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Is this a caster issue?

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Old Oct 21, 2008 | 03:39 PM
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Default Is this a caster issue?

That's my guess but i would like your opinion on this. I installed RC's drop brackets yesterday and went out to reconnect my sway bar links. I noticed the passenger side sway bar link hits the coil spring when connected. The coil spring looks "bent" forward. On the driver's side, the sway bar link is further away from the coil spring. I also noticed when turning fully to the right, the tie rod end where the drag link connects to the tie rod, hits the lower sway bar end link. Check out the pictures:

Drivers side sway bar:



Passenger Side sway bar:



Where it hits on the steering linkage:





Sound like caster?

Last edited by muddeprived; Oct 21, 2008 at 03:48 PM.
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Old Oct 21, 2008 | 04:27 PM
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Stock or Adjustable CA's?

Also you might have a misaligned track bar, disconnect it and see how things sit. My ZJ looked the same before I got my track bar set right..
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Old Oct 21, 2008 | 04:31 PM
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Originally Posted by nick_n_ii
Stock or Adjustable CA's?

Also you might have a misaligned track bar, disconnect it and see how things sit. My ZJ looked the same before I got my track bar set right..
stock arms. actually the uppers are from q-tec and are 1/4" longer than the stock ones. I had q-tec factory replacement lowers too but had a bushing issue with those so i took em off and put my old ones back on. The old ones are 1/4 shorter than the new ones i had. That got me thinking that it's caster.

I have an adjustable jks trackbar. I disconnected it and centered the axle under the jeep. it's set right.
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Old Oct 21, 2008 | 04:35 PM
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if your draglink is parallel to the trackbar then you are all good there..I am guessing misalignd sway bar links or something along those lines..Caster could be an isue but if the UCA' are longer then the LCA's to ma that would an could cause the top to point to far forward putting the springs closer to the swaybar...
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Old Oct 21, 2008 | 04:43 PM
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Originally Posted by okcjeeper
if your draglink is parallel to the trackbar then you are all good there..I am guessing misalignd sway bar links or something along those lines..Caster could be an isue but if the UCA' are longer then the LCA's to ma that would an could cause the top to point to far forward putting the springs closer to the swaybar...
The sway bar links shouldn't be the issue i don't think. They lined up perfectly prior to the bracket install. They may now be a little too short since they are designed for 2-3" and i got 5" but that shouldn't cause one side to be closer than the other.
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Old Oct 21, 2008 | 04:50 PM
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Yeah I think you are right..I would lean towards a caster issue the more I think on it..Like I said your top is 1/4" longer then stock and now your lowers are stock length ie pushing the top forward which in theory could move the spring closer sway bar..might take it to an alignment shop and have your caster checked..
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Old Oct 21, 2008 | 04:52 PM
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Originally Posted by okcjeeper
Yeah I think you are right..I would lean towards a caster issue the more I think on it..Like I said your top is 1/4" longer then stock and now your lowers are stock length ie pushing the top forward which in theory could move the spring closer sway bar..might take it to an alignment shop and have your caster checked..
Gonna. They opened up this new off road shop so i'm gonna check them out and see if they do alignments.
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Old Oct 21, 2008 | 06:14 PM
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Sounds very much like a post I read. Not sure if it was here....

OH yeah, someone posted it here but the original was on NAXJA

Guy had the same problem.
One side was caster'ed more than the other.
Diagnosed as a "spun axle tube" Im hoping this is not the case here

Get it to that shop and have them check your caster for BOTH sides.

IF LCA are suspected: BOTH swaybar links would hit, even if they are adjustable and/or misadjusted
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Old Oct 21, 2008 | 08:02 PM
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Originally Posted by Howler_GT
Sounds very much like a post I read. Not sure if it was here....

OH yeah, someone posted it here but the original was on NAXJA

Guy had the same problem.
One side was caster'ed more than the other.
Diagnosed as a "spun axle tube" Im hoping this is not the case here

Get it to that shop and have them check your caster for BOTH sides.

IF LCA are suspected: BOTH swaybar links would hit, even if they are adjustable and/or misadjusted
The sway bar brackets lined up fine before the install. I remember seeing the caster shoes different on both sides when i first bought it. I bet you can remember that thread i posted about them being different. Now with the brackets, i have both LCA's adjusted all the way back, with no caster shimming. Weird thing is when it was stock, it did not have any caster shims but the shims were not even on both sides. One was 1/2 way forward and the other was all the way back. I don't know how that is possible without shims behind the caster shoes. A shop's gonna have to tell me whats' up.
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Old Oct 21, 2008 | 08:14 PM
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I read on an Austrailian Xj website that left-hand drive XJ's are shimmed to ever-so-slightly drift to the right.
As opposed to right-hand drive XJ's that go to the left.

The website claimed that the wheelbase measurements from one side to the other are like 7/16" (10-11mm)
Now if I believe that..... As I do not have the two types of XJ's to test this info. And the one I have...I am too lazy to check it on anyway.
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Old Oct 22, 2008 | 12:45 AM
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First check that the coil spring is seated properly on passenger side. If it's rotated too far and sitting above the indent or if theres some crud (mud?) under the spring on the backside it'll lift that side making the spring appear to be bent towards the front of the vehicle.

I think your problem is your control arms.

BTW... the Flyers called, they want their pucks back.
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Old Oct 22, 2008 | 05:39 AM
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Originally Posted by OverlandXJ
First check that the coil spring is seated properly on passenger side. If it's rotated too far and sitting above the indent or if theres some crud (mud?) under the spring on the backside it'll lift that side making the spring appear to be bent towards the front of the vehicle.

I think your problem is your control arms.

BTW... the Flyers called, they want their pucks back.


Yeah the springs are seated properly. That's the first thing i suspected.
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