Okay, so I’m going to start out by saying I’m new to the forum and really hoping I can get some help ASAP. I have a 95 Jeep Cherokee 5 speed. Just installed a 6.5 inch long arm lift and sitting on 33s currently. I used the measurements given from rough country for the long arms and I replaced all tie rod ends and ball joints are a couple years old. It rides nice since the lift but once I hit about 50 the Jeep can’t stay straight and wants to pull me all over the road. No bump steer and no death wabble just bad wandering. Have an adjustable track back that has the axle properly centered. Have drop pitman arm. No play in the steering box. So I’d obviously lean towards caster. Brought the Jeep to get an alignment thinking they would adjust the caster but nope, they only adjusted toe. I know probably not the most accurate but I have an angle finder app on my phone. I’m getting + 3 degrees on driver side. And +6 on passenger side. Only way that could happen is control arms aren’t the proper length all the way around? I’m assuming this will cause my wandering but was hoping for some feedback. Thanks everyone.

 

Welcome to the forum. Couple of questions. First when you say +3, is that toward the front or rear. Second, what are you using for steering components at that height?

 

I have positive 3 and positive 6 degrees caster. Measuring on top of the upper ball joint. As far as steering goes. I’m running a stock set up. Stock tie rod ends. Stock tie rod, Stock drag link. Rough country steering stabilizer. Rough country drop pitman arm. drop track bar bracket and adjustable track bar.

 

Take it to a true 4 wheel drive specality shop and have them do the alignment. Tell them you just installed the suspension and need the "front aligned with respect to the rear."

Also, at 6" of lift your stock steering components just don't cut it. I know, because that's what I run, and its pretty awful. Not undriveable, but pretty awful. The drag link just becomes too steep at 6" of lift so any suspension travel results in a significant amount of lateral travel. This exaggerates any discrepancy between the arc of travel between the drag link and track bar as bump steer. Even if you do not get bump steer from the drag link and track bar traveling different arcs, you will still get some ill-desired effects from the axle shifting laterally under the the body (or is it the body that shifts over the axle?) while driving.

Get the alignment done first then reevaluate.

 

The reason I asked is that the symptoms you are describing usually the axle is tipped too far forward. which is not unheard of with that much lift. But it can be ironed out. Make sure everything, including the steering box is nice and tight

 

also, check the frame around the steering box bolts. they tend to crack there and will cause just what you're describing.

 

I have the same issues with the same lift and have had it looked at several times by different shops. Making sure everything is tight helps, but still wanders. I have a heavy duty Y-Link steering setup, but am thinking of going to an over the knuckle setup at some point to see if it helps.

 

It's a solid axle so how is it that far off from side to side?

 

I don’t know. I think it may just be checking angle incorrect. A 4x4 shop has it right now and says It’s a caster issue. I’ll be sure to check back with you guys when I get it back

 

They are all like that. They are built to pull to the right for... you pick the reason. Most are not 3° different. Most are about 1.5° different. My D30 is also. But that will be coming out soon anyway. But the bottom line is that I built my own track bar, went to WJ knuckles and brakes and it steers as well as it always has, that is normally. And I am at 8" of lift

 

1.5° sounds like quite a lot to me. IIRC, the printout from my alignment showed only a 0.1° difference side to side. Maybe it was 0.5°? Definitely was not 1.5°.

 

Okay, update. Got the Jeep back from a 4x4 shop (they suck). But caster is now golden everything is tight. No cracks in the frame, lift is correctly on. The wandering got a little better but it’s still there. 4x4 shop said it still wanders cause of the tires being bald up front. I ordered new tires already but I seriously doubt that’s the reasoning behind the wandering. Could it be worn tie rod ends or ball joints? All of those things are pretty good condition on my Jeep but would that be a suspect? I’m going nuts

 

Just watch the suspension threads. Someone will post a bowed right side coil, or sway bar hitting it. It is real and most have it that way. Mine included

 

This is a little odd. It was a little better after the caster adjustment. I checked the tire pressure on my 33s. They were maxed out at 35. I aired them down to 26. A hell of a lot better

 

I was having the same problem you were. Replaced my track bar and it completely solved the problem. (I had the RE with the heim joint on the frame side.) My bushings on the axle side were bad, and I could have just replaced those, but wanted the adjustable track bar that didn't have to be removed, so got the RC with the adjustment collar that you can adjust without disconnecting the track bar. I also found that my axle was not completely centered when I was installing it using the same bolt to bolt measurement,and this allowed me to get it perfectly centered. IT was only off by about a 3/4 inch, but believe me when I say how much of a difference it made. On my test drive afterward, it no longer wandered and for the first time, I could literally let go of the steering wheel and it would track properly. Could never have done that before without wandering off the road and flipping in the dojies. I know a lot of people are sour on the RC products, but this was the best upgrade I have done and didn't cost me an arm and a leg.