Steering Problems
Thread Starter
JK Newbie
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
From: San Juan
Steering Problems
i have a 4dr 4"lift w/ 37" Dick Cepeck FC-II and the steering of the jeep is very unstable. I installaed a heavier Steering damper but still gives me problems. Any recomendations?
JK-Forum Founder
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 36,534
Likes: 16
From: Laguna Niguel, CA
did your lift come with adjustable control arms? if so, add a bit more positive caster. also, if your lift did not come with a dropped pitman arm and front track bar relocation bracket, you will want to get and install them. a steering stabilizer will not help you here.
JK Jedi Master
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 11,463
Likes: 165
From: Austin <--> Colorado Springs
Yep, knowing which lift you have (and all the components in it) would help out. Also, a better idea of what you mean by 'unstable' would help.
But as WOL indicated, caster was my first thought. Here is a blurb on it from the faq's:
But as WOL indicated, caster was my first thought. Here is a blurb on it from the faq's:
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.
JK Newbie
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 93
Likes: 0
From: Monroe, LA
Yep, caster all the way. I'm not sure everyone understands just what an impact more positive caster can have on the way the Jeep drives. It's like night and day and small changes can have major impacts too. If you don't have adjustable lower control arms you might want to look into getting some.
