Front axle is longer than the back

[obrianmcc]

Ok...sorry I don't know the technical terms. I'm no mechanic. So let's try this again and I'll attach a photo. All the tires are the same size direct from the factory. If you look at the Jeep straight on from the front, on your knees, you can see that the front tires are not even with the back ones. The tires do not line up in front of each other. The photo was taken from about 30 feet away but I've magnified it so you can see what I'm talking about. The back left is shadowed but the right side is visible.

As others have already said it's your perspective ... you appear to be framed center over the license plate. Put a tape on your axles to confirm.

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[GoneSquatchin]

Lol...ok maybe I'm going crazy but I'm going to outline the tires in chalk and measure! Cuz I'm crazy like that! Thanks for you input, though.

 

[BigRed97]

I haven't physically measure it on the JT, but cars and pick up trucks have been using wider front track widths for decades(if not always) it has to do with the effects of weight transfer while turning, and also plays a role in turning radius.
It's usually more noticeable with bigger tires/lifts

 

[j.o.y.ride]

Lol...ok maybe I'm going crazy but I'm going to outline the tires in chalk and measure! Cuz I'm crazy like that! Thanks for you input, though.

Just measure with a tape. Do something you can standardize like outside tread to outside tread. If you try to measure something with the actual axles and being under the truck you may have a harder time

 

[Moonshineheadache]

 

[Mark Doiron]

Hey, Cindy, I hope you don't mind that I copied your pic to edit a bit. As others have written, compare the width of the tires. Using a tape measure is one way, but a piece of string would do just fine. Satisfy yourself that both are the same width. On the front, measure at the bottom of the tires where they contact the ground because there is a slight difference if you go up higher on the tires (due to toe in, which is a part of alignment). The edge where the tire sidewalls turn upright is an easy place to compare.

When a vehicle is lifted, the axles tend to shift. One moves to the right, the other to the left. This is called tracking. Generally, when driving perfectly straight ahead, the rear tires should run in the tread pattern of the front tires. If you have a lift, then that may be off a little. There are ways to correct, but some folks don't bother if it's mild. You can look from straight in front of the outer sidewall on each tire when the vehicle is pointing straight ahead and get an idea if the tires have shifted. You can get a better idea if you stand a straight-edge upright, centered against the sidewall of each tire, then measure from the straight edge to a convenient edge of the fender. You may have to cut a stick or something short since your tires don't poke out from the fender (like so many of us do, LOL). You want the straight edge abutted to the sidewall without contacting anything else. Don't compare front to rear-but do compare front-left to front-right, which should be identical. And then rear-left to rear-right., which should be identical. To help you visualize this, what you're doing is confirming that each axle is centered under the vehicle, left-to-right.

Most likely a canard, but you might also look at the tires and ensure they are all the same size. Very unlikely anything like that is wrong, but what the heck. Tire size is written on the sidewall--something like 255/70R18 . The numbers may be different from my example, but they all should be the same on your tires

Bottom line, if your axles are the same width--checked with that tire measurement, and your axles are centered under the vehicle, and your tires are all the same size, you're in good shape. Enjoy your new ride!

 

[GoneSquatchin]

Hi Mark. Thank you so much for your information and explanations. I did the measurements and everything looks fine. I'm not sure if it's the Bodyline of the vehicle or what but it just seemed crooked to me. And for some reason, I can't seem to park it in a straight line! I've driven all kinds of vehicles including trucks and I've never had any issues with getting my lines straight in backing up. This has totally perplexed me! Anyways, thank you again so much for your input. It sure beats smart-aleck remarks! Take care and enjoy your ride also! Jeeps are a blast!

 

[Plumbob]

I understand what he’s saying. If my JT is parked uphill in my driveway, it looks like the front track is wider. Is an optical illusion. Facin downhill they look even. The weight transfer make the Suspense load to change toe on the front. I looked at this numerous times before I saw it. I also measured it.

 

[LordEnzo]

Track width is what i assume ur talking about. As stated by someone else, typically front will be a tad wider for the reason mentioned. But here are specs from Jeep. Sport vs sport s max tow.

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