Notices
Modified JK Tech Tech related bulletin board forum regarding subjects such as suspension, tires & wheels, steering, bumpers, skid plates, drive train, cages, on-board air and other useful modifications that will help improve the performance and protection of your Jeep JK Wrangler (Rubicon, Sahara, Unlimited and X) on the trail.

PLEASE DO NOT START SHOW & TELL TYPE THREADS IN THIS FORUM

Passenger Spring bow??? (pics)

Old Jan 18, 2015 | 08:12 AM
  #11  
SoK66's Avatar
JK Freak
 
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 775
Likes: 31
From: Colorado
Default

Originally Posted by Invest2m4
Check my above measurements. Either you have different lengths in your control arms or the guy welding the perches on was drunk.
Ditto. Looking at the OP's photos, looks like the lowers are way too short. Bump stops don't look to be aligned on either side. The reversed orientation of the JK's front lower spring seats will cause the passenger side to bow more than the driver side.

With aftermarket housings the often questionable control arm lengths provided by suspension kit mfrs can be even more inaccurate. Best thing to do is to determine your rigs optimum axle position yourself. Get it up in the air (jack stands, etc.), support the axle on both ends with floor jacks, pull the wheels, shocks & springs. Remove the upper bump stop snubber. Lift the axle up slowly and evenly on both sides and center the lower bump stop extensions with the upper bump stop tubes. Use the lower arm flex joint adjustments to move the axle fore or aft. After you get an idea of the ideal centering points on each side, adjust the arms to the same length on each side. (Some mfrs suggest staggering the passenger arm a bit longer than the driver.) if necessary adjust the uppers fore or aft to allow the lower bump stops to align with the uppers, you'll reset your caster with the uppers later once you get the rig back on the ground. Put it all back together and dial in your front caster & pinion angle with the uppers. Axle should be properly centered and the spring bow should be gone. If not, then you know you have a spring perch issue.
Reply
Old Jan 18, 2015 | 06:14 PM
  #12  
devwil68's Avatar
Thread Starter
JK Enthusiast
 
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 255
Likes: 0
From: Fort Worth, Texas
Default

Originally Posted by SoK66
Ditto. With aftermarket housings the often questionable control arm lengths provided by some kit mfrs can be even more inaccurate. Best thing to do is to determine your optimum axle position yourself. Get it up in the air (jack stands, etc.), support the axle on both ends with floor jacks, pull the wheels, shocks & springs. Remove the upper bump stop snubber. Lift the axle up slowly and evenly on both sides and center the lower bump stop extensions with the upper bump stop tubes. Use the lower arm flex joint adjustments to move the axle fore or aft. Afer you get an idea of the centering points on each side, adjust the arms to the same length on each side. (Some mfrs suggest staggering the passenger arm a bit longer than the driver.) if necessary adjust the uppers fore or aft to allow the lowers to align, you'll reset your caster with the uppers later. Put it all back together and dial in your front caster & pinion angle with the uppers. Axle should be properly centerd and the spring bow should be gone.
Noticed you mention some manufactures would suggest a longer passenger side control arm length.

My uppers aren't adjustable at this point, they are the stock arms.

Feel like I need to rotate the axle forward on the passenger side to get the bow out.
Reply
Old Jan 18, 2015 | 08:07 PM
  #13  
Invest2m4's Avatar
JK Junkie
 
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 3,697
Likes: 2
From: Grosse Pointe, MI
Default

Originally Posted by devwil68
Noticed you mention some manufactures would suggest a longer passenger side control arm length. My uppers aren't adjustable at this point, they are the stock arms. Feel like I need to rotate the axle forward on the passenger side to get the bow out.
The logic is that slightly more caster on the passenger side adjusts for the crown in the road. We're talking very minor differences in length that would result in maybe .3 degrees difference in caster.

Really, we're talking some easy tests here. Grab a tape measure and measure each front lower control arm from eye to eye (bolt center to bolt center). Are they different? Next, if you have an iPhone, you can pull up the angle app. Toss the phone on top of the coil perches and see if they are the same.

Stock upper control arms and a $5k axle... Cart before the horse?
Reply
Old Jan 19, 2015 | 05:07 AM
  #14  
SoK66's Avatar
JK Freak
 
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 775
Likes: 31
From: Colorado
Default

Originally Posted by Invest2m4
The logic is that slightly more caster on the passenger side adjusts for the crown in the road. We're talking very minor differences in length that would result in maybe .3 degrees difference in caster.

Really, we're talking some easy tests here. Grab a tape measure and measure each front lower control arm from eye to eye (bolt center to bolt center). Are they different? Next, if you have an iPhone, you can pull up the angle app. Toss the phone on top of the coil perches and see if they are the same.

Stock upper control arms and a $5k axle... Cart before the horse?
Indeed. OP needs to get some adjustable front uppers before he goes much further. If you can't extend the uppers to adjust caster, there's no point in tryng to center the lowers . Synergy makes very cool control arms that can be adjusted without pulling one end, rotating and checking again, etc.

As for the lower control arm lengths, my reference to having the passenger side a bit longer than driver is to compensate for road crown. The suggested difference is about 1/8"- 1/4". This isn't the OP's issue.
Reply



All times are GMT -8. The time now is 05:55 AM.