super stiff steering

Lift the front end off the ground. Put blocks under the LCAs and set the car on the blocks. (Tires off the ground, suspension in a natural position) and see how the steering turns.

Be sure you don't have the wrong idler or pitman arm. They both need to have the same geometry

Yeah, I'm about to go outside and do that right now. I'm not at all sure I have the right Pittman arm on there.