours) the handling on my rig is amazing (compared to cams and/or drop brackets) and even better than stock prior to lift....

i have the print out for an alignment when it was OE, and I want to tell you it was something like 4.2/4.4... the ball joints/tie rods were good then... after around 30k miles on the lift w/o the 3 links, I tore those joints to shreds (hence replacing them now)- just adding a bilstein 5100 steering stabilizer in the OE position last week after replacing the draglink pitman arm side ball joint/tie end made my rig damn near a sports car handling- tightening it up with new tie rods (ball joints already done) and adding the dual stabilizers (yes, I'm going to try running all three and see how it goes) on the 4.7 the 3link allowed, and hoping to increase to +5* this weekend- I am truly expecting tight and precise handing like that truck has never offered. I can do that for one reason- and it isn't drop brackets and cams, but 3 links (and four link would do the same thing, but seeing as how i'm offroad only a small percentage I just didn't need it though it cost the precise same as the 3)....
 
#6 ·
4.5"...

but I need to stress that the truck handles better than OE right now- and dialed up to (or over) 5* on new joints w/o any binding will make it even more so.

i've heard it many times that these things we often delivered with well under the prescribed 4*, with some reporting as little as 2* (a few spare horror stories of death wobble and castor UNDER 2*)....

do you know where you're at now? if you were in the under 4* club, and lifted either suspension or level, you likely diminished that... and that sucks.

the only way I know to be able to dial it in w/o dickering with total geometry of the suspension and steering (which by nature excludes four link from the equation- that has to be a careful thing to get it right) is the three link, which is actually just arms- but arms that are adjustable... that 'adjustable' makes for a huge difference that can't be understated... with the brackets, you get what you get... with the cams, you get what you get... with the 3 link (or four), you can dial it in to precisely where you want it. and atop of that, there is ability to go up in lift or down in lift w/o any need to remove them. the ones I got are good for 0-5.5" i think it was, and a bracket can be added to get them good for 8 i think it was.

yeah, they're pricey- but it's a sure thing.
 
#8 ·
How beefy are the drop brackets? Some can be pretty sketchy.

Unless your truck has super low caster from the factory you can use caster cams on lifts around 2.5" without issues. If you have really low stock caster and/or plan on going a little bigger then you will want to run either radius arms that have more caster (or adjustment) or drop brackets.
 
#9 ·
I had a 6" lift on stock radius arms with drop down brackets and my truck wandered and hunted all over the road. Now they were cheap drop down brackets, were stamped metal plates two per radius arm. I put on aftermarket radius arms because I did not like the looks of the stock arms hanging down. I was very surprised when my trucks handling improved vastly after installing the aftermarket arms.
If you do go drop down brackets don't go cheap.
 
#10 ·
I don't know what my castor is right now but I know for a fact I want to put a 2.5 inch lift. I think I found the one I was, I'm going to go with the BDS leveling kit with adjustable radius arms. Here's the link.

http://bds-suspension.com/kit-customizer?kid=1509H

I really want to stay away from bad hands long and espixally the death wobble. I figured if I just bite the bullet and go with quality parts the first time around, it should solve all my issues.
So from what I hear, between 4-5* caster is where I want to be aiming.
 
#12 ·
I don't know what my castor is right now but I know for a fact I want to put a 2.5 inch lift. I think I found the one I was, I'm going to go with the BDS leveling kit with adjustable radius arms. Here's the link.

Customize - 2.5" Radius Arm Suspension System | Ford F250/350 4WD Diesel Only 1509H

I really want to stay away from bad hands long and especially the death wobble. I figured if I just bite the bullet and go with quality parts the first time around, it should solve all my issues.
So from what I hear, between 4-5* caster is where I want to be aiming.
If you have not already purchased something. Take a look at the One Up Offroad Adjustable Link Arms (ALAs). They not only can get your caster back in check and get rid of the drop bracket. They are adjustable enough for up to a 6" lift or even if you want to lower the truck. Another real nice thing about them is the arms are also offset, the other options are not that way. The OUO arms are offset so you can either run a larger wheel/tire combo or you can get a tighter turning radius. Stick with the ALAs since they are pretty much a radius arm setup. It will keep your steering in check since your steering on your axle was designed around a radius arm setup.

These arms were specifically tailored to the coil front ends. These have been around since Ford came out with the coil front end in 2005. One Up Offroad has been installing these style of arms on trucks way before 2005 when you had to convert them from a leaf spring to a coil front end. So these guys been building this stuff for years and know what works best for these trucks. Give One Up Offroad a call and talk to Dave. He has a lot of knowledge in this industry and is quite fun to talk too.

The joints in these arms are about as good as it gets. These are not cheap joints that will need to be rebuilt and/or replaced every X,000 miles.

  • Caster Adjustability
  • Length Adjustable from Lowered to 6" Lift
  • Arms are built offset so larger tires and/or improved/tighter turning radius
  • Gets rid of drop brackets
  • Keeps yours steering in check (More of a 4-link vs Radius Arm Setup)
  • High Quality Joints
  • Looks awesome and is a great product
  • Some people appreciate this and I certainly do but they are packaged so well that I bet they could be dropped from the top of the building and the parts will still survive unscathed

 
#11 · (Edited)
Call up and talk to Trevor at pmf. The arms in the link aren't adjustable. His are fully adjustable, and I wager he can get you where you want to be for less.

with his- and I wager with some others- you can fully dial in the castor.

but yes- you'll be wanting 4.5~5*... up to 5.5* if you can get it... the only bad thing about more positive castor is putting more effort to the steering box- and turning the track bar ball joint to a funky position. both of those are a small price to pay (if they even impact) for the drive quality of easier/quicker self correcting steering. a few tenths of degrees doesn't impact too much when it comes to binding parts (though there is a point where it does impact that- but nowhere you'll be getting close to), however those few tenths of a degree make a big difference in drive quality.
 
#18 ·
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2011+ 7"-9" Lift Box Hardware Kit
2005+ 7" Lift Coil Spring
2011+ Radius Arm Drop Kit
2011+ Rear Brakeline Extension
2005+ Adjustable Track Rod w/ Bearing End

OUO

2005+ OE Replacement Adjustable Link Arm Kit
Dana 60 Front Axle Truss
Dana 60 Front Axle Differential Cover
Ford Cross Member Drop
Lubelocker Gasket For Dana 60
Front Sway Bar Drop Kit for 2008+ Super Duty,
Mini Drive Line Drop Kit
Traction Block Kit - 8" 2.5 Degree
Adaptable Traction Bar Kit - Long Gussets
Traction Bar Hardware Kit - Beside Frame Pivot Mounts
Top Plate Kit Position Adjustable
Under Axle Plate Kit
U-Bolt, ¾”

FOX

2.0 Smooth Body Stabilizer
Performance 2.0 IFP Shock - Rear
Performance 2.0 Reservoir Smooth Body Shock - Front
 
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