Over the past 45 years I've always owned at least one AD truck and during that time I've seen scads of them that others have owned and worked on some of those. It has always been interesting to me that I've never seen a single one with stock suspension and steering that had a drag link parallel to the ground. Not even one. Also I've noticed there are images right here on the Stovebolt forum showing 100% stock suspensions with their drag links also leaning that typical 15 to 18% downward angle (using the steering arm as the center point, parallel as one radius and the drag link as the other radius). If anyone has a bona fide image or picture of an AD truck with stock suspension and steering (and with good original type springs...not old wallowed out sagging springs or himmy-jimmy lowered springs) with a parallel drag link, I'd be very interested in seeing it. Likewise if anyone can point me to a passage in the AD shop manual with wording saying "make certain your drag link is parallel to the ground or shop floor" please do so. I've read the thing many times and evidently I missed that wording.
One could lengthen the pitman arm about 2.5 inches to take care of the problem, but I wouldn't. I saw this done in the late 1960s on a Ford in an attempt to correct the same situation (caused by a guy who wanted it to sit up higher). The drag link was then parallel but the leverage changed enough to make the vehicle dangerous. As you'd expect, the wheels turned quicker and it was harder to turn them...scary, actually. As I see it, the only safe way to adjust the drag link is by bending the steering arm or somehow raising the height of the place where the drag link sits, but I'd suggest doing this cold and bending it won't necessarily be easy. Jerry would be able to tell you how to do it using heat and I'm certain he has ideas/knowledge on this whole subject.
