Ok, first off...Superlift in Hot Springs is GREAT! Can't wait to go back.

Now, on with my problem and a little history for reference.

Installed my 4" RC lift and adjustable LCA's. Set the LCA's to 23" per suggestion by RC instructions. I don't have an angle finder so that is where I started. Before the LCA's were installed I had some pretty bad handleing issues with the Jeep wanting to walk all over the road at medium (40-60mph) speeds with it getting better at higher speeds. After the LCA's were installed it was much better. Still needed a little adjustment but much better. Steering wheel was pretty much centered, maybe off 5 degrees or so. No ESP/BAS problems to speak of.

Fast forward to today...Did some wheeling @ Superlift (first time ever out wheeling in a Jeep or in an ORV park period), stayed on 1's and 2's with a mild 3 in there. Only a 3 because of a steep hill. All went well, no problems. Got done, aired back up and hit the road. Right off the bat on the road my ESP starts acting up and my steering wheel was off around 70 degrees the opposite direction. ESP/BAS is kicking in like crazy and mostly when I turn to the right. Got the steering wheel back to center but ESP still kicking in. After a half mile or so it stops but now I have the slip, ESP, and BAS lights on. What's worse, is I am back all over the road again, worse than before my LCA's from what I remember. Also, my tire guage was off and I found out I was running 42psi in the tires. I read in another thread that much tire pressure can affect the ESP/BAS and to run 28-30psi with a 35" tire.

So, I have been reading on here for the past couple hours and came up with this:

1. I need to set my caster with an angle finder to 6*
2. Make sure my wheel is centered perfect
3. Reduce air pressure to around 30psi
4. Set tow in 1/8" due to running a 35" tire

Does this sound like it should fix my problem?

Also, I have not had an alignment. I was told there is not much to align after a lift because of the way our JK's are set up. I only had 250 miles or so on it when I put the lift on. Just turned over 1200 today.

I know this has been brought up several times, but none of the threads are very detailed. I tried to give as much detail as possible for a good detailed answer. I would like to fix this on my own. Not only to save the money, but also I like working on my own vehicle. I do consider myself to be pretty mechanically inclined.

So there it is, I hope you can help JK guys!

 

here's what I think you need to do...confirm all your bolts are tight under there first, then yes, recheck all you mentioned....if that doesn't sort things out for you...then I'd start checking your tire rod ends....it's possible you bent something if you smacked something out there on the trail

 

I was thinking the same thing, did you bend the tierod?

 

Ok...so I have done all of the above. Still have the problem of wandering all over the road and the ESP still goes bananas in a right hand corner. ONLY RIGHT HAND CORNERS! WTF!!

Someone has to have a solution to the problem!

 

Something deffinately moved. Only being right hand corners makes me think the steering wheel isnt straight. So when you turn right, the computer thinks you are turning WAY right. So it then starts acting up as the wheel speed sensors are not corresponding with what the steering wheel sensor is saying.

Make sure the tie rod is tight. If the turnbuckle is not tight enough, it can let the threads slide in or out.

 

Here's the thing also, the steering has a lot of slack in it from center to about 30* either way. In other words, if I am going straight down the road, when I turn the wheel, nothing happens until it gets past that 30* point. And then it darts that direction pretty quick.

My wheel is centered now, but the ESP still wacks out in the right turns.

 

Check the welds on the track bar bracket. If starting to break, that made my steering really loose for 2 days. I never caught it until it broke. That was the wrong time to catch it.

 

Little more info...

Jacked up the Jeep and took some measurements for centering the steering wheel. Measuring from the sway bar connectors to the inside of the brake rotor, 9 1/16" on both sides, centered wheel. Going down the road though, my wheel is slightly off to the left, by about 10* or less.

Re adjusted the LCA's to 23 1/4" length, both sides. With an angle finder on the steering knuckle as shown in all the other pics, I have 8* of caster on the driver side and maybe 8.5* on the passenger side.

Went back out for a test drive and it seemed to help the wandering on the road and the "slack", as I called it, in the steering. Now when I turn the wheel to the left, it goes left as it should. But on the right, I have to turn it at least 60* just to change lanes. With that slight of turn the ESP does not come on, but in a long sweeping right turn, with the wheel at about 75-80* (Jeep is nearly horizontal on the wheel), the ESP takes over. If I turn a little sharper, say 120* the ESP stops and it drives normal.

One last bit of info...

With it jacked up and on jack stands, there is no slack at all in the steering. However, if you turn to steering stop to the left, the wheel turns about 1.25 times with the Jeep ending in the vertical position. Turn to the right to full stop and it turns 1.5 times with the Jeep ending in the horizontal position upside down. So it seems like the wheel is turning further to the right than the left. This would kind of explain why I have to turn the wheel further to the right before it actually goes right.


Any ideas? I hate to take it to the dealer, but I just can't figure this out!

 

not sure why you need to take measurements for adjusting the wheel. if the wheel is off when driving straight, just play with the adjustment until you get it centered. if you have a bent tie rod, which im sure you do, measuring wont be accurate for centering the wheel.

also, are you following the write up for centering the wheel?

 

Well, here's the thing...sometimes the wheel is centered when going straight down the road and sometimes it's off a little to the left. That's why I did the measurements because that is the only constant I could think of.