Drag flip and/or track bar bracket on 2.75" measured lift?

zimm

zimm

Caught the Bug
I have exactly 2.75" lift over the factory measurement diagram that's floating around. I have a rock crawler adj track bar with axle centered and 5 deg castor.

Should I be looking into a drag flip or track bar relocation? Will either steady out the highway steering? She's a little flighty. Sadly, I chucked the OEM track bar in the dump, if that's part of the answer, I'll have to scrounge one up.

I don't have a great shot of the front end here at work, but if you zoom into this you can see the track bar and drag link angles.

View attachment 234669
 
wayoflife

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
What you're feeling on the highway is a lack of positive caster. If you don't have them already, you should install a set of adjustable front lower control arms to set it back to stock which is +4°. Otherwise, you don't really need a draglink flip/track bar relocation for the amount of lift you have.
 
zimm

zimm

Caught the Bug
Eddie,

Thanks, you saved me a few hundred bucks! I do have adj lower arms. I thought 5 degrees was more "laid back" then the stock 4.2? Shouldn't I have less flighty steering?
 
wayoflife

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
zimm said:
Eddie,

Thanks, you saved me a few hundred bucks! I do have adj lower arms. I thought 5 degrees was more "laid back" then the stock 4.2? Shouldn't I have less flighty steering?
Click to expand...

You sure you measured your caster correctly? More caster should give you a tighter feel but it will cause driveline vibrations if you're running and aftermarket shaft.
 
zimm

zimm

Caught the Bug
wayoflife said:
You sure you measured your caster correctly? More caster should give you a tighter feel but it will cause driveline vibrations if you're running and aftermarket shaft.
Click to expand...

I'm using my iPhone on the top of the ball joints. I did have it once on an alignment rack (when it was 6 degrees) and the iPhone matched it. I shortened up the arms three turns to get 5. No vibes. Stock front DS. It might just be memory serving me incorrectly, but I want to think my RK arms were as short as they'd go, but I could be wrong.
 
wayoflife

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
zimm said:
I'm using my iPhone on the top of the ball joints. I did have it once on an alignment rack (when it was 6 degrees) and the iPhone matched it. I shortened up the arms three turns to get 5. No vibes. Stock front DS. It might just be memory serving me incorrectly, but I want to think my RK arms were as short as they'd go, but I could be wrong.
Click to expand...

With your Jeep on the ground, try taking a measurement from here.

attachment.php


If you're caster is set to a factory 4°, it should read about 2° off as shown in the photo above.
 
zimm

zimm

Caught the Bug
wayoflife said:
With your Jeep on the ground, try taking a measurement from here.

If you're caster is set to a factory 4°, it should read about 2° off as shown in the photo above.
Click to expand...

I did that too and get 1 degree- so 5 total.
 
wayoflife

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
zimm said:
I did that too and get 1 degree- so 5 total.
Click to expand...

Well, okay then. If that's the case, you're Jeep shouldn't feel flighty at highway speeds. How much air are you running in your tires? How much toe-in do you have set?
 
zimm

zimm

Caught the Bug
wayoflife said:
Well, okay then. If that's the case, you're Jeep shouldn't feel flighty at highway speeds. How much air are you running in your tires? How much toe-in do you have set?
Click to expand...

35psi. Not sure on the toe- it was set when I had it aligned at the dealer after I put the lift in.

It's not terrible on the highway, but you definitely have to be working the wheel to constantly correct it back to the center of the lane. Of course the toe could be way out considering how many rocks I've been running over and into since I put the lift on. Maybe I should get it checked out.
 
wayoflife

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
zimm said:
35psi. Not sure on the toe- it was set when I had it aligned at the dealer after I put the lift in.

It's not terrible on the highway, but you definitely have to be working the wheel to constantly correct it back to the center of the lane. Of course the toe could be way out considering how many rocks I've been running over and into since I put the lift on. Maybe I should get it checked out.
Click to expand...

35 is on the high side but not unreasonable. Installing a lift would NOT have changed your toe but hitting a lot of rocks will. If your tie rod is bent, you most likely have too much toe in. I would try to get that back to stock and see if that helps. This write-up should help you out.

http://wayalife.com/showthread.php?3861-Basic-Do-it-Yourself-Jeep-JK-Wrangler-Front-End-Alignment
 
zimm

zimm

Caught the Bug
Thanks. I've tried all different PSI's. I off-road at 15. When I did the Vermont Overland Rally I ran 25 because there were connecting pavement roads to the class IV "roads", but that was squishy at 50mph yet still allowed some flex in the rocky creekbeds. 28-30 works okay, but handles a little loose on the highway. 35 gives the best cornering on the street for me.
 
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