I've tried finding anyone else with a similar problem in the search but couldn't. I installed AEV drop brackets on my 16 unlimited. After alignment the caster was still 3.6* and the lower control arms aren't adjustable. I guess I'm needing to buy new adjustable lowers is that correct? I bought my jeep with a newly installed RC 3.5 lift and have changed all the steering components, tie rod assembly, and front and rear track bars to make it just driveable. I'm running 35s and upgraded the steering stabilizer to the falcon adjustable. It rode great for a short time, now I feel like every time I hit a bump I feel the after effects for several seconds. Ball joints are good, alignment is good (other than caster), and I dont even get bump steer. It literally has just started feeling very harsh on some bumps like a wheel is going to fall off. I'm left wondering if caster, or the RC lower control arms are the problem. Any help would be appreciated.

 

Low caster gives a flighty steering feeling, not a harsh ride. The harshness is new, starting well after the lift was installed? Or it got harsh with the lift, and maybe you are just noticing it more? What load rate are the tires, what psi are you running? (and was the psi increased...)

For the caster - the lift came with a set of fixed control arms? And you also added brackets? The brackets have 3 different mounting holes corresponding to different lift heights. Which holes are you using? Could be as easy as just swapping them to the next set to add more caster.

 

The ride just started feeling like this well after lift, and all steering components were changed. It rode great for a few thousand miles and sometimes it still does. It doesn't make sense that just sometimes it rides horribly and others it rides fine. The lowers are in the second hole in the brackets. The tires are e rating, which I know will ride a bit harsher, and they're running at 28 psi.

 

Sounds like jeep was purchase with lift installed, so no before/after comparison. Guessing that even with the lower arms that came in the lift, caster was too low so you added AEV brackets. As nthinuf highlighted, you should have 3 mounting options with those brackets. You're mounted in the 3rd hole and are out of options?

The OP is a little confusing.....cuz you infer you've replaced your steering components, I presume in an effort to reinforce all those joints are good. You say the BJs are good. It doesn't sound like you're describing a wobble as if you had a bad joint, but you also state you have no bump steer. I guess confused by what you mean when you say it feels like "the wheel is going to fall off"

Out of curiosity, did you flip your drag link at that height, or still mounted in factory position? I do tend to agree that you should get your caster situated before troubleshooting further though as 3.6* is low.

 

we were responding at the same time (with previous response...or at least I was typing and submitted without seeing new response). You should move your arms to the 3rd hole.....lowering the pinion further which will raise your caster.

 

Yes, the lift was installed on the Jeep when I purchased it. I don't know how I got it home because the geometry was horrible, and the track bar was toast. Nothing was torqued properly and I seriously thought I would die in it during that 45 minute drive. I installed new adjustable track bars, yeti tie rod assembly and drag link flip. When it still had bad steering I installed the drop brackets to correct the angle of the lowers. It drove great for a while, and like I said, still does on some occasions.

There is no death wobble or bump steer and I know it's confusing when I say it feels like a wheel will fall off so I'll try to explain as best I can. Sometimes when I hit a jarring bump, or am just driving on certain sections of highway that are just rough in general it will feel like every bit of vibration from a bump is lasting quite longer than normal. The steering wheel isn't moving or shaking, there is no flighty feel to the vehicle, there is just a lasting harshness that takes a couple seconds to go away. It almost feels like that vehicle is absorbing the shock of the bumps not the suspension. I say if feels like a wheel is going to fall off because sometimes it's so harsh, or lasts so long that you wonder if you're about to lose a wheel. There's no way to feel exactly what is causing it.

Before I went and bought all new springs and shocks I wanted to know if the RC lowers could be transferring the energy from the bumps into my frame rather than my suspension absorbing it. I have read other posts stating they wear out quickly so just thought that could be the problem with these. I will try moving to the third hole first and see if it helps anything. Thanks for your guys' advice!

 

Those lowers have a bushing that is similar to factory.....and I'd think are actually absorbing more of the jolt rather than transferring it to to the frame like a metal joint in many aftermarket arms are doing. At the very least, moving to the 3rd hole is going to help with caster which you should do anyhow. You might play with your PSI. Running 35 att 28 should provide a softer ride, but it might be factoring in a bit to what you're experiencing. If you look at replacing shocks, you might want to consider something that is adjustable like the Rancho RS9000. A lot of our shock options are pretty rough riding. I don't have experience with the RC shocks, but guessing they're not helping the ride much.

 

A few questions/things to look at.

• Was everything torqued to spec with the Jeep on the ground?
• When you installed the drag link flip did you also raise the track bar?
• Are the track bar bolts tight? (125 ft pounds)

My friends that run RC lifts have all had issues with the shocks wearing out quickly.

 

Yes, everything was torqued on the ground and has been rechecked several times to ensure nothing loosened. The only thing that has had to be retightened since installing was the drag link at the pitman arm (that's scary). The track bar was raised with the lift, which is part of the reason it drove so horribly since the drag link hadn't been flipped. Yes the track bar bolts are at 125 lbs on each end. I thought maybe shocks as well, but there is no sagging which I expected if they were worn out already. I do plan on installing the billstein 9000's at some point this summer, just have to find time to install them.