jat9058

I was wondering if anyone can help me...

I recently had a 4" Rough Country lift kit installed, new 16" teflon coated wheels and 33" Toyo Open Country tires.

Initially, while I was driving it home from the dealer, the front started swaying back and forth and then the ESP light came on flashing, my front end felt like it was sliding on ice and my anti-locks kicked in. Naturally I took my Jeep back to the place that installed the lift kit and over the course of about 3 hours, they finally figured out that the lift kit they installed required a bolt to attached to one of the steering components in order to make it not self-adjust or something like that.

Anyway...now that everything is working properly, I cannot help but feel like every little bump makes my Jeep bounce excessively and overall just seems a bit unstable. I don't know if I take it back if there is anything they can do to help correct this, or maybe the larger 35" tires would help this, but if anyone has had similar problems or feel the same way, please I could use any assistance possible!

Thanks!!!

In case you all would like to see a picture...quality not that great, but you get the idea

MWilcox

What was installed with the lift? It sounds like you don't have enough caster angle, which will make for a hairy ride and having to constantly steer it. My 3" Teraflex lift did not come with adjustable control arms and caused a similar feeling of having to steer it all of the time. A larger tire will only make this worse, you need more caster angle. Also you may not have an adjustable track bar, and your axle may not be centered from side to side.
As far as your traction control activating, mine did this as well. If your steering wheel is not centered while driving the jeep thinks you are in a skid and activates this to correct the skid. When your ride height changes you steering wheel needs re set to be straight. There is an adjustment sleeve on the steering arm coming off of the pitman arm, this is where you can adjust your steering wheel angle with out screwing up your alignment.
Good luck!

wayoflife

first off, how much air are you running in your tires? with 33's, you should be running about 28-30 psi. any more than that and you are running way too much. let some out and that will help things out. second, the bouncy feeling you are now experiencing could just be the new shocks you are running. RC shocks are basic hydroshocks unlike your factory gas charged shocks and they will feel a bit bouncy. as far as instability goes, your kit should have come with cam bolts. if they were installed, you can adjust them so that you will have more positive caster. that will help out a lot too. and, if you are still having esp issues, make sure that your steering wheel is centered.

jat9058

Thanks for all the advice, it is greatly appreciated. How do I know what a good Caster angle is? They had to re-center the draglink on the steering arm which solved the first problem.

I am thinking that it is just me, that I just need to get used to it as this is the first lifted vehicle I have ever had and everything is different. I will check the tire pressures though, could be a root cause of the bouncing feeling.

I would imagine climbing a steep grade or going through water would be done at such a low speed that all that stuff would be irrelevant...which means...I should go off road and see if I still have complaints

wayoflife

factory caster is +4.2°. once lifted and on bigger tires, something closer to +6° will give you a better feel and keep your jeep from feeling flighty at higher speeds. regarding tire pressure, definitely give that a check and lower it to what i recommended.

Smoke6

jat9058~

I'm in Fairborn...Which dealer installed the lift? Like the guys above mentioned, its probably your caster angle. It's a quick fix if you have adjustable CA's. Mine is the same way right now. My FT CA's are on the way.

If you see me around give me a shout....

Leonard Massi

I am having a similar issue, but not the same. I've replaced my front axle with the same stock axle. I've been out once since and not done anything hardcore. My jeep now pull - tracks left, I went into Jeep to have the Alignment done and it didn't seem to work. They straightened the steering wheel, but said they could not adjust for the camber. Ok so real quick - TF 3", Front lower control arms, adj front track bar, 35's. They test drove it and said nothing could be done to fix, but that I should swap out the SS. Jeep still tracks left, I'm a bit nervous about tuning the SS as it's Nitrogen and don't want to let all the Nitro out. Any advice???

On a second note WOL, I'll post more cautiously..........sorry.

jat9058

Tire Discounters in Miamisburg did the lift for me, from what I understand they don't do a whole lot of them, but no matter what if I am not happy they will make it right. That is why I used them.

I am very pleased with everything else, and the steering issue is only minor as of right now. If it continues I will get it fixed though. I thought about maybe a rough country steering shock? But don't know if that will help or hinder my situation

jat9058

Hey Smoke6, so are those 35s? They seem to fill the well better than mine, I just assumed, that and I see the larger jack in the back. Any problems with the mount of the back tire? Just curious.

wayoflife

yeah, camber cannot be adjusted on a solid axle or, at least not without the use of offset ball joints. if you have camber, that would cause pulling. have you checked your tire pressure or rotating your tires? have you checked your brakes to see if there's any drag? low psi in one tire or how a tread pattern is wearing and brake drag can all cause pulling as well. also, while you can't do too much in the adjustment of caster side to side, there is a slight difference built into axles to help compensate for the crown in roads and they do this by making it so your jeep pulls ever so slightly to the left. could be that your upper arms are off and it's pulling too much.