Rancho Geo bracket?

KeroJK

KeroJK

New member
So i installed my lift about 5 months ago now. It is the 10a spring swap with bilstein 5160 shocks on my 07 2dr. Netted me about 2.5 inches of lift And up until now, I have not noticed how bad my jeep rides until i got my new tires and alignment. The jeep is bumpy, inconsistent, and floaty. I assume that has to do with my control arms not centering the axle. I need perfect steering for the winter and i need your guys advice.

Should i use the infamous rancho geo bracket to recenter everything easily or should i go with a set of lower arms.

I dont want to spend the money on new upper and lower control arms, do i have to or are lowers enough?

Will the rancho bracket work good with my control arms considering i ran them like an idiot with improper caster? Or could they be worn out bad?

Thank you for helping an idiot noob!
Sorry if i need more info i posted everything I know and i determined that my caster is bad from another thread that helped me understand my alignment sheet. Wayalife is awesome

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Your ride sucks because of several factors... The springs are hard, your new tires are probably aired up too much and your caster is off a bit because of the lift. I can't speak speak to the ride quality of the shocks, so that may be an issue as well.

Adjustable arms or drop brackets will correct the caster and should help the flighty feeling, but first I'd do a chalk test on the tires and see if that makes it bearable for you.

Drop brackets will catch on everything if you do any rock crawling.

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Build Thread - Adventures of Fiona - https://wayalife.com/showthread.php?t=47407
 
KeroJK said:
So i installed my lift about 5 months ago now. It is the 10a spring swap with bilstein 5160 shocks on my 07 2dr. Netted me about 2.5 inches of lift And up until now, I have not noticed how bad my jeep rides until i got my new tires and alignment. The jeep is bumpy, inconsistent, and floaty. I assume that has to do with my control arms not centering the axle. I need perfect steering for the winter and i need your guys advice.

Should i use the infamous rancho geo bracket to recenter everything easily or should i go with a set of lower arms.

I dont want to spend the money on new upper and lower control arms, do i have to or are lowers enough?

Will the rancho bracket work good with my control arms considering i ran them like an idiot with improper caster? Or could they be worn out bad?

Thank you for helping an idiot noob!
Sorry if i need more info i posted everything I know and i determined that my caster is bad from another thread that helped me understand my alignment sheet. Wayalife is awesome

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As stated, check tire pressure. What is your caster at currently?
 
Ok so wait a minute. It road ok before you got new tires and alignment. Check air pressure first. If it is more than 35 psi. I would drop it down to about 32ish and see if that helps. Did you go bigger? If so what size? 2.5" isn't that much lift. Do you have the alignment readings? If you do need to correct caster I would recommend arms over the brackets, but let's find out if you actually "need" them first.


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If you decide the new lower front arms are the way to go I would opt for the Core 4x4 arms. I added a set of tier 4 arms(overkill for me) after I did a 2" lift to my JKU and there was a world of difference how my jeep handled on the road. You can get the tier 3 arms for roughly $100 more than the Rancho brackets and will probably be happier in the long run.
 
I do moderate offroading and i dont enjoy rock crawling. I appreciate the fast and informative reply. My 35x12.5r15s are sitting at 30 psi, my shocks i dont think are a problem, its not quite the ride, its just the inconsistant steering that bothers me. Caster sits at 3 and thats where i think the issue is. If i do drop brackets will i have trouble with my worm out control arms? They are 11 years old to me knowledge and i ran them the past 5 months at 3 caster.

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A.J. said:
Ok so wait a minute. It road ok before you got new tires and alignment. Check air pressure first. If it is more than 35 psi. I would drop it down to about 32ish and see if that helps. Did you go bigger? If so what size? 2.5" isn't that much lift. Do you have the alignment readings? If you do need to correct caster I would recommend arms over the brackets, but let's find out if you actually "need" them first.


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Its more like the notion of thinking i needed an alignment and that was going to fix my issue with steering and highway driving. Once i got my alignment done 4 times i ended up realizing its more than my alignment. Here are 2 of my alignment readings and im running 30psi in 35s appreciate the help
SSRuger said:
If you decide the new lower front arms are the way to go I would opt for the Core 4x4 arms. I added a set of tier 4 arms(overkill for me) after I did a 2" lift to my JKU and there was a world of difference how my jeep handled on the road. You can get the tier 3 arms for roughly $100 more than the Rancho brackets and will probably be happier in the long run.
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Was looking at them, they look great and they would be my choice, will i need the lowers only tho? Because im willing to do that but not quite lower and upper.tapatalk_1539135981441.jpegtapatalk_1539135977844.jpeg

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KeroJK said:
I do moderate offroading and i dont enjoy rock crawling. I appreciate the fast and informative reply. My 35x12.5r15s are sitting at 30 psi, my shocks i dont think are a problem, its not quite the ride, its just the inconsistant steering that bothers me. Caster sits at 3 and thats where i think the issue is. If i do drop brackets will i have trouble with my worm out control arms? They are 11 years old to me knowledge and i ran them the past 5 months at 3 caster.

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Running them a 3deg won't wear them out. As long as the bushings are good you can still use them with the brackets which is probably the cheapest fix. If the bushings are shot then you might as well change the arms and forget the brackets.

Also check track bar bushings. If they are worn or loose it will cause steering issues as well.



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KeroJK said:
Its more like the notion of thinking i needed an alignment and that was going to fix my issue with steering and highway driving. Once i got my alignment done 4 times i ended up realizing its more than my alignment. Here are 2 of my alignment readings and im running 30psi in 35s appreciate the helpWas looking at them, they look great and they would be my choice, will i need the lowers only tho? Because im willing to do that but not quite lower and upper.View attachment 312277View attachment 312279

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I think you should be able to get away with just lowers and see how those work for you. Someone with more experience will probably chime in on that. I'm only running lowers currently and love how my jeep rides and handles overall. I also have the Currie currectlynk tie rod and tighten my steering up a lot. The factory arms will probably have worn out bushings and won't help your ride out much overall.
 
Running the Jeep with low caster won't cause any harm to the arms. But if they're that old, the bushings may be worn from time and mileage. A new set of longer lower arms or the brackets should correct the caster. You don't need upper arms.
 
30psi may still be too high especially because you've got 15" wheels. Do the chalk test to be sure. I run mine at 28, but my 2 door is a heavy bitch.

Factory caster is about 4.25-4.5° and when I was running at 2.5" of lift with 35x12.5s she was flighty. I didn't realize how bad until I installed the adjustable arms and felt the difference. 🤣

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Build Thread - Adventures of Fiona - https://wayalife.com/showthread.php?t=47407
 
Okay! Thank you guys so much for your amazing help. I think im going to go for the lower control arms and check my tracbar. Might as well upgrade. One thing i didn't mention is that i get bump steer very badly is it worth getting a replacement steering stabilizer? Mine is wicked old now and replacements are very cheap. Thank you.

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I saw the mammoth adjustable arm kit for 600 on XT seem like a crazy deal. anyone know anything about this? Reviews seem good
 
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KeroJK said:
Okay! Thank you guys so much for your amazing help. I think im going to go for the lower control arms and check my tracbar. Might as well upgrade. One thing i didn't mention is that i get bump steer very badly is it worth getting a replacement steering stabilizer? Mine is wicked old now and replacements are very cheap. Thank you.

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You really shouldn't be getting bump steer at 2.5". Hell, I'm at 3.5" now, no flipped drag link, and my steering is perfect.

Sounds like you should be checking your ball joints, track bar bushings, drag link bushings, and unit bearings to make sure you have no play in anything. 🤪

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Build Thread - Adventures of Fiona - https://wayalife.com/showthread.php?t=47407
 
BaddestCross said:
30psi may still be too high especially because you've got 15" wheels. Do the chalk test to be sure. I run mine at 28, but my 2 door is a heavy bitch.

Factory caster is about 4.25-4.5° and when I was running at 2.5" of lift with 35x12.5s she was flighty. I didn't realize how bad until I installed the adjustable arms and felt the difference. [emoji1787]

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Build Thread - Adventures of Fiona - https://wayalife.com/showthread.php?t=47407
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So you know exactly whats up then lol. What arms did you get and how did you go about adjusting them prior to install because i dont have the budget for 2 way adjustment ones. And as far as pressure goes, Ill lower mine even more because i think the pressure might have even gone up because the the weather. Its gonna feel like a lambo compared to where its at when i get my arms installed, it is disgusting to drive like this.

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More to add to my list of things to do to my jeep before winter! I need a couple of days off work and school to manage all of this hahaha. Seriously tho i appreciate that cause its frustrating at this point it made me double think my jeep because of the poor handling. I know it can do better tho
BaddestCross said:
You really shouldn't be getting bump steer at 2.5". Hell, I'm at 3.5" now, no flipped drag link, and my steering is perfect.

Sounds like you should be checking your ball joints, track bar bushings, drag link bushings, and unit bearings to make sure you have no play in anything. [emoji2957]

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Build Thread - Adventures of Fiona - https://wayalife.com/showthread.php?t=47407
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KeroJK said:
Okay! Thank you guys so much for your amazing help. I think im going to go for the lower control arms and check my tracbar. Might as well upgrade. One thing i didn't mention is that i get bump steer very badly is it worth getting a replacement steering stabilizer? Mine is wicked old now and replacements are very cheap. Thank you.

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Bump steer has nothing to do with the stabilizer. Don't spend money on the stabilizer, it won't fix anything. Make sure track bar and draglink are tight. If you truly only gained 2.5 inches, you shouldn't have bump steer.

KeroJK said:
I saw the mammoth adjustable arm kit for 600 on XT seem like a crazy deal. anyone know anything about this? Reviews seem good
Click to expand...

I've never heard of such a thing and XT is a shady company. If you're going to pony up for control arms, get strong ones with thick US steel. Get Johnny Joints on the ends of you can.
 
KeroJK said:
So you know exactly whats up then lol. What arms did you get and how did you go about adjusting them prior to install because i dont have the budget for 2 way adjustment ones. And as far as pressure goes, Ill lower mine even more because i think the pressure might have even gone up because the the weather. Its gonna feel like a lambo compared to where its at when i get my arms installed, it is disgusting to drive like this.

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I've got a mix of Currie and Evo arms. I pieced together my lift over a period of a year. If you're on a budget, I'd go with the Core4x4 arms with Jonnie Joints for sure.

Seriously though, get the tire pressure dialed in and make sure all your steering components are tight and in good shape before you start throwing money at it. You may just need less air and a wrench to make a world of difference.



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Build Thread - Adventures of Fiona - https://wayalife.com/showthread.php?t=47407
 
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