CAN I ALIGN MY JEEP AT HOME? (Part 2) - How to set your caster and stop wandering!!!
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- Опубликовано: 17 окт 2024
- How to finish the alignment of your jeep and set caster angle (see part 1 in order to set tow and adjust your steering wheel back to center). The act of setting caster is extremely easy. However, knowing what to set it at depending on your build can be complicated. Most alignment shops will only adjust your toe, watch this video to understand a couple of common jeep builds and what caster angle will be best for each of them.
Digital Angle Finder:
www.amazon.com...
***Disclaimer*** This video is just meant to show how I do it. Injury may occur by trying to replicate what is in this video. Attempt at your own risk, with proper equipment and training.
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After watching this video I was finally able to calculate caster after an MC 2.5" lift. The diagram was the key to it all. I was getting very confused reading contradicting forum posts. A picture always works. Thanks!
Awesome! Glad to hear it! I’ll be doing another alignment video very soon using a cool tool that makes it VERY simple.
I have the same problem. I can't steer my Jeep on the highway because I feel like it's swaying all over the place. After watching your video, tomorrow I'm going to start measuring the angles to see if I can fix them. I also have adjustable arms, and based on how you did the video, I think I understood the correct way to do it.
A number of things can cause this. But it very well could be your caster angle. However, if you have a lift you won’t have 6° like it said in the video. ESPECIALLY if your axles are stock. But alignment is a cheap thing to check. So check it out and then go on from there if that winds up not being your problem.
Exactly why I love aftermarket axles. I’ve got the ultimate Dana 44, and although it’s not an insane upgrade over a stock 44, it’s still much better in every way and built in caster is one of them. Nice video Dan!
Thanks Alex. Appreciate it. And yes…that axle will set you up in a really good way if you are okay with still running a 44
Great video just lifted my jku 3.5inch on 37s and I’m fighting it to drive. Belton,Tx here. Will try this to see what my angle is 🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼
Give it a shot man. Let me know what happens. I’m curious.
Excellent explanation! Thank you for posting.
Thanks for the support! Hope it helps you!
Great video. I've been trying forever to find what is causing my driveline vibration and I think this is it. Sounds like 5 inch lift on a stock D44 axle just isn't the best combo even with adjustable control arms.
It’s tough On components. It’s either going to wander and eliminate the vibration by decreasing caster…or you’ll have vibration but it will be more stable with more caster. It just is what it is.
Fantastic information.. I don’t have a lift kit, but have 22” wheels 33 tires.. and upgraded my trackbar and link bar with new ball joints.. after alignment it’s better.. but my Jeep still “wanders” like I’m driving tipsy.. all this makes sense.
I’m glad it helped! Thanks for the support!
New to this and great video. Easy and clear to understand
Thanks!
Glad it helped you! I’ll be making a video all about one ton axles soon. Kind of a go to encyclopedia about them.
Awesome content! For an anlgle measurement, I just use my iPhone's measurement app. '19 JLU has a flat surface to measure. 6 degrees exactly on both sides ... lifting next month. Little one though, just 2.5" ... baby steps.
Awesome man. Thanks for the support! Just a new channel trying to get it off the ground…but help the normal guy. Building fun rigs…showing people how to do it on a budget at home.
That's good advice 👍👍 me I just drill the plugs out of the sleeve in the pumpkin and rotate the pumpkin then reweld the plugs 👍👍. Although I will say you have to be VERY careful when doing this, as you can over rotate it very quickly 🤣🤣😂😂😂🤣🤣
Yea…you can do it that way for sure. You also have the be very careful to make sure the caster is set well on both sides. But most people don’t have the ability to be that precise.
Bro I have followed you on Ig for a while I swear we are the same person lol I wrench on my own jeep all day. Glad you’re showing others how easy it is to work on our own vehicles no need for shops
Thanks for the support man! I appreciate that. Just trying to show people how to get it done. People can take their jeep to a level that they could never afford if they do it themselves, as you obviously know.
@@WarPaintOffroad I just did maintenance on my smartbar. Mopar did a crap job of making it water proof. Thought I broke it after this weekends mess around. Did some research and yup everyone on RUclips was right it was rusted nasty inside so after unlocking it wouldn’t lock automatically anymore. Took apart wire wheeled everything with wd40 greased it up. Used water pump gasket maker where the case comes together and bam like new.
@@BigJessLBP awesome! Probably a good idea to invest in manual disconnects as a back up. Most people I know with a rubicon do it that way so they don’t have to mess with it.
@@WarPaintOffroad yup I run both electronic and manual disconnects
Absolutely great explantion and restored faith in doing it myself. Any recommendations for castor on a jeep with a 3.25 inch lift? I'm replacing stock driveshaft with a Tom Woods and have got adjustable control arms.
Sorry I didn’t see this sooner! If you Offroad it and flex it out I’d set it at 3° of 4°. That will allow the driveshaft to not bind when flexed out Offroad. If you never take it Offroad the. You can set it at 5° or 6° and still be fine with that driveshaft and that height.
Add the low pinion Dana's vs the high pinion axles.....custom jobs increase the separation angle.
100%. Great point. I am actually doing that right now. It happens to be a high pinion Dana 60 out of a 2011 super duty. But it’s getting leaf springs so I can pretty much set the cast or angle wherever I needed to be before burning in brackets. But the separation is still 10°. Debating on building a 14 bolt front axle for the next jeep build and at that point I can put my separation wherever I want. But great point.
Great video on this subject. I just had to replace my front driveshaft becasue I didn't know I had to change the caster when I installed the 3.5" lift and 37's. Right now I am getting a slight vibration at highway speeds and thought it was becasue the driveshaft wasn't straight or loose. I'm going to go get this digital angle finder today and fix this problem.
On a side note, how hard was it to do the junk yard swap?
How hard it is depends on your skill level. It’s really not difficult if you are a decently capable mechanic and can weld. It takes time. And like anything else, the more you do it the easier it gets. Regearing is usually the hardest. It takes a few specialized tools. But I have some pretty straight forward videos made in how to do that.
Thank you, you explained the C and pinion angles and changes to them effected by caster. I have a 1994 ZJ project with a mild 2" lift and it has bad death wobble so I checked the Dana 30 angle and it was at negative caster. It also has a bent rim that surely is adding to the DW problem. All front end parts are new including frnt control arms, BJ's track bar, dampener springs etc. This video helped me find the
angle issue thanks.
I have a 99 TJ - stock suspension, but 3.5 body lift and 33" tires. I love this setup because it is no rock crawler, it is a pavement queen mostly - so we retain as much original geometry as possible. The castor is 5.1 and 5.9 and it wonders. I replaced springs, shocks, sway bar, track bar. It drives great, but it need the next step. So I am looking at Core 4x4 for new control arms. However, being able to adjust them without taking them off seems KEY to me. So I am looking at double adjustable control arms such as the Duroflex Control Arms. Any advice here?
I think you are making a great choice. The only issue you may come across is going to be driveline vibration. The TJ front shaft is very short. So when you put some caster back into it…the drive shaft may not be happy. If it vibrated too much it can wipe out the bearing in the transfer case FAST. So get it as much as you can….an aftermarket drive shaft will also help, as they can handle more angle. But either way you look at it…it’s a lifted short wheelbase jeep….so while you may be able to make it better….it will probably never drive like it was stock.
@@WarPaintOffroad thanks for the info on the driveshaft. I was not thinking about that. Right now the only lift is from 33 tires. They fit because of the body lift. Suspension is stock. Im at 5.9 castor, almost there… I’ll look into a new drive shaft as well, for when I upgrade, it really runs smooth 70mph no problem. It just doesn’t center itself.
@@WarPaintOffroad maybe leave it alone, LOL
I have stock JLU Rubicon, playing with caster to try to reduce loose steering. Installing synergy lower adjustable control arms planning to try to add about 1 degree of caster just to see if it helps. Confirming to add 1 degree would be to extend the lower control arms which would rotate the top of the axle back, correct?
Thanks for this videos. So mine is going to be basic. My JK only have a 2.5” lift kit with 35s so I should be around 6 degree or larger to fix that highway weird feeling
So if you still have a stock front drive shaft and factory control arms…I’d try to set it anywhere near 4°-6°. Of you aren’t flexing the suspension out and basically keeping it on road closer to 6° would be fine. If you start flexing the front end out and taking it offroad closer to 4° would probably be a good balance to keep everything happy.
Great explanation.
Thank you
Glad it helped!
Does a 2.5 lift on a gladiatorr make that big a deal? My truck doesn't wander much at all and no driveline vibrations coming from it.
Clayton overland plus 2.5 lift.
A 2.5 typically won’t have the issues. To be honest, the tipping point is usually at 3.5 or up. At a 3.5 you are in the edge of needing an aftermarket front driveshaft, extended brakes lines, etc. if you drive yours with a 2.5 and then got in someone’s that was stock, you’d probably notice a small difference. But a 2.5 isn’t enough to make it SUPER noticeable.
Outstanding vid…liked and subbed!
Awesome! Glad it was helpful! I’m actually making a toe alignment video this weekend. It should come out in about a week or so.
Going to to have 2” mopar lift kit installed at my dealership next week on my 21 Jeep Rubicon Gladiator. What is your input as far as the caster angle. It will have new bottom control arms that comes with the kit. I plan on running 35x11x17 tires on my stock rims later. Should I be worried about the shaft for that little lift amount?
My tj has a 4 lift and wonders..you have to be constantly correcting.......I had a cj7 with a 4 lift and it drove straight as an arrow.
Hi my front lifted about 2 inches on my JL. I adjusted the castor to 6 degrees with adjustable lower control arms. It drives great. I have ordered a Tom Woods front drive shaft due to the longer shocks which extend 85mm more then stock Rubicon ones. I am thinking that the cv joint on the front drive shaft at the transfer case could be a issue with the extra droop with the long shocks. The transfer case is angled lower at the rear making the front higher, not good for the cv joint on the front drive shaft. The rear I’m going to adjust my upper control arms to help the pinion angle as it’s a 2 door and there’s a good 2.5 inch lift . I have adjusted them slightly but more is needed. One day I may need to replace the rear drive shaft , I will see. Cheers .
I think that this will solve my steering problem. When my JLUR was stock it drove straight as an arrow. I could let go of my steering wheel no problem. I installed a terraflex 2.5 inch coil lift with falcon shocks and it wanders all over the place. I have read online that it's the steering box, that you need a track bar relocation kit etc. Bullshit, I think it's that the geometry of the pinion angle is not optimal. So I order some metalcloak front LCA. Did you have to shorten yours to bring the axle back to 6 degrees or lengthen them?
@@ghernandez6457 . i also ended up installing geometry correction brackets as there was a bump steering issue on some bumps and this resolved the problem 100%. i adjusted the control armes back to standard length by putting the standard ones in and removing them without moving the diff. then adjusted the adjustable control arms to they line up with the bolt holes . had to do this after installing the geometry brackets. castor now is 5.2 on wheel alignment machine. smoother ride with geometry brackets. the rear pinion angle is set at 8 degrees with upper adjustable control arms to allow a better drive shaft angle. adjustable front track bar and rear track bar bracket didn’t really make difference. before geometry correction brackets i had the lower control arms on the front about quarter a inch longer
@@ghernandez6457 hi about quarter of a inch longer on lower control arms without geometry correction brackets
@@philliplehn3600 Thanks!
@@ghernandez6457 hi and geometry correction brackets will remove all your bump steer over nasty bumps as mine did. Then you wii need to adjust your control arms back to standard length . Much smoother with geometry brackets. They are 5 mm thick and can take all the hits no worries. torque everything’s up with the weight on the ground so you don’t ruin the rubber bushes. cheers
Great video thank you!
Thanks for the support!
If you go to buy a lifted jeep tj....how can you tell how much its been lifted ?
On my jeep stock suspension I have 1.6 toe out on drive side and .6 toe out on passenger. Even if I adjust the sleeve for toe in Wont the wheels still be off? How do I get them align up if one adjusting sleeve connects to both tie rods? Won’t one always be off? Is there a bad ball joint or anything else that could cause this? Everything seems right when I checked it and I got new tie rods on it. Any help from anyone would be appreciated
Hey! So this is more complicated. There are two ways oh handling this…but you’ll have to learn what the cause is. Usually something is worn..or was replaced and installed uneven from the start. You could remove the tie rod end in one knuckle. Then turn the piece that goes into the sleeve until they are even. Then reinstall and align by adjusting the sleeve. But the drag link could be off too. You have to be sure you have enough thread engagement in the sleeve though. Not enough and it’s VERY dangerous to drive. So assuming everything is in good condition and nothing is bent…that would be the fix. But that is unusual. Just make sure it’s done right so you don’t have other issues or get hurt.
my cherokee front 60 was set at about 8 but it was on 40s
That’s pretty extreme!
great video
Thanks buddy!
Great video!
Thanks for the support! I’m doing a regear video (part of Project Maple Leaf) that will start rolling out on Tuesday. Should be really helpful.
Dan, Just found you on RUclips and have viewed a few of your videos. Very informative and well done. Nice job!! There is, however, another way to change the caster angle, albeit difficult and not necessarily desirable. I am faced with this issue right now. I am planning on shortening a Ford high pinion Dana 44 to fit under my XJ. When the Cs are "reinstalled" they can be set to any desired angle. I had planned to put them back to whatever reading they are currently set at when the axle is level. That being said, the XJ has a 6.5" lift so would you think a 10-degree angle would be better than the "factory 6"? Thanks for the videos!
Hey Joe! Thanks for the support! What you are doing is a great way to set a custom axle caster setting. Most people don’t have the welding ability to do that and it’s less common so I didn’t mention it. But I have done it before. Tbh, what I would do is set the frame at ride height on jack stands. Then take the axle (before you set the c’s back in and put it under the rig at the rough height it will be at for your tire size. The adjust the pinion angle so you are happy. Then slide a C back on and tack it at your desired angle…
It’s tough to say what exactly would work perfect for your rig. 6.5 inches is tall. And they don’t have a long front drive shaft. So tbh, if you have a lot of flex and are planning on flexing it out with that short front shaft, the. It’s probably worth it to pull some caster out and set it closer to 4° so the shaft doesn’t bind at full droop. So it’s hard to say exactly what separation you would need. But that should get you DAMN close to perfect if all your measurements are correct. That is how I would do it.
@@WarPaintOffroad Thanks much, Dan. I probably learned more tonight than I have in a long time.
Great video and explanation to understanding castor and setting. I have a 2.5 lifted 2011 JK which came with 17" rims. I recently swapped to 18" rims and started noticing highway drift. Would you think the larger rims would cause this or could aging factor be an issue? Although there are only 70K miles on the jeep.
Wheels* rim is a part of a wheel.
Very intetesting
Would like to reach out. Starting to turn and learn as I call it. About to install a 2.5” lift kit. Great videos. Reach out at your convenience.
Hey Patrick. I love that! Thanks for the support! Send me a message on Instagram @WarPaintJKU or send me an email through my website WarPaintjku.com - I’d be happy to help answer any questions I can!
Great video, where should I be running the toe setting on my jk 2.5 lift and all new suspension ?
If it is a body kift does this matter?
Body lift won’t affect anything with the alignment other than the drag-link adjustment to recenter the steering wheel after the body lift is installed.
At the end of your video, I wonder, what is that you are supposed to do?
I’m not sure what you are asking. I rewatched the end of the video and don’t see what you are referring to.
Good video here
Thanks for the support!
Actually doing it would have xplained it 100% more
I agree. some people learn besr by seeing it done for sure. i didnt need to at tjis point. but eventually i will for sure. ill make another one.
Try so much for the info
Anytime!