Turning radius problem after RC lift

I just had a 6 inch Rough Country lift installed on my 2018 Dbl cab SR5 4x4 and now the turning radius is much bigger than the stock radius. Difficult maneuvering in parking lots and off road tight locations. I'm still running the stock tires and rims. Nothing changed except the lift being added.
Very disappointing results, though the ride is still about the same.

Any fixes for this besides removing the lift kit?

Thank you in advance for any pointers.

 

Same here, although I only did a 3.5” RC Lift…

 

Quick guess, but maybe the increased angle on the steering linkages affects how far the rack will push the knuckles? Can the rack be lowered?

I’ve never looked at a lift like this, so 100% speculating.

 

Reduced turning radius is common with bracket type lifts. Ton of parts changes up front, different geometry, I dont use RC products so not sure what their steering stop solution is or if its left stock. There may be some adjustment in them, or depending on the kit it may be what it is.

But no, you are likely not going to get any huge improvement to turning radius with the 6 inch lift

 

Thanks for your input Frank and Chad. I appreciate it.
I'm going to dig deeper for a solution. If I come up with anything I'll post it here.

 

I think the Rough Country lift is a quality product. The truck still rides close to stock as far as how smooth it is. My only complaint is that the turning radius is impacted quite a bit. It's very noticeable when making U turns or tight parking situations. My mechanic called them and they admitted that the turning radius is impacted "a little". It seems like a lot to me.

 

Did the lift include a drop Pitman arm?

 

No need on a rack and pinion steering system

 

Totally forgot Toyota rack and pinion

 

Here are some photos of the lift- around the front driver side wheel.

 

Again, increased turn radius is common with bracket type lifts. Look at your steering stops. The kit may have changed them or how they function.

This is on a tacoma, but the details and situation are the same, should help you further diagnose and potentially address. Good info with pics that should be helpful to you.
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/terrible-turning-radius-after-6-fabtech-install.291860/

 

This was super helpful Frank. I can see where the stops are hitting. There is extra steel there so I may be able to grind some off and get some turning radius back.
Thanks! Will report back when I get to it.

 

They may be there for a reason. I would dig a little further before grinding them off.

 

my 7inch bds lift came with longer steering ends. Not much loss in steering.[/QUOTE]

 

Yes most bracket lifts adjust the steering stops so that you can't turn as much. This is normal as it prevents binding, extra rubbing, etc. In fact I never heard of a bracket lift that kept factory radius. Usually always loose some radius when lifting like this.

 

The lift didn't change castor. With the lift the wheel sits lower from the steering rack now. When the wheel hubs turns at the same angle, the tie rod end link has to travel a greater distance. At some point the steering rack maxes out, but the hub was not able to turn at the angle it used to.

Can't fix the problem without extending steering rack's travel. Or repositioning it 6" lower.

 

How bad is bad? I don't do U-turns unless there's 3 lanes on the other side
Austin Powers is the name of the game with our trucks when it comes to tight switchbacks on trails.

 

Looks like Coachbuilder has tie rod ends that bolts to the hub from the top, not bottom, like OE does, which takes back a few inches. https://shop-coachbuilder.myshopify.com/collections/steering-upgrade-kits

 

I was able to grind a quarter inch of metal off the thick side of the stops and gained back alot of the original steering radius. I appreciate all of your input to help me solve this issue.

 

I just installed the new Rc 3.5 on my 23…love looks and ride,hate turning radius!

 

rdogg1 you may want to look at the turning stops and see if you can do what I did on mine. The turning radius has improved by at least 6 feet! I didn't measure except by making a U-turn in the same place in the street. At first I had to back up and do the Y turn in order to make the U-turn. By the time I was finished, I could make the U-Turn with 3 feet to spare without hitting the curb.

 

Gonna go back to shop who sold it and encourage they do the grinding. Lol

 

rdogg1, how did it go? Did the shop grind it down for you?

 

Aloha,wanted to check in with you about the grinding of the spindle to improve radius.have you have any issue with binding or anything?.