I need to confirm I am running my shafts at the right angles and wanted to get some input. Yes I searched and am fairly sure about the front shaft just not the stock rear.

The rear shaft is stock and that means the angle of the transfer case output shaft should be the same (-2') as the pinion. Correct?

The front shaft being aftermarket should (disregarding caster) be directly inline with the pinion, ie the pinion and driveshaft should have the same angle. Correct?

Does anyone agree?

Thanks

 

technically, being that you are running the factory shaft with CV joints, you should be fine with whatever angle but yes, they should be parallel to each other and are so from the factory.

no. if you do that, you will have negative caster and your jeep will handle like crap. you want to have at least stock caster which is +4.2° and a bit more if you can get it without giving you vibrations. if this were the rear, you would have it right.

 

so i know i have the same kind of problem but please excuse my lack of terminoligy, basicly i wanted to stick with stock drive shafts but want to lift as high as i safly and under warrenty as i could i have a 2 inch leveling kit now but a little more would be all the better. i have a 2dr 6spd x, i know i need to measure somewere to somthing and it cant be more then this so thats pretty much were im at. a local shop told me no more then 2 inches was safe but lots of people do it, is it just not mentioned that they lengthen or get new drive shafts? thanks in advance for any input.

 

being that you have a 6-speed, your front driveshaft should be fine and vibration free even with 4" of lift. being that you're a 2-door, you'll have to replace your rear shaft sooner than later with anything more than a 2" lift. the angles on it will just be too steep and that will put the cv boots in a constant state of pinch. this will ultimately cause them to fail prematurely and will subsequently cause the bearings inside to fail.

 

This is one of the reason the factory uses CV joints. They provide more flexibility with the pinion and driveshaft angles.

What ever you do, as WOL said, don't make your Caster angle negative, it will promote DW.

The idea is to rotate your front axle to a position as much Caster as possible (it's almost impossible to have too much given the pinion angle limitations) without having driveshaft vibrations. With moderate lifts this is fairly simple, but it gets more challenging for very tall lifts.

 

i see so im kinda stuck were im at. how do i check that angle on the rear? i droped it a little lower with the trunk i built(no back seat) and gear that i have in plus it was leveling kit so could have only really been a 1.75 when the lift was done they measured from the mid of the wheel to my fender then again after the lift didnt hear a number just got the thumbs up that i was good to go.

i was kinda thinking of just putting some rubi springs under and hoping that would be ok? how much lift would that give me?

 

anyone ???

 

Interesting. My rear DS appears healthier than my front. I used rear UCAs to correct rear pinion angle (it's 0 degrees now) and the CV joint @ the t-case rear output looks anything but stressed.

As for the front, I'm running only 2.4 degrees positive caster (stock CAs). While my mild lift (3" net after winch and bumpers via OME616 springs) hasn't changed front pinion angle (at or near 0 degrees), the angle of the CV joint @ the t-case front output is acute and, sadly, I'm starting to see the telltale stripe of grease that will eventually provoke my front DS to give up the ghost.

WOL, it sounds as if your position is, the rear DS is the one most prone to fail. Am I reading this incorrectly? Input/clarification? Thank you.

 

I have been reading up on pinion angles after the install of my Rusty's Offroad 3.25" Kit.

I actually netted 4.5" of lift in the front and 4.25" in the rear. This is more than I expected, and I am not complaining UNLESS I am now going to have driveline issues.
When I ordered the kit Rusty told me to expect approx. 3.75" in the front and 3.5" in the rear, and I would NOT need anything further, such as control arms.....

We finished alignment and centering of axles and steering wheel today. Everything is set now and it really drives great, but I am concerned about the pinion angles.

The front reads 4 degrees (btw I have a 6spd) which I figure is not that bad right??

The Rear reads 11 degrees which seems to be a bit steep...???

What do you all think??
I have talked to a couple members w/ this same lift w/ 30-50K on them. They said they have had NO issues w/ stk control arms and driveshafts so I guess thats good news right??

Thanks ALL!!!

 

i have no position in this - i just know what i have seen time and time again. 2-doors with 3" of lift or more and running factory shafts will eventually suffer a blown CV joint EVEN IF you have adjustable upper control arms installed and set your shaft to be parallel with your pinion. this isn't a matter of IF it will go bad but rather, WHEN.

your front pinion angle is set at factory spec and that's fine - there's really not much more you can do without making your jeep feel flighty. if anything, adding more positive caster is what you would want if you could but, with more caster comes vibrations. in the rear, if you have a 2-door, the steeper angle of your shaft will cause the CV boots to be in a constant state of pinch. this will ultimately cause them to fail and once they do, the bearings inside will fail as well. it's all just a matter of time. if you have a 4-door, you should be fine as the shaft is much longer and the angle not as severe.