Fool proof way to center your front axle?

[ac_]

I was taking measurements last night as I am fighting a slight pulling problem and a slight high speed wander problem and found that my Jeep frame is over an inch too far to the drivers side.

I used a come-along to what I thought was center, and adjusted the lower track bar to where the lower bolt slid in easily, but after driving it a little I found that I am about an inch (approx) to far the other way.

I plan to keep playing with this till I get it perfect, but is there a fool proof, rule of thumb way to do this? I looked up videos, and they said to remove the bar and backup and go forward and it will self center, but that seemed kind of dangerous and didn't really make sense.

My rear end aligned perfectly with no issues, but I seem to be fighting the front. What are some of the best ways you guys do this? Is this a matter of just keep doing it till it is right or am I missing something simple?

Thanks.

 

[TJ_2000]

Measure inside tire to the frame on both side. Adjusted till both measurements are the same.

 

[Boinked]

It might be a little overboard. But 2 dolly lifts (don't remember the real name) under the tires would make it easier.

We have used them to rerplace landing geer when they don't want to line up.

You might be able to rent them. Or if you know anybody in the towing business they will have them.

 

[TJ_2000]

It might be a little overboard. But 2 dolly lifts (don't remember the real name) under the tires would make it easier.

We have used them to rerplace landing geer when they don't want to line up.

You might be able to rent them. Or if you know anybody in the towing business they will have them.

View attachment 54515

When centering am axle, those Dolly’s aren’t needed. The body/frame float above the axle as is. When you center an axle your not moving the axle. You are really centering the frame.

 

[jjvw]

Uss a magnet to hang a plumb bob off of the crank pulley and line it up with a center mark on the axle.

 

[TJ_2000]

Here’s how did it last week. I lined up a tread line on the tires to the flares.

 

[Boinked]

When centering am axle, those Dolly’s aren’t needed. The body/frame float above the axle as is. When you center an axle your not moving the axle. You are really centering the frame.

Like i said overboard, while not needed nor required it "might" make adjustments a small amount easier. I have not done it on a jeep. So i can not say.

 

[ac_]

Uss a magnet to hang a plumb bob off of the crank pulley and line it up with a center mark on the axle.

I like this but how do you decide what the center of the axle is? I guess inner sidewall to inner sidewall, but I don't really have any way to prove my tires are perfectly straight so I was hoping for something a little less arbitrary than measure to tires. Maybe I need 3 plumb bob's?

 

[jjvw]

I like this but how do you decide what the center of the axle is? I guess inner sidewall to inner sidewall, but I don't really have any way to prove my tires are perfectly straight so I was hoping for something a little less arbitrary than measure to tires. Maybe I need 3 plumb bob's?

I did it this way a while ago, but I recall being able to find points off of the inner-Cs.

I did not use tires, flares or anything squishy.

 

[ac_]

Here’s how did it last week. I lined up a tread line on the tires to the flares.

View attachment 54516View attachment 54517

Thanks for the pics, but my tires don't have a nice straight line like that and I don't have anyway to prove they are perfectly pointed forward. I need to measure something that is not adjustable I think. Plus you lined up your tires to your flare not necessarily your frame so if your flares are not perfect than your axle isn't either.

I was hoping there was some sort of direction, but it looks like everybody does it differently. Seriously I watched a video where some guy just took his track bar off then drove and hit the brakes and drove forward and hit the brakes again and it centered. I was hoping someone had something less dangerous than that that works good. But I will fool around with it some more this weekend and see if I can come up with something.

 

[ac_]

I did not use tires, flares or anything squishy.

You get me!

 

[bobthetj03]

Take a 3' or 4' level and set it up to the center of the tire so that the level is snug to the the top and bottom of the sidwall. take a tape measure and measure to the flat portion of the upper spring perch. Do that on each side till you got it right. I did this method for the rear too, cept I measured to the side of the frame rail for the rear.

 

[BigskyTJ]

I tried using srings, lasers all kinds of stuff. What @bobthetj03 suggested worked the best. I took it one step further and took off the tires, put the axle on jack stands and clamped a straight edge to the disk on both sides to make it easier to measure to the frame. I was told the track bar was to hold it centered but not used to adjust? Do you have adjustable control arms?

 

[Boinked]

Now im just curious as all hell......
Thinking from a engineering standpoint.


Assuming that you still have the total weight in your front axle and it is close enough to the proper ride height. The you adjust your trackbar to perfecty fit.

As the springs settle and the gap from the frame to the axle gets smaller the track bar is just going to push the axle off center again. Because the track bar is running at an angle.


So my questions are

How much will that movement be?

When you add weight. Bumper, wench, ect and compress the lift wouldn't that change the center?

how close to perfect are you trying to get?

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Don't overthink a simple process AC_. With the Jeep on the ground, unbolt the track bar. Jump up & down on the front bumper (jounce to use the techy term ) several times. The springs will very closely center the body & frame over the axle. Adjust the track bar length to fit and bolt it on.

Keep in mind the axle is pushed left/right as the front-end moves up/down while driving over bumps/dips in the road. You may notice your axle has moved slightly to one side or the other from when you first set the track bar length. Don't worry about what is a normal thing. The axle is seldom all that well centered in normal use even when it was originally installed perfectly centered so don't get too anxious over this.

 

[ac_]

I think we are losing track. I am not talking about centering front to back but I am talking about side to side. I have my axle sticking out further on onesie than the other not forward to backward.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

I think we are losing track. I am not talking about centering front to back but I am talking about side to side. I have my axle sticking out further on onesie than the other not forward to backward.

Maybe some are but I wasn't talking about anything but side-to-side in post #15.

 

[Boinked]

I think we are losing track. I am not talking about centering front to back but I am talking about side to side. I have my axle sticking out further on onesie than the other not forward to backward.

I think everyone is looking at the side to side alignment.
There are dozens of ways to get the job done and get it done correctly. You just have to figure out how you want to do it.
And the easiest way.

I like jerrys way.

 

[BigskyTJ]

Side to side is what I'm talking about also as you can shift the axle left to right using the control arms if they are adjustable. Using 3 center the axle left to right then adjust the 4th one the correct length and install. Then adjust the track bar accordingly so the bolt goes in easy. This way the suspension in not in a bind.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Side to side is what I'm talking about also as you can shift the axle left to right using the control arms if they are adjustable. Using 3 center the axle left to right then adjust the 4th one the correct length and install. Then adjust the track bar accordingly so the bolt goes in easy. This way the suspension in not in a bind.

Control arm lengths set the fore-aft positioning and thrust angle of the axles, the track bars set the left-right positioning of the axles.