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Caster Question

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Old Apr 16, 2013 | 08:27 AM
  #1  
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I recently had a 2.5" Max Travel Lift installed on my 2013 JKU. When I went and picked it up they showed me the alignment specs and everything was in the green, caster angles were close to each other. As I drove it the next couple days I noticed it pulled driver side, so I took it back and they made some adjustments. Now my caster specs are 4.4 Driver and 5.0 Passenger and it still has a slight pull to the drivers side. My questions is are the caster angles suppose to match or are my acceptable? Thanks
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Old Apr 16, 2013 | 11:00 AM
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The stock caster is around 4.2 deg and I try and keep mine close to each other. I assume your toe in is also correct.
Personally, I would not accept that much difference and would find out the real culprit...

edit - does your lift use an adj track bar to recenter your axle under the vehicle?

Last edited by Rocky Clymer; Apr 16, 2013 at 11:03 AM.
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Old Apr 16, 2013 | 01:23 PM
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2008 JK. I don't know if 2013 is different.

Front Axle
CASTER + 4.2° ± 0.5° (+3.7° to +4.7°)
MAX LT/RT DIFFERENCE 0.65°
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Old Apr 17, 2013 | 10:32 AM
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Originally Posted by Rocky Clymer
The stock caster is around 4.2 deg and I try and keep mine close to each other. I assume your toe in is also correct.
Personally, I would not accept that much difference and would find out the real culprit...

edit - does your lift use an adj track bar to recenter your axle under the vehicle?
The toe looked good and yes it has a adj track bar. They wanted to switch the two front tires if I still had the problem, I may try that tonight.
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Old Apr 17, 2013 | 03:50 PM
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Originally Posted by MikeMefford
The toe looked good and yes it has a adj track bar. They wanted to switch the two front tires if I still had the problem, I may try that tonight.
Welcome to the forum.
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Old Apr 17, 2013 | 04:06 PM
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Seems easy enough to just adjust the passenger side LCA in a eight of an inch or so. You want it a little longer than the driver side to correct for the crown in the road so it tracks straight. Also, you want as much caster as your front drive shaft angle will tolerate on a lifted Jeep up to around 6 degrees or so to help with on-center steering feel.
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Old Apr 18, 2013 | 05:39 AM
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Originally Posted by JohnnyQuik
Seems easy enough to just adjust the passenger side LCA in a eight of an inch or so. You want it a little longer than the driver side to correct for the crown in the road so it tracks straight. Also, you want as much caster as your front drive shaft angle will tolerate on a lifted Jeep up to around 6 degrees or so to help with on-center steering feel.
So to correct the pulling to the left (drivers side) you shorten the passenger side LCA? Not lengthen the drivers side?

Also would it be worth pulling the steering stabilizer to make sure its not the issue?

Thanks for the help.
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Old Apr 19, 2013 | 03:52 AM
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Either way does the same thing. Shouldn't have anything to do with the stock stabilizer. Maybe a stiff aftermarket stabilizer could make it pull, but fixing the pull is just a matter of setting your LCA lengths so that it tracks straight. You should be around 23" with that lift with the passenger side an 1/8 of an inch longer.
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Old Apr 19, 2013 | 04:05 AM
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Originally Posted by JohnnyQuik
Either way does the same thing. Shouldn't have anything to do with the stock stabilizer. Maybe a stiff aftermarket stabilizer could make it pull, but fixing the pull is just a matter of setting your LCA lengths so that it tracks straight. You should be around 23" with that lift with the passenger side an 1/8 of an inch longer.
I lengthened the driver side LCA last night 1/8", but it didn't change anything. They were both set at 23", now the driver side is 23 1/8".

Any other ideas? Thanks
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Old Apr 19, 2013 | 01:28 PM
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Originally Posted by MikeMefford
I lengthened the driver side LCA last night 1/8", but it didn't change anything. They were both set at 23", now the driver side is 23 1/8".

Any other ideas? Thanks
Alignment on a JK is really limited to toe-in and caster. Unless the Jeep has been hit or your driver side brakes are sticking, I don't know why it would pull to the driver side. You do have your wheel centered right (adjusting the drag link turn buckle)? Meaning if you take your hands off the wheel, it still pulls regardless of how "straight" the steering wheel looks.
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