Flighty Steering
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JK Enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 219
Likes: 0
From: West Valley, UT
Flighty Steering
I noticed that at highway speed my seering is flighty.
i slighty turn left or right then zoom i seem to shoot that way.
I just put on bigger tires, I wonder if it is the toe in?
i slighty turn left or right then zoom i seem to shoot that way.
I just put on bigger tires, I wonder if it is the toe in?
JK Jedi Master
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 11,463
Likes: 165
From: Austin <--> Colorado Springs
FAQ's...
And then this one:
http://project-jk.com/jeep-jk-write-...-end-alignment
Q: What is Caster? How much do I need?
A: Caster is the angle upon which your front axle sits at in order to help keep your Jeep driving straight. Positive caster, which is what you want, will cause your axle to sit in a way that your pinion shaft will be dipping ever so slightly towards the ground. Too little or even negative caster angle can cause your Jeep to wander and feel 'flighty' or 'darty' as I've heard some people call it. From the factory, your JK will have +4.2° of caster and if you lift it and install larger tires, you will need to increase this amount to help compensate for the modifications. At 3"-4" of lift, I have found that +6°~8° of caster will do wonders to help improve the handling of your Jeep JK Wrangler.
A: Caster is the angle upon which your front axle sits at in order to help keep your Jeep driving straight. Positive caster, which is what you want, will cause your axle to sit in a way that your pinion shaft will be dipping ever so slightly towards the ground. Too little or even negative caster angle can cause your Jeep to wander and feel 'flighty' or 'darty' as I've heard some people call it. From the factory, your JK will have +4.2° of caster and if you lift it and install larger tires, you will need to increase this amount to help compensate for the modifications. At 3"-4" of lift, I have found that +6°~8° of caster will do wonders to help improve the handling of your Jeep JK Wrangler.
And then this one:
http://project-jk.com/jeep-jk-write-...-end-alignment
Sponsoring Manufacturer
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 6,824
Likes: 3
From: Utah
Control arm bushing can sometimes get preloaded when you install a lift kit. Loosen up all the control arms, rock the JK back and forth, bounce on the bumpers, then torque everything. FYI in the last week, we've taken 2 calls from people with 50psi in their tires. So it's not uncommon for tire shops to put too much air in tires.
JK Jedi Master
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 11,463
Likes: 165
From: Austin <--> Colorado Springs
Could be your pressure is too high, could be tire balance, could be toe, could be from bigger/wider tires, could be the caster. Or might be install related as TF is suggesting. Or, it could be a combination of any or all of them.
Just from your description, I am leaning toward caster. Unless you have adjustable control arms (or cams), all an alignment shop can do is set the toe and recenter your steering wheel. Lot of money spent for something you can do using that write-up in 20 minutes.
Just from your description, I am leaning toward caster. Unless you have adjustable control arms (or cams), all an alignment shop can do is set the toe and recenter your steering wheel. Lot of money spent for something you can do using that write-up in 20 minutes.