Lift installed. Tire is all jacked. Help.

[Zachanadandy]

4.8⁰ of caster is within spec, but still on the low side. Personally I would adjust the front lowers out by 2 full turns to get you closer to 6⁰ caster. Being they are equal right now and everything else is good you won't need another alignment. I find the Jeeps just track so much better with >5.5⁰ personally and that holds true for both JLs and the JT we've owned.

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[Stan H]

4.8⁰ of caster is within spec, but still on the low side. Personally I would adjust the front lowers out by 2 full turns to get you closer to 6⁰ caster. Being they are equal right now and everything else is good you won't need another alignment. I find the Jeeps just track so much better with >5.5⁰ personally and that holds true for both JLs and the JT we've owned.

Mine is set at 5.4°
screwed each side out one more turn it measured 6.4° so went back one turn and it went back to 5.4° tried it drove like a dream. Been that way for 6months now.

 

[MSFTMatt]

I’ll need to try both of those options, track bar and lowers. Drives straight but steering wheel is turned clockwise about 4”. Wheels and tires go on tomorrow morning so maybe try after.

 

[Zachanadandy]

Mine is set at 5.4°
screwed each side out one more turn it measured 6.4° so went back one turn and it went back to 5.4° tried it drove like a dream. Been that way for 6months now.

5.4⁰ is much better than 4.8⁰. I prefer closer to 6⁰ and in your shoes I'd probably run the 6.4⁰. If you're half with the way it drives then run it.

 

[Zachanadandy]

I’ll need to try both of those options, track bar and lowers. Drives straight but steering wheel is turned clockwise about 4”. Wheels and tires go on tomorrow morning so maybe try after.

The trackbar is not for aligning the steering wheel. Use the adjuster on the drag link. If you adjust the tie rods you mess up the toe. The drag link adjustment only serves to adjust the steering wheel.

 

[MSFTMatt]

When I adjust the drag link to center the steering wheel it causes my truck to veer left.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

When I adjust the drag link to center the steering wheel it causes my truck to veer left.

It's the only way to adjust the centering of the steering wheel.
Never do it with the tie rods - that's for toe only on these.
Track bar is only for centering the axle under the truck, so don't use it to make other changes.

Is it possible that while you had things all apart the steering wheel got turned so is off a full turn now? (which should show up with a very very limited ability to turn either full left or full right)

 

[MSFTMatt]

I haven’t tried going to full lock yet so I’ll try that tomorrow. It steers just fine driving on streets and highway.

 

[MSFTMatt]

More I think about it I’m thinking maybe my steering wheel did somehow get spun all the way around. Found another thread with similar issue and it was recommended center steering, disconnect pitman and recenter in steering box. Will need to research that process more

 

[MSFTMatt]

Just checked and I get full lock to driver and passenger with 1 and half turns each direction. Each direction appears to be equal in terms of actually be at full lock as well when looking at the tires. The post below is from a banned member. I’ve reached out to the original OP to see how he fixed it. Seems if this were the cause I wouldn’t get full lock with equal revolutions of steering wheel tho. But then again I’m a noob?
“
In all likelihood the Pitman arm is where it's supposed to be in relation to the steering box.
Drop the drag link from the Pitman arm, find the center of the steering box, (# revolutions from lock to lock/2) then adjust the drag link to reconnect to Pitman arm without moving the pitman arm.

Or...
Without disconnecting anything, Find the center of the steering, Jack up the front tires off the ground and while having the steering wheel locked in place, assist the drag link until the tires are straight.”
https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...-adjusted-steering-wheel-still-crooked.71680/

 

[WILDHOBO]

Just checked and I get full lock to driver and passenger with 1 and half turns each direction. Each direction appears to be equal in terms of actually be at full lock as well when looking at the tires. The post below is from a banned member. I’ve reached out to the original OP to see how he fixed it. Seems if this were the cause I wouldn’t get full lock with equal revolutions of steering wheel tho. But then again I’m a noob?
“
In all likelihood the Pitman arm is where it's supposed to be in relation to the steering box.
Drop the drag link from the Pitman arm, find the center of the steering box, (# revolutions from lock to lock/2) then adjust the drag link to reconnect to Pitman arm without moving the pitman arm.

Or...
Without disconnecting anything, Find the center of the steering, Jack up the front tires off the ground and while having the steering wheel locked in place, assist the drag link until the tires are straight.”
https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...-adjusted-steering-wheel-still-crooked.71680/

This is the method, the only one that’s ever worked for me.

find a long flat stretch like a parking lot. Drive straight for 50 or 100 feet with the wheels straight. Leave the steering wheel crooked. Then put it in park, parking brake, leave the wheel where it is with the tires straight. Then adjust the drag link length until the wheel is perfect. It will take very few turns. Sometimes less than a full revolution.

 

[Aberk]

So I did adjust to try and get my steering wheel more centered and I just saw that will change my toe so adjust that back out after doing rear then front measurements will fix that part.

I know you already figured it out, but you did what I did when I installed my clayton lift. I messed with the tie rod instead of the drag link trying to center my steering wheel.

 

[MSFTMatt]

I’m gonna try WILDHOBO method again shortly. I could swear tho when I tried it before and got my steering wheel straight my rig pulled hard left. Gonna try in parking lot instead of a city street this time tho. I’ll report back here with whatever happens.

 

[WILDHOBO]

I’m gonna try WILDHOBO method again shortly. I could swear tho when I tried it before and got my steering wheel straight my rig pulled hard left. Gonna try in parking lot instead of a city street this time tho. I’ll report back here with whatever happens.

Ignore the wheel. In fact hold it where it is, keeping the tires straight. The parking lot thing is key because you then do the adjustment there.

 

[MSFTMatt]

I think I’m definitely making progress. Between the steering wheel, adjustable shocks and just not being used to it I’m getting closer to getting dialed in. I definitely can feel the wander/looseness that I’ve read about after lift/bigger tires with stick steering components. I did adjust the LCA’s out by 2 turns to see how that feels. It’s certainly pretty nice being able to toy around with the rig in the driveway. Here she is after wheels/tires went on this am in my chosen parking lot.

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