Dealer-installed lift, now it pulls to right on highway, likely cause?
10-30-2014, 03:44 AM
#11
JK Jedi Master
The difficult part about installing a lift is that final torquing of the control arms and track bar brackets. That is, they require a lot of torque (85 and 125 ft-lbs), and it needs to be done with full weight of the vehicle on the tires. It's so easy for a shop technician to just torque them down with an impact wrench while the Jeep is still on the lift. It's a lot more difficult if he has to crawl under the Jeep, finagle a torque wrench and adapters onto each bolt/nut, and do the job properly.
Recommend you re-do what the tech most likely did not: Loosen both trackbars and all eight control arms, bounce and jounce the heck out of the Jeep. Then crawl under there and retorque everything: 125 ft-lbs except the upper front control arm, which is 85 ft lbs. After that, check your toe in with a friend and a measuring tape, and adjust if it's off. And recenter your steering wheel. These are easy alignment tasks--if you need direction on doing just search the web on "Jeep JK Front End Alignment". Doing the above will dramatically reduce the chance of you ever experiencing death wobble.
Recommend you re-do what the tech most likely did not: Loosen both trackbars and all eight control arms, bounce and jounce the heck out of the Jeep. Then crawl under there and retorque everything: 125 ft-lbs except the upper front control arm, which is 85 ft lbs. After that, check your toe in with a friend and a measuring tape, and adjust if it's off. And recenter your steering wheel. These are easy alignment tasks--if you need direction on doing just search the web on "Jeep JK Front End Alignment". Doing the above will dramatically reduce the chance of you ever experiencing death wobble.
Last edited by Mark Doiron; 10-30-2014 at 03:46 AM.
10-30-2014, 04:28 AM
#12
JK Enthusiast
One other thought. Swap your tires side to side. Someone mentioned it in a previous reply, but I have had issues with radial pull in the past. Did you have the same tires on before the lift? If so, it could still be that the tires were put back in a different position after the lift. Worth a shot anyway.
10-30-2014, 07:22 AM
#13
JK Enthusiast
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I also had significant challenged with my "dealer installed" 2.5" AEV on my 2013. It handled horribly. Different symptoms than yours but I had two issues.
The caster was wrong. I ended up moving the control arms to the center hole ( more caster) on the geolocation brackets and it helped tremendously. Per the AEV instructions, I measured the amount of lift in the front and I got 3.25". According to the instructions that needed to be in the center. I also got an alignment done and the toe in was WAY off. Even though they told me they did an alignment and it was good. Of course when I asked for the printer alignment sheet, they could not produce it. After those two things, it drove great.
The caster was wrong. I ended up moving the control arms to the center hole ( more caster) on the geolocation brackets and it helped tremendously. Per the AEV instructions, I measured the amount of lift in the front and I got 3.25". According to the instructions that needed to be in the center. I also got an alignment done and the toe in was WAY off. Even though they told me they did an alignment and it was good. Of course when I asked for the printer alignment sheet, they could not produce it. After those two things, it drove great.
Overall it does not drive bad, just a slight tug to the right at highway speed.
Last edited by HillCountry_Cowboy; 10-30-2014 at 07:59 AM.
10-30-2014, 01:29 PM
#15
Former Vendor
I had the dealer install an AEV Dualsport 2.5XT lift and geometry correction brackets on 2014 JKU Rubi before I took delivery Now the jeep pulls to the right on the freeway.
It was fine before lift when i drove on freeway in stock form for test drive. What are the first things I should examine as possible causes? dont trust dealership to make it right. essentially they sucked in so many ways during the buying process.
Thanks.
It was fine before lift when i drove on freeway in stock form for test drive. What are the first things I should examine as possible causes? dont trust dealership to make it right. essentially they sucked in so many ways during the buying process.
Thanks.
RK