Alignment questions - adjustable ball joints

[quetscoatl]

I have a 2020 rubicon. I just added aev's 2.5 inch lift with high capacity springs. On the drive back the alignment seemed fine, at least I didn't notice anything obvious. I then added the aev steering damper. After that it seemed to pull to the right. I took it to an more old school alignment shop and they said everything seemed set right, in specs but it did pull slightly right. He said he couldn't make any other adjustments without adjustable ball joints. I guess I'm just asking if he is correct and if it would be worth it to add adjustable ball joints. going to add shadowspapa name here hoping he responds. Thanks in advance

Sponsored

 

[Stan H]

I have a 2020 rubicon. I just added aev's 2.5 inch lift with high capacity springs. On the drive back the alignment seemed fine, at least I didn't notice anything obvious. I then added the aev steering damper. After that it seemed to pull to the right. I took it to an more old school alignment shop and they said everything seemed set right, in specs but it did pull slightly right. He said he couldn't make any other adjustments without adjustable ball joints. I guess I'm just asking if he is correct and if it would be worth it to add adjustable ball joints. going to add shadowspapa name here hoping he responds. Thanks in advance

Well until he answers let me ask did this AEV lift come with an adjustable front track bar ?

 

[quetscoatl]

No just the basic dualsport RT kit

 

[Stan H]

No just the basic RT kit

Start right there. Your front tire will be sticking out more to the driver's side can measure front top of front coil spring holder to the edge of tire and see that tires will be differently set under the jeep.
This "doglegged" traveling affect can make the jeep travel sideways. Typically the rear can get away without an adjustable track bar up to 2.5" but the front cannot.. well it can but just not something that I think you would want to do.

 

[quetscoatl]

you are right. It is about a half inch further out on the driver side. An adjustable track bar would correct that?

 

[Stan H]

you are right. It is about a half inch further out on the driver side. An adjustable track bar would correct that?

Yes , pick a strong one many are out there . Go to extreme terrain can see many different ones for sell. Myself and some others that do off road have chosen solid forged ones . But if your a hard top guy a DOM would be fine. Steer smarts etc.. remove the factory track bar measure it (temporarily set the new one to that length if it dont move over )stick the new one in . Then adjust it and pull it back over till you have equal amount on both sides. This should help.
Some times upon removal of the factory trackball it will actually jump over to center ( not always) adjust till measurement is the same.

 

[justbig]

The "it didn't start until the steering dampener" has me thinking. There are discussions on this topic related to Bilstein's not being equal pressure on both sides of the piston unlike the OEM's. For me i would swap dampener back to OEM for curiosity sake. As for the adjustable track bar that's a definite yes with that amount of lift. Some of the trackbar manufactures will give a suggested starting length based on lift height.

 

[quetscoatl]

Thank you. I hadn't heard about the bilstein maybe issue. Something else to research

 

[quetscoatl]

I was so happy with the new stabilizer I threw the old one away. It had 100,000 miles on it

 

[justbig]

LOL! maybe just remove it for a short drive and verify? Not advocating permanently just for testing.

 

[quetscoatl]

Guess that wouldn't really hurt anything

 

[Stan H]

Guess that wouldn't really hurt anything

It won't and at kow speeds if everything is correct there should be no shimmy or wobble..that steering shock is only on there for when you hit bridge abutment meet road surface or a pothole etc. On a smooth road if its right you won't even know its off there.

 

[Vtur]

Pressurized single tube stabilizer will push right in stock location, and push left when relocated to tie rod mount.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

The "it didn't start until the steering dampener" has me thinking. There are discussions on this topic related to Bilstein's not being equal pressure on both sides of the piston unlike the OEM's. For me i would swap dampener back to OEM for curiosity sake. As for the adjustable track bar that's a definite yes with that amount of lift. Some of the trackbar manufactures will give a suggested starting length based on lift height.

This.

The basics of troubleshooting - "what changed".
It didn't pull before, now it pulls after.
Swap back and see.
There's nothing about an alignment that will change with a lift other than caster. The caster split can't be changed with a lift, only change the same amount on each side, so that's not it.
No lift can change camber - so you can ignore that if it didn't pull before.

LOL! maybe just remove it for a short drive and verify? Not advocating permanently just for testing.

If all is well with the truck - he can safely drive it without it. It's for bump steer and such, nothing else really.

As said - if the front axle is offset very far, get a good adjustable track bar and recenter it.
Of course, you'll then have to recenter the steering wheel but that's simple.

 

[quetscoatl]

Thanks for the replies. I'll probably take off the steering stabilizer and see. I'll also get an adjustable track bar just to fix that 1/2 inch anyways.

Sponsored