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I took my pile to the shop tonight originally going to just center the steering wheel, it's been off ever since I lifted it. But went ahead and did an alignment on it while I had it in the air. I got everything in the green but caster on the driver side was a little high. I didn't adjust caster because I don't have any shims yet, but would adding to the driver lower roll the caster back within spec? Note that I rarely get it on the highway, I think it's been 55 mph maybe 4 times since I bought it back in october last year. lol But I noticed the dartiness is gone after I fixed the toe, it was 0" toed in going by a tape measure, now it's 1/8" toed in.
I don't understand how the caster can be different from side to side on a solid axle. I am not an expert, but that makes me think something is tweaked. If the jeep tracks good, I would leave it alone. My thought is if you adjust the driver's side, then it will put the suspension links in a bind. I don't believe the caster will adjust on just one side. I could be wrong. It has happened plenty of times before.
As far as shims, I made my own. Simple to cut out of varying thicknesses of plate. I cut a couple out of 1/8, 3/16, and 1/4 plate.
I don't understand how the caster can be different from side to side on a solid axle. I am not an expert, but that makes me think something is tweaked. If the jeep tracks good, I would leave it alone. My thought is if you adjust the driver's side, then it will put the suspension links in a bind. I don't believe the caster will adjust on just one side. I could be wrong. It has happened plenty of times before.
As far as shims, I made my own. Simple to cut out of varying thicknesses of plate. I cut a couple out of 1/8, 3/16, and 1/4 plate.
Either as you say the frame is tweaked or the arms are out of adjustment frame side.
That is pretty big difference between the sides for caster.
Ball joints locate the knuckle in relation to the axle housing. There is a small amount of play in ball joints to allow the knuckles to rotate. VERY small amount of play. As things wear, there is more play allowing the knuckle to flop about. Do a Google Image Search for XJ ball joints and you should be able to pull up some pics of the front axle showing the ball joints. Study the pic and imagine more slop in the joint. You'll see what I am saying.
I finally got adjustable lower arms, I haven't put it on the rack yet, but did half *** an alignment with an angle finder, I guess I'm gonna have to run the passenger side one 1/2-1 turn longer to compensate for the caster, even with the angle finder the driver has more angle than the passenger, nothing seems bent as far as the frame mounts go, even measuring the wheel base it's dead on the same on both sides. But I did get the pinion angle right, the whirring noise I've been noticing around 40mph is pretty much gone now.
09-13-2018, 09:14 PM
Got some alignment specs, are they within range?
