Alright guys which is better? I am ready to quit having to strap my truck. I want some good advice from my fellow pullers!

I am in the same boat as you. I can't make up my mind which way to go and I don't feel there is a perfect solution yet.

If you go with the superdiesel centerlink you can do without the braces but you will eat front tires and have a limited turning radius.

If you go with the redline centerlink you need the braces but you won't have any issues with eating front tires or turning radius. However I still personally believe that the redline centerlink will still rotate and cause a bit of tow in but I might be wrong.

I have been running a SD center link for one year, I got new tires at the same time.

I have rotated my tires at 6K miles and have probably 20K on them now.

The wear is a bit more on the outside but nothing that the rotating has not kept in line.

I do not fine much of a turning loss either and have had zero driving issues or turning.

I say go for the SD unit.

Would you guys be scared of buying a used center link or should I just bite the bullet and buy a new one? I don't want any forn end issues. I just want to launch and go!

I have seen the center link bend up on the ends, that may be something to consider I am running the braces and nock on wood haven't had any problems pulling..
I think it may be personal choice more then anything.
Jon

I made a centerlink brace like TOMAC uses, it works well. I have no loss of turning radius, its stronger than the cognito braces and cheap:D Sorry I havent taken any pics but I used all two inch angle iron. If you look on Tomac's website you can get a general idea mine cost me around $50 and most of that was the heim joints and sleeve, good luck:D

I've got the stuff in the shop to fabricate one. So welding one up would not be a problem. I just haven't seen any home made ones. I'll check out tomacs. That would save me a lot of money!

I am in the same boat as you. I can't make up my mind which way to go and I don't feel there is a perfect solution yet.

If you go with the superdiesel centerlink you can do without the braces but you will eat front tires and have a limited turning radius.

If you go with the redline centerlink you need the braces but you won't have any issues with eating front tires or turning radius. However I still personally believe that the redline centerlink will still rotate and cause a bit of tow in but I might be wrong.


I recommend the straight center link like Super Diesels. The Red line looks really well made but it will still rotate and cause toe- in IMHO. The Cognitos are not that great IMHO I have seen the all bent up from being run on a truck used for pulling. I have never really seen Tomac's center link setup but I have seen him pull and his frontend stays put.

After looking at Tomac's pictures it just seems that he has made a bracket that keeps the factory centerlink from moving upward at the ends. If any body has any pictures of how guys are attaching these to the factory link I would love to see them.

After looking at Tomac's pictures it just seems that he has made a bracket that keeps the factory centerlink from moving upward at the ends. If any body has any pictures of how guys are attaching these to the factory link I would love to see them.


It's about that time of year again to get excited about pullin' ain't it?!? Man, I'm wondering what I'm gonna do as well. I have a SD link but may get a 4" Cognito lift that comes w/ the supports. If I get a 4" Tough Country lift I don't know if I'll run the SD link or supports from Cognito...or do what ya'll are talkin' about. I would also like to see pics of how Tomacs brace attaches to the centerlink. Could a brace like Tomacs be fabbed to be a piece that could be fairly easy to install just when hooked to pull. Maybe hook over the top of the link and bolt up w/ a heim like Tomac's?

P.S.-I just saw on Crank it up diesel's site Climax is scheduled to pull in Bowling Green, KY 5/12/07!!! YEEEE HAAAWWW

Hope this helps guy's... Im at work so grabbed the digital and snapped a few, its muddy and wet out so I couldnt get good pics.

36192

36193

36195

36196

Thanks for the pics...but I can't see how it attaches to the link itself. Please help...when it dries up a little!!!

Its very simple, its just a big U shape and at the top of both sides there is a piece of flat iron welded on top of the two pieces vertical angle iron at about a 45 degree angle. Then the U just bolts right to the centerlink with the factory idler/pitman nuts. Ill try for more pics in a few days if I need to, mine works great no problems and full steering travel:D

I get the idea...just need a visual. No rush though. Thanks for the help so far!:beerchug:

The RLDP centerlink with Cognito braces and SD Sleeves is a solid setup. NO TOE-IN! That I can feel. I could launch my truck and not worry about holding on to the wheel with a 1.5x 60'. This combination Work's more than one person is runing it.

I made a centerlink brace like TOMAC uses, it works well. I have no loss of turning radius, its stronger than the cognito braces and cheap:D Sorry I havent taken any pics but I used all two inch angle iron. If you look on Tomac's website you can get a general idea mine cost me around $50 and most of that was the heim joints and sleeve, good luck:D
I made mine without the heim joints, Just let it slide against the diff, worked perfect with less building, just make sure you build it with all the lash out of the joints.
This was before my lift.

It's about that time of year again to get excited about pullin' ain't it?!? Man, I'm wondering what I'm gonna do as well. I have a SD link but may get a 4" Cognito lift that comes w/ the supports. If I get a 4" Tough Country lift I don't know if I'll run the SD link or supports from Cognito...or do what ya'll are talkin' about. I would also like to see pics of how Tomacs brace attaches to the centerlink. Could a brace like Tomacs be fabbed to be a piece that could be fairly easy to install just when hooked to pull. Maybe hook over the top of the link and bolt up w/ a heim like Tomac's?I installed the Tuff country 4" lift and the Cognito braces with tie rod sleeves and it works awsome. The angle on the axle and tie rods are better than stock for pulling with this set up. With this lift kit I was not able to use the home made brace like Tomacs. You can look at my videos and see less toe-in than even the solid axle dodges.

I just got my new Super Diesel centerlink today, it's even beefier than the old one! They are definately worth the money on the track, just hold on to the wheel and point it which way you want to go.

All this talk about a centerlink brace/stabilizer I had to make my own tomac style also. Just changed my pitman and idler arms last week and installed the brace today. What a difference it makes doing a 4wd boosted launch. Before the front end moved around and now its point and go. Best mod I think so far that was a do it yourselfer.

Do not take offense. But lets see it not toe-in on a sticky midwest pulling track with over 1k hanging off the front. You bracing looks great but it does nothing to stop rotation IMHO. That is what the Cognitos are for. But they are not up to the task. I seen them mangled.


The RLDP centerlink with Cognito braces and SD Sleeves is a solid setup. NO TOE-IN! That I can feel. I could launch my truck and not worry about holding on to the wheel with a 1.5x 60'. This combination Work's more than one person is runing it.

has anyone run the crankitup centerlink it is a straight bar design and considerably cheaper then sd's?

johnboy i think your right on the braced stock centerlink i dont think it would stop the rotation, and you should try pullin on some carolina clay, that stuff is wicked

None taken. Just stating from my experience and memory as you are. Drag racing and pulling share few similarities for setup, so I will admit I am out of my area of expertise. I think the rotation you are refering to is happening because the centerlink is flexing and giving the tie rods even more leverage. A few of these will be hitting the pulling track this season. I guess we will have to slap one on a truck on a sticky midwest pulling track with over 1k hanging off the front. Do not take offense. But lets see it not toe-in on a sticky midwest pulling track with over 1k hanging off the front. You bracing looks great but it does nothing to stop rotation IMHO. That is what the Cognitos are for. But they are not up to the task. I seen them mangled.

are any of you guys running upgraded center links with braces? Or is the cneterlink and sleeves enough?

The straight link is the start of the fix. You will need to gusset the idler and include the supersteer idler kit to keep things in line. if you can keep the front end down (t-bars) that will help a lot on the tow-in deal. Here in Florida we pull on some lose tracks that demand big tires. The tracks bite, but they reveal all the weaknesses in your front end. We also have a lot of tight spots on our the track to turn around in. I say, Supersteer Idler (w/gusset), Cognito braces, stock centerlink, and T-bars down. Or just put in a Dana 60 and forget about it:D

The straight link is the start of the fix. You will need to gusset the idler and include the supersteer idler kit to keep things in line. if you can keep the front end down (t-bars) that will help a lot on the tow-in deal. Here in Florida we pull on some lose tracks that demand big tires. The tracks bite, but they reveal all the weaknesses in your front end. We also have a lot of tight spots on our the track to turn around in. I say, Supersteer Idler (w/gusset), Cognito braces, stock centerlink, and T-bars down. Or just put in a Dana 60 and forget about it:D

This is the 1st time I've seen a supersteer idler mentioned. It's kinda self explanitory what it is, but...what is it? I mean if you run cognito, then why the supersteer kit? Is it a beefed up idler? Is there a beefed up pitman?How much are they and where do we get 'em?

I think a lot of folks would just run a Dana 60 and forget about it...but I think most people on this thread don't want more than 4" of lift. And that's not possible (from I've been told ) on these SFA conversions.:mad:

not to mention when you go with a D60 you would be out of most classes because that was never an option from the factory on our trucks. Thanks for the advice. SO I would be better to use the braces with a straight link.

The stock idler wears quickly and gets sloppy, but the real problem is that the two mounting tabs/brackets that it bolts to is subject to bending and flexing. Mine was bent about 1" off original location. You can make your own gusset which holds the factory tabs in check or buy one for a few bucks from Cognito. It's a simple weld in piece. If you can see how the supersteer idler is made, you can understand how it eliminates the factory wear issue. The pitman side is not a issue. The steering box and congnito brace will keep it from moving.http://www.hendersonslineup.com/np4-idlerarm.htm

Cognito gets theres from supersteer and had the best price when I bought mine.

Josh i think bigd ran a sd centerlink, took it off and went with the cognito's and said he wished he would have kept the sd centerlink IIRC. He said the cognito's did not stop toe in. IIRC

thanks I definately don't want problems.

Josh i think bigd ran a sd centerlink, took it off and went with the cognito's and said he wished he would have kept the sd centerlink IIRC. He said the cognito's did not stop toe in. IIRCCognito's will not stop toe in. They only help stiffin the idler and pitman. They are only one piece in the cure. If you install the supersteer idler w/gusset the stock centerlink will not rotate. It may bend, but I can't see how it could rotate. I'll let you know soon.

Or for $15 you can just strap the front end. What can I say, I'm cheap.

Or for $15 you can just strap the front end. What can I say, I'm cheap.

that is what I have been doing for the last 3 years. I just got tired of having to crawl under my truck especially when the ground is muddy. I finally broke down yesterday and ordered my centerlink and braces. No more cralwing under my truck.

Or for $15 you can just strap the front end. What can I say, I'm cheap.

So far that seems to be one of the most effective ways to do it. The bad part for me was when I bent the rear crossmember from tightening the strap too much. :eek:

What about us nubags that like to use 4x4 on the street for an impromptu acceleration test? ;) Dont have time to drop the bars or strap the link ;)

sounds like me...am am curious to see how the RLDP centerlink works compared to the SD one.. i haven't drag raced or pulled since then.. i do know i had zero flex with just the sd centerlink..at least i could launch a high 1.6x 60' on the drag strip wtih no hands on teh wheel and it would go straight as an arrow no hopping. but it is nice to have my turning radius back.

What about us nubags that like to use 4x4 on the street for an impromptu acceleration test? ;) Dont have time to drop the bars or strap the link ;)

Well I just installed my new centerlink and braces last night and the truck is gettting aligned as we speak. I went with the SD link and Cognito braces. THanks to Dan at PPE for getting me the goods quickly! I will be interested to see how it holds togethet. I am looking forward to being able to 4x4 launch on the street when the need arises and also not having to strap at the track!

I was under the impression that the cognito braces don't do anything when using the SD center link.

From what I've been told, the pitman and Idler arm can bend since the center link will not. I did bend both last year even strapping. Not sure that I had to have them but it came recomended from several folks.

I didn't know that.

I have been running the SD link and Cognito Braces since last summer. Surprisingly the link got bent on both sides and the idler, pitman and braces were ok.

I am going to try running the Redline link for a while. When I was running my stock link last year, The centerlink actually rolled so much it hit the framerail even with braces and then of course got mildly bent, which then in turn broke the passenger side CV. I am hoping that the redline is a bit stronger than a plain stock link , but I am guessing that it may still roll so I am going to take it easy next time I hit the sand.

I told Clyde at redline that if anyone can break one I can. I will post back in a bit when the inevitable happens.....lol

I figured if you could bend that that SD would probably send u another one. THat is some serious movement to bend one of those.

IIRC Michael said he would replace them if bent. I know I never managed to bend mine.

I figured if you could bend that that SD would probably send u another one. THat is some serious movement to bend one of those.

ive seen one bent sd centerlink on my buddys truck and sd replaced it very fast, ill be ordering one soon!

I talked to someone very knowledgable on the matter. From what he said, there is no need for braces if you use the sd link, the bar cant bend. the sd link and sleves is the best way to go from what I have read. ill order mine from McRat today!

Any updates guys? My 4" TC lift goes on tomorrow. I have an SD link and sleeves. I will be running my CV's as straight as I can get them. I can't remember if I saw that an SD link will work w/ the supersteer/gusset. Can't wait for tomorrow!!!

so if you had sleeves, centerlink, and supports would it still be necessary to drop the front end for sled pullin or could u just hook and go and not worry bout it????

I've been looking crank it up diesel setup. What do you guys think of that setup?

superdiesel says for offroad/racing use only? whats the deal?

just pulled for the first time since installing the SD center link, with cognito braces, and SD sleeves. THe truck never felt so good. It pulled straight as an arrow and after watching my video playback, ZERO TOE IN. I dropped the Tbars just enough to get the CV's in a straight line and that was it. No troubles and no toe in! Money well spent. Not to mention that it gave me a pull good enough to come in 2nd place.

i like the SD center link and sleeves. i just put them on. however it feels like it binds when you turn a corner. why does it do that...is it normal?

From what i understand, the SD link cuts down your turning radious. So the "binding" you speak of is probably that. Thats the one and only reason why i havent went with one yet. My truck already has the turning radious of an air craft carrier, so i cant afford to lose ANY turning radious!!:D I've got sleeves and braces, no problems so far!

Joe

You loose about 2-3 ft on the turning radius because the inside tire dosn't go over center any more (no matter what others say. Measure for yourself). It is more of a 1 to 1 turn system. It was not developed to win dounut contests. This is where the stocker comes into play. But then again the stocker wasn't built to be the ultimate for launching and pulling (this is why we replace them with something safer). Make no mistake, the supports will not take the power that the SD center link is made for (privided the T bars arn't cranked all the way up during a full throttle 22-25 psi launch).

it does reduce the turning radius because the inside tire turns more than the outside tire. I ran one for a couple years and got used to it to where i didn't notice it. just remember to rotate your tires regularly. if you don't you'll notice some wear on the outside of the front tires.

but for racing or pulling it is a VERY good solution. also i don't see why you would need cognito braces- even if the centerlink rotates, since its straight i wouldn't think it would affect toe in anyways.

I've got the braces and sleeves. Is this good enough to get started ? My first pull is june 22. If needed I will get a centerlink but it will not be before june 22

so the reason they say its for off road use only is b/c you lose turning radius?

How much of a difference is there between Super Diesel's and Redline's Centerlink's? Wouldn't mind to keep good turning radius but want to keep the front end straight also.