How do I make this thing go straight?

[stoney bones]

What suspension upgrades / mods can i do?

this thing rides like its on wagon wheels with axles bolted right to frame.

the PO removed one leaf from the each side in the front...he says this gives more plush feel. i think he is on something. the front end just sits slightly lower now and its still stiff as rocks.

ive also started to call this one the wanderer. bouncing from white line to yellow line.....scaring oncoming drivers lol

i need an entire suspension/steering overhaul but i do not know where to start. i dont want to just start randomly replacing things just to spend money and have it ride the same.


input please?

 

[CJ]

Without seeing pictures of your suspension we would be just guessing.

What lift? Shackles? Shim plates... You need to give as much info as possible.

Did you follow the instructions in this thread? -->> http://www.jeep-cj.com/forums/f99/troubleshooting-correcting-your-steering-4106/

 

[stoney bones]

sorry about that, its about a 4" lift..not sure exactly. lifted with shackles.

no i didnt check that thread out but im on my way now.

 

[hole]

sorry about that, its about a 4" lift..not sure exactly. lifted with shackles.

no i didnt check that thread out but im on my way now.

If I'm reading your post right, your saying it's a 4" shackle lift? If so, that's most of your problem.

 

[stoney bones]

what size of lift would be recommended for tires 33 or 35"?

 

[Old Dog]

If I'm reading your post right, your saying it's a 4" shackle lift? If so, that's most of your problem.

^^ I agree^^

what size of lift would be recommended for tires 33 or 35"?

If you plan any off roading you need a 4" lift for 33's (without any trimming), and you will have to trim your wheelwells for 35's.

 

[IOPort51]

IMO 2.5" with a 1" body lift will get you 33s and 4" for 35s.
pay close attention to wheel back space low back space keeps tires off the springs in front but pushes past the fenders.

 

[CJ007]

Let some air out of the tires

 

[CJim7]

If this thing is darting all over the place, and presuming it is because of the suspension alone, then it will be oversized shackles creating improper castor. Castor is the set angle of the front axle that causes the front to track correctly. Shackles that are too tall will diminish the desired angle of castor...and create wander.

I highly doubt the spring packs themselves have anything to do with your bad handling characteristics.

A few other things related to suspension that could cause wander would be severely worn bushings and loose U-bolts.

However....aside from immensely tall shackles, the more common cause of wander is typically ball joints, TRE's (tierod or steering linkage), wheel bearings, etc.
Bad ball joints will rip a vehicle right off the road...bad TRE's aren't much better.

 

[cjshorty5]

If all is tight in the front end. Check the front axle u-joints. A siezed joint will cause bad handling also.

 

[stoney bones]

maybe these shackles are the culprit. can anyone tell me the stock length o the shackles so i can measure mine to compare?

 

[stoney bones]

also, assuming its the caster angle cause by too large of front shackles...the trouble shooting guide says i would need to compensate by put wedges in the spring perchs.

is there a kit for this? if not, what constitutes a wedge?

 

[jeepboy45]

CJim7 hit it on the head.
If all else is tight, then that would be my guess as well..
I made my front shackles a few years ago. Longer than stock to gain an extra inch or two.

But at the time I didnt know it would mess up the angles until I read the thread mentioned in a post above about troubleshooting steering.

I put in 6 degrees of wedge...
I also did other suspension/steering mods at the same time, but I have no doubt correcting the castor helped substantially.

Wedges are available online or at a 4wd parts stores.
They go between the axle and spring pack.

 

[Old Dog]

maybe these shackles are the culprit. can anyone tell me the stock length o the shackles so i can measure mine to compare?

they are 3" center of bolt to center of bolt

 

[stoney bones]

thank you for all the info. i did not see any wedges in my current setup so i will start there. also going to be following that troubleshooting guide even tho my ball joints look new they will be checked. tie rod ends look like they need attention.

i will be staying with these shackles more than likely since i want to goto 35" tires.

 

[SgtWied]

This thread saved me from having another panic attack. The PO of my 83 CJ7 put 2-3 inch lift leafs and 1-2" front shackles. Thus changing the ncaster to basically ZERO degrees. It's like driving a shopping cart with white-knuckles. I got a set of 3-3 1/2 degree shims from a fellow mechanic at a frame n axle shop. I checked and replaced all B-joints, gearbox adj. coupler, etc. All is tight. MAJOR MAJOR improvement with handling after the shim install. It somewhat pulles itself straight and tracks right on down the hiway at 65mph, wearing 33X10 Pro comps and 10" of total lift. I went from 2 hands with a super poly-grip to a coffee in one hand and my wrist on the top o the wheel. Thx all.

 

[stoney bones]

well since starting this thread I have gone on and bought a new lift kit from BDS suspension. The correct wedges were added to correct alignment. Also purchased a new set of tires and about to order a nice 1 ton steering upgrade....so between all that im really hope for some smooth sailing....


thanks for the advice everyone.