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steering shake... lift?

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Old Oct 31, 2009 | 05:45 PM
  #1  
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From: LEH nj
Default steering shake... lift?

i installed a TF 2.5 coil and shock lift.. ive had it on for a while now and ive had issues with the steering wheel shimming back and forth when driving.. if u let the wheel go it drives straight as an arrow but the wheel will move back and forth.. weird.. any ways i have not had an alignment yet which i believe will help the issue but i believe after i pay to have it done then ill still have the problem.. i installed rear and front adj. track bars. i read that a lot of people that have this problem think its the drag link and rack bar.. would a flip kit solve this.. its only a 2.5in lift? i didn't think this would be an issue with a same lift. i also check suspension and torqued and made sure everything was right.. also my steering is really sensitive to the road and at times can be uncomfortable to drive on the parkway.. it feels loose.. im not to sure what it can be or caused by other than try alignment and or flip kit.. any suggestions?
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Old Oct 31, 2009 | 05:51 PM
  #2  
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Have you read the "Q: What is Caster? How much do I need?" section in the FAQ's?

So, assuming your trackbar is torqued correctly, as you indicated. And the trackbar mounting holes are not wallowed out? And the tires are at a proper psi? (not anywhere close to the 'max' listed on the sidewall). And the tires are properly balanced?

Then I'd look at caster.

its only a 2.5in lift?
It is the coil kit, so I'd bet it's somewhere in the 3-3.5" range.

Wait, I just re-read that.
Up top you say there is no issue with the way it handles, it is only the 'steering wheel' that shakes. And down further you say that it is sensitive to the road, etc. umm...

Anyway, I'll assume that you do not have adjustable control arms, so you do not have a way to adjust your caster. Don't pay for an alignment until you do.

And you should browse this when you get a chance
http://project-jk.com/jeep-jk-write-...-end-alignment

Last edited by nthinuf; Oct 31, 2009 at 05:59 PM.
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Old Oct 31, 2009 | 06:16 PM
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I had to chase similar problems. My problems turned out to be tire balance (thrown weight) and worn ball joints...less than 10K on the Jeep.
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Old Oct 31, 2009 | 06:27 PM
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I had the same problem and a tire balance worked great for me.
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Old Oct 31, 2009 | 06:50 PM
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From: LEH nj
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what i meant by sensitive to the road is that if im on a flat round and let go of wheel it will go striaght but if its a dippy road the truck will really pulls towards the dip.. its sensitive to imperfect roads if you can get what im saying.. and its scary caz on the parkway the road isnt perfect esp. since there doing road work.. i feel like i cant drive next to someone without the truck running the possible of swaying into the next lane due to the road and i deffly didnt have the problem before the lift.. ill check the tires and what not but what brand would u recommend for adj. control arms?
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Old Oct 31, 2009 | 06:55 PM
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Originally Posted by sktdarkstar8
what i meant by sensitive to the road is that if im on a flat round and let go of wheel it will go striaght but if its a dippy road the truck will really pulls towards the dip.. its sensitive to imperfect roads if you can get what im saying.. and its scary caz on the parkway the road isnt perfect esp. since there doing road work.. i feel like i cant drive next to someone without the truck running the possible of swaying into the next lane due to the road and i deffly didnt have the problem before the lift.. ill check the tires and what not but what brand would u recommend for adj. control arms?
You have a leak of caster. With your new lift, you are probably 3" to 3.5" higher. Therefore, your caster is maybe around 3.6 - 3.8
With your lift, I would recommend adj. front lower arms and put the caster around 5 or more...
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Old Oct 31, 2009 | 07:07 PM
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Yep, what he said.

Get a cheap angle finder, then follow the steps in the caster section of the alignment write-up I linked above to see what you're at now. Assuming you are very low (3-4 range or so), some adj arms will hook you up.

As far as which arms are good. Pretty much any of them, but Currie and TeraFlex seem to be the more popular ones. Upper or lower is your choice - uppers are a bit less expensive, but lowers have a bit more range of adjustability.
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