straight centerlink opinions

[02bigstrokin]

Im looking for peoples opinions on straight centerlinks. i know for racing and sled pulling they are a good idea, but what about daily driving. i know they are not nec. for dd but i dont want to put one on my truck and it be horrible on the street. thanks

 

[jraymer]

I don't have any experience with them but I have heard that it makes your turning radius a little worse than it already is.

 

[02bigstrokin]

I don't have any experience with them but I have heard that it makes your turning radius a little worse than it already is.

yeah some have said that, some say it doesnt.

 

[JMK777]

When i put mine on it took from the steering radios a little when making full lock u turns. it seams to progressively throw the geometry out the more you turn the wheel to full lock

 

[ZeroGravity58]

I bought one a ran it for about a month when i first got my truck. This is when i was still driving it everyday and before i had the trans built. I was just running a predator 120 tune. only reason i did it was because i got a deal on the sleeves and centerlink. I wound up pulling the centerlink and selling it. My truck wouldnt turn and because the staight link does not use ackermanns steering geometry it was eating up the outside if my tires. Now that i dont drive the truck everyday im considering installing one again to help out at the track. Personally i didnt like it on a DD.

 

[SteveFord]

Since you have cognito braces can't you just weld some gussets on the stock centerlink so it can't bend the ends?

 

[paint94979]

With my straight centerlink i lost a substantial amount of turning radius but my truck launches straight every single time

 

[eds04max]

It's funny we get these mixed reviews. I installed mine and had ZERO change in turning radius. However, I measured mine in a cut hay field, not on asphault. I suppose that could play a part in it??
As stated, it will cause the outside edge of the tires to 'scuff' when turning sharp. It is due to the fact that the outside tire doesn't 'lean-in' now, when turning.
I've said it before..........I wish I would have done this mod a long time ago!!

 

[ripmf666]

I drive with the braces and center link and sleeves everyday. Tires scuff still turns tight might of lost alittle not much.

 

[SteveFord]

Let me ask this. If you have cognito braces which dosen't allow the centerlink to rotate wouldn't you lose a little turning radius with those also? Or does the centerlink still rotate a tad with the braces?

 

[ripmf666]

I don't see how the braces stop it from turning they still pivot I went over kill on mine. I still toe in with the old super diesel center link dnd front end down all the way on bfg kos and even worse on the slicks

 

[eds04max]

Let me ask this. If you have cognito braces which dosen't allow the centerlink to rotate wouldn't you lose a little turning radius with those also? Or does the centerlink still rotate a tad with the braces?

The purpose of the Cognito braces is to gusset the pitman and idler arm. It does not help the centerlink. I bent my stock centerlink after I installed the braces. The Cognito idler support bracket kit WILL help with the movement of the centerlink. I did this with a scrap piece of steel. Actually, I think this is one of the best mods you can do for your steering.

 

[bullfrogjohnson]

The purpose of the Cognito braces is to gusset the pitman and idler arm. It does not help the centerlink. I bent my stock centerlink after I installed the braces. The Cognito idler support bracket kit WILL help with the movement of the centerlink. I did this with a scrap piece of steel. Actually, I think this is one of the best mods you can do for your steering.

Only a couple people can say they have ever seen a ccsb 4wd dmax do a wheelie

 

[eds04max]

Shhhhhh.........:d

 

[Brayden]

It changes the ackerman angles of the steering. The radius might change some, but it scrubs the tires on loose surfaces enough to not make that big of a difference. On ashpalt it does make it hard to turn tightly IMO.

 

[DuramaxPowered]

I run a straight centerlink, but I drive mostly highway so it doesn't bother me. When I run errands in town, parking in tight spots kinda sucks. I just park out a little farther. The tires do wear a more on the front, but if you rotate them frequently it helps quite a bit.

 

[02bigstrokin]

thanks for all the responses. im getting a really good deal on one so i think im going to get it and try it. if i dont like it i will take it back off and sell it. im going to be running slicks this year so i def. think i could use it for the strip.

 

[csdmax]

I was curious as to how these straight centerlinks hold up when sledpulling. I have a centerlink that was made by a guy here locally and a few other pullers are running the same one but I seem to get more tow in when pulling than I care to have. I really feel like this is hurting my distances. I have dropped my t bars almost to the very bottom but the truck still raises alot and tows in greatly.

 

[Rhall]

Ive went back and fourth between a brace, and a superdiesel centerlink. When my truck was a daily driver, it did wear out the outside of the tires more, and it feels when turning sharply that the trucks in four wheel drive. I took it off cause i was running 18s on it and my tbars were up a little bit, so the tire wear was pretty bad, i put a brace on, but during pulling/drag racing, the truck would still tow in some. I went back to a straight centerlink last summer, and thats how it will stay, my truck has zero tow in with a straight centerlink.

 

[csdmax]

Ive went back and fourth between a brace, and a superdiesel centerlink. When my truck was a daily driver, it did wear out the outside of the tires more, and it feels when turning sharply that the trucks in four wheel drive. I took it off cause i was running 18s on it and my tbars were up a little bit, so the tire wear was pretty bad, i put a brace on, but during pulling/drag racing, the truck would still tow in some. I went back to a straight centerlink last summer, and thats how it will stay, my truck has zero tow in with a straight centerlink.

Thanks for the info Rob. BTW your truck is lookin and runnin good. :thumb: