BUMP STEER GEOMETRYUpdated 2 months ago

What is Bump Steer?

In a solid axle setup, bump steer occurs when the axle moves up and down (through suspension travel) and causes the wheels to steer themselves without any input from the steering wheel. This is especially dangerous at speed, and it's commonly caused by poor geometry alignment between the track bar and the drag link.

If the drag link and track bar are not running at matching angles and lengths, the axle physically shifts side to side under compression or extension, pulling the steering with it. That’s bump steer—and it’s something we eliminate with proper geometry.

Drag Link and Tie Rod Geometry

The drag link connects your steering box to the passenger-side knuckle, and the tie rod connects both knuckles. When these components are not in proper alignment (especially after a lift), steering becomes vague, unstable, and unpredictable. We focus heavily on:

• Keeping the drag link angle as flat as possible.
• Ensuring parallel angles between the drag link and track bar.
• Maintaining the correct tierod height and clearance to avoid contact with other components under flex.

High Steer Knuckles

That’s where our Dynatrac high steer knuckles come into play. On lifted Jeeps and solid-axle trucks, the factory steering arms sit too low. So we build our knuckles with raised steering arms built into the forging, allowing us to move the drag link and tie rod mounting points up.

Benefits include:

• Improved steering geometry.
• Increased ground clearance.
• Reduced bump steer.
• Better protection for tie rods from rocks and trail debris.

Our high steer knuckles are CNC-machined from forged steel or ductile iron, built to handle the loads of extreme off-road abuse without compromise.

Drag Link Flip Kits

When you lift a Jeep or truck several inches, the drag link gets steep. Drag link flip kits are designed to move the drag link mounting point to the top of the steering knuckle, rather than underneath.

This "flip" raises the drag link closer to horizontal—flattening the angle and dramatically reducing bump steer. When combined with a high steer knuckle, you’re restoring factory-like steering control, even on big lifts.

Key benefit: flatter angles = tighter, more responsive steering on and off road.

Ride Height, Lift Kits, and Geometry Correction

Lifting a solid axle vehicle affects:

• Drag link and track bar angles.
• Bump steer severity.
• Tie rod clearance.
• Roll center height (especially rearward bias on acceleration).

That is why when a customer lifts their vehicle, we always recommend correcting steering and track bar geometry in tandem.

For example:

• A 4–6” lift without correcting drag link and track bar angles will create unpredictable handling.
• Our high steer + drag link flip + raised track bar bracket combo solves that.

Raised Track Bar Brackets by Dynatrac

To correct geometry after a lift, raised track bar brackets for our axle housings. These brackets raise the axle-side track bar mount to match the new drag link height.

This gives you:

• Parallel drag link and track bar = zero bump steer.
• Re-centered axle under the chassis during articulation.
• Restored roll center for predictable cornering and body control.

We precisely engineer these brackets to work with our Dynatrac ProRock 44, 60, and 80 axles, offering easy installation and exceptional strength.

Dynatrac’s Complete Steering Geometry Solution

When you run our complete system:

• Dynatrac high steer knuckles
• Drag link flip kit
• Raised track bar bracket
• Heavy-duty tie rod and drag link systems

…you eliminate bump steer, improve responsiveness, and bring true on-road civility to even the most extreme off-road builds.