Alignment specs for 5" long arm kit?

bmkrinne

Active Member
Those flats on the axle housing are perpendicular to the pinion axis and 6 deg separation to the caster on the stock housing. At 92.2 deg on your digital angle finder, the pinion angle will be 2.2 deg up and the caster will be -3.8 deg. If you want more caster decrease the angle towards 90 degrees, which at 90 deg you would have -6 deg caster. Need to measure the slope of your garage or driveway since it will affect the angle readings, and adjust accordingly.

Basically take both your upper control arms loose from the axle. Then adjust length on one CA to set caster and pinion angle to 91.5 - 92 deg, then adjust the other upper control arm until you can push the bolt through it.
 

DaBank

Member
Those flats on the axle housing are perpendicular to the pinion axis and 6 deg separation to the caster on the stock housing. At 92.2 deg on your digital angle finder, the pinion angle will be 2.2 deg up and the caster will be -3.8 deg. If you want more caster decrease the angle towards 90 degrees, which at 90 deg you would have -6 deg caster. Need to measure the slope of your garage or driveway since it will affect the angle readings, and adjust accordingly.

Basically take both your upper control arms loose from the axle. Then adjust length on one CA to set caster and pinion angle to 91.5 - 92 deg, then adjust the other upper control arm until you can push the bolt through it.
So I am at 3.8° based on my level readings on the axle and my floor. The Alignment print out shows 3.3° so my reading is .5 more positive. So if adjust my arm's and get my reading to 91.5° at the axle I should be 4.5 caster. So based on the alignment printout and my measurements the caster should be in the 4° to 4.5° range and that would put me right where it should be?
Once I adjust the front caster and square up the rear axle I will take it back to have the alignment check and see how close I got everything.
Frank
 
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bmkrinne

Active Member
You are over complicating this whole process. Just my 2 cents here but throw the alignment paperwork in the trash. Set your caster using the digital level to 4.5 degrees (91.5 on your level) and then go drive it. You’ve got 4.10 gears so you can probably get away with a little more caster before you start feeling driveline vibes.

These jeeps aren’t race cars and alignment is simple on them. If the jeep is tracking straight and hands off on level roads, then call it good. I wouldn’t take it back to have it checked unless you’re one of those guys that has to pay someone to tell you what you’ve done is right.
 
Dude everything in this thread has been said 3 times minimum. OP keeps asking the same questions with numerical values that are 0.2 different every time he asks.

Pretty sure OP is generating these questions with chatGPT.
 

DaBank

Member
You are over complicating this whole process. Just my 2 cents here but throw the alignment paperwork in the trash. Set your caster using the digital level to 4.5 degrees (91.5 on your level) and then go drive it. You’ve got 4.10 gears so you can probably get away with a little more caster before you start feeling driveline vibes.

These jeeps aren’t race cars and alignment is simple on them. If the jeep is tracking straight and hands off on level roads, then call it good. I wouldn’t take it back to have it checked unless you’re one of those guys that has to pay someone to tell you what you’ve done is right.
I have 4.88 gears and I am only taking it back because they said they would check it ONCE for free after I make adjustments since they (The Jeep Dealer) are not allow to mess with the contorl arms.
 

DaBank

Member
Dude everything in this thread has been said 3 times minimum. OP keeps asking the same questions with numerical values that are 0.2 different every time he asks.

Pretty sure OP is generating these questions with chatGPT.
I don't know what Chat gpt is but yes I know I am asking about numbers that are close.
Just want to make sure I do it right. I been setting my toe and steering wheel myself on my last 7 Jeeps and have never paid myself for an alignment on them. This Jeep has had the alignment done twice under warranty, once when they installed balljoints and they discovered the bent axle and then again when they warrantied and installed the new axle.
Before I took it in for them to install the axle I installed new heim joints and measured my control arms to be even. Now my Caster is lower than it was (was low to start with) and my rear axle is not straight (was not straight to start with but is worst now). All happened because of my adjustments.
I am trying to do this myself so I don't have to pay someone to do it, since everyone keeps saying it's a Jeep don't waste your money and do it yourself.
Thanks again for the input on how to do it correctly.
Frank
 

jeeeep

Hooked
youtube search for measuring thrust angle and rear axle square

it's a good explanation for the rear axle
 

DaBank

Member
I adjusted the front upper control arms 2 turns shorter and that put my angle finder at 91.6° and 91.5°.
Since I adjusted the caster do I need to make any other adjustments?
Frank
 

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