Flighty steering help

WJCO said:
Most alignment shops don't work on modified Jeeps which is why they probably told you it was fine. Most shops that adjust caster on other vehicles do so to correct a pulling symptom so they probably didn't even know how to help you.

As far as the # of turns, hard to say for sure, but I'm guessing you'll have to make them about 1/4" longer. Just do a little at a time and recheck. Also, make sure the arms stay the same length as each other each time you re-measure your caster angle.
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Thanks for the response. Ill give your theory of a 1/4" a try and see if it behaves better. You gave me what I was hoping for. A good start point. . I know some of you have this dialed to where 6 turns is about 1° or 1/4" 😁. I did buy the lifetime warranty on alignments (they will get sick of me haha) so I can always have them rerack it after I make small adj to hopefully where it feels better. They wanted $80 for one or $180 for lifetime. No brainer there. 2.2 is pretty off from what I read here. Need to be about 4 I believe.
 
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TRLJNKY said:
Thanks for the response. Ill give your theory of a 1/4" a try and see if it behaves better. You gave me what I was hoping for. A good start point. . I know some of you have this dialed to where 6 turns is about 1° or 1/4" . I did buy the lifetime warranty on alignments (they will get sick of me haha) so I can always have them rerack it after I make small adj to hopefully where it feels better. They wanted $80 for one or $180 for lifetime. No brainer there. 2.2 is pretty off from what I read here. Need to be about 4 I believe.
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I still think it's pretty obnoxious that their own printout shows the caster angle in the 'red' which is out of spec, but told you it was ok, lol. They were likely looking from side to side to see if there was a huge number difference between the two sides that would cause a pull.
 
Answered my own question. See it at Home Depot's website. Ill shoot up there and see if I can pick one up. Thanks for the help

aka cavfighter
 
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Looks like I need a 1° or so. Ill follow the writeup and WJCO's recomendation. Thanks. More to follow

Side note: hard to believe a degree or two makes that big a diff but I guess it does. Thanks allScreenshot_20180212-151711.png

aka cavfighter
 
TRLJNKY said:
Side note: hard to believe a degree or two makes that big a diff but I guess it does.
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It really is surprising but even 1 degree does make a difference. If caster is really your issue, you'll notice it right away when you drive it.
 
TRLJNKY said:
Looks like I need a 1° or so. Ill follow the writeup and WJCO's recomendation. Thanks. More to follow

Side note: hard to believe a degree or two makes that big a diff but I guess it does. Thanks allView attachment 293043

aka cavfighter
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It is surprising! It was night and day for me once I made this correction. As stated, a little bit adjustment goes a long way! Hope it turns out for ya[emoji482]


Sent from my iPhone using WAYALIFE mobile app
 
Lol well I didnt follow instructions very well and went the wrong way. I lengthened the lowers and dropped to about 90°. I thought it would rotate under. Thats ehat I get for thinking. Will try again tomorrow.

aka cavfighter
 
TRLJNKY said:
Lol well I didnt follow instructions very well and went the wrong way. I lengthened the lowers and dropped to about 90°. I thought it would rotate under. Thats ehat I get for thinking. Will try again tomorrow.

aka cavfighter
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You should be lengthening the lowers to achieve more caster. Sounds like you're doing it right.
 
WJCO said:
You should be lengthening the lowers to achieve more caster. Sounds like you're doing it right.
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Im confused than. I was at 92ish degrees. Lengthened the arms and now at 90. Print out says I was at 2.2/2.7. Im reading this as I just took my caster to about 0°? My mind says it makes sense to lengthen to rotate but the numbers arent making sense. Maybe Im just overthinking it. But curious what you have to say. Thanks WJCO

aka cavfighter
 
TRLJNKY said:
Im confused than. I was at 92ish degrees. Lengthened the arms and now at 90. Print out says I was at 2.2/2.7. Im reading this as I just took my caster to about 0°? My mind says it makes sense to lengthen to rotate but the numbers arent making sense. Maybe Im just overthinking it. But curious what you have to say. Thanks WJCO

aka cavfighter
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It depends on where your gauge is and where you're viewing it from. But bottom line, if that printout was accurate and your caster was at 2.7* , and then you lengthened the lower arms and the gauge needle moved 2* , then you are now at 4.7*.

If you're viewing the gauge from the driver's side wheel, as you increase caster, the needle will move to the left as viewed on the gauge. Your true caster angle (imaginary line through ball joints) is moving to the right, but the gauge needle will move to the left. Now if you're viewing your gauge from the passenger side (gauge flipped over), the needle will move to the right as caster increases.

Go drive it, I'll bet you'll notice a difference.
 
WJCO said:
It depends on where your gauge is and where you're viewing it from. But bottom line, if that printout was accurate and your caster was at 2.7* , and then you lengthened the lower arms and the gauge needle moved 2* , then you are now at 4.7*.

If you're viewing the gauge from the driver's side wheel, as you increase caster, the needle will move to the left as viewed on the gauge. Your true caster angle (imaginary line through ball joints) is moving to the right, but the gauge needle will move to the left. Now if you're viewing your gauge from the passenger side (gauge flipped over), the needle will move to the right as caster increases.

Go drive it, I'll bet you'll notice a difference.
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Ok. Ill button it up tomorrow and give it a run. I was using the flat spot (plug welds) by the diff. Option 2 in the writeup. I couldnt get a good read at the BJ's. Just seemed like the gauge was telling me I was adding negative camber which didnt make sense and was frustrating me. Thx for the help. Ill let you know how it goes
 
Here's a picture. Ignore the text in the picture. Being that the view is from the LF wheel, if you lengthen your lower arms, it will twist the axle in the direction of the blue arrows. Imagine the green box is your angle finder and that red line is your needle. That needle always tries to point up. So as you lengthen the lower arms and increase your caster, while your tool moves to the right with the axle, that needle will move left on the notches/marks.

IMG_20180212_220620_494.jpg
 
TRLJNKY said:
Ok. Ill button it up tomorrow and give it a run. I was using the flat spot (plug welds) by the diff. Option 2 in the writeup. I couldnt get a good read at the BJ's. Just seemed like the gauge was telling me I was adding negative camber which didnt make sense and was frustrating me. Thx for the help. Ill let you know how it goes
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If you had it on the plug welds and were viewing the gauge from the driver's side, then the needle should have moved left.

Either way, again, if you lengthened the lower arms and the needle moved 2 degrees, then your caster INCREASED.
 
WJCO said:
Here's a picture. Ignore the text in the picture. Being that the view is from the LF wheel, if you lengthen your lower arms, it will twist the axle in the direction of the blue arrows. Imagine the green box is your angle finder and that red line is your needle. That needle always tries to point up. So as you lengthen the lower arms and increase your caster, while your tool moves to the right with the axle, that needle will move left on the notches/marks.

View attachment 293066
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Yeah the pic makes sense and what I expected to happen. In fact after talking to you you are correct with the gauge going back toward 90. In my mind I was thinking it was heading the wrong way toward 0° instead of toward 4° (expected the gauge to go toward 95 not 90. I over thought it tonight. After you setting me straight I see clearly now lol. Im just all f'd up lol. Thanks man
 
By that drawing the flat spot on the pumpkin and the caster are 6 degrees off. So you need to tilt the pumpkin forward 2 degrees from vertical to get 4 degrees of caster (which is what you want). Depending on orientation, your gauge will read 88 or 92.
 
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