Passenger Spring bow??? (pics)
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.
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.
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.
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?
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?
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?
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.


